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Hot Off the Ice #1
City Boy
Follow the money or follow your heart?
All Bryce Lowery knows how to do is play hockey. He’s been playing professionally since he was fifteen. Twenty years later, he’s rich, famous, tired, and alone. And possibly gay according to his ex-wife.
When a blown tire leads directly to mind-blowing sex with a motorcycle-riding white knight named Dakota, Bryce discovers he is most definitely gay. Now Bryce has a tough choice to make, follow the money to a new multimillion dollar contract, or follow his heart into the unknown?
All Dakota Ryan knows how to do is grow apples. Now at twenty-four, he faces losing both his home and his livelihood in one cruel twist of fate.
Then Bryce Lowery crashes into his life like the answer to all of Dakota’s prayers. He’s whispering promises to make all of Dakota’s wildest dreams come true. But Dakota knows better than to give his heart to someone who could leave, and if life has taught him anything, it’s that everyone leaves.
Dakota has a choice, sit back and wait for Bryce to decide his fate, or for the first time in his life, chose what he wants his future to be.
City Boy is a first time gay, fish out of water, May/December love story with a happy ending. It features snarky siblings, a dirty-talking farmer, lots of food, and big choices. (No poultry was harmed in the making of this book.)
All Bryce Lowery knows how to do is play hockey. He’s been playing professionally since he was fifteen. Twenty years later, he’s rich, famous, tired, and alone. And possibly gay according to his ex-wife.
When a blown tire leads directly to mind-blowing sex with a motorcycle-riding white knight named Dakota, Bryce discovers he is most definitely gay. Now Bryce has a tough choice to make, follow the money to a new multimillion dollar contract, or follow his heart into the unknown?
All Dakota Ryan knows how to do is grow apples. Now at twenty-four, he faces losing both his home and his livelihood in one cruel twist of fate.
Then Bryce Lowery crashes into his life like the answer to all of Dakota’s prayers. He’s whispering promises to make all of Dakota’s wildest dreams come true. But Dakota knows better than to give his heart to someone who could leave, and if life has taught him anything, it’s that everyone leaves.
Dakota has a choice, sit back and wait for Bryce to decide his fate, or for the first time in his life, chose what he wants his future to be.
City Boy is a first time gay, fish out of water, May/December love story with a happy ending. It features snarky siblings, a dirty-talking farmer, lots of food, and big choices. (No poultry was harmed in the making of this book.)
318 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 29, 2017
About the author
A.E. Wasp
42 books601 followersAfter time spent raising children, earning several college degrees, and traveling the world with the U.S. State Department, she is returning to her first love - writing.
A dreamer and an idealist, Amy writes about people finding connection in a world that can seem lonely and magic in a world than can seem all too mundane. She invites readers into her characters’ lives and worlds when they are their most vulnerable, their most human, living with the same hopes and fears we all have. An avid traveler who has lived in big cities and small towns in four different continents, Amy has found that time and distance are no barriers to love. She invites her readers to reach out and share how her characters have touched their lives or how the found families they have gathered around them have shaped their worlds.
Born on Long Island, NY, Amy has lived in Los Angeles, London, and Bangkok. She currently lives in Fort Collins, Colorado for who knows how long.
A dreamer and an idealist, Amy writes about people finding connection in a world that can seem lonely and magic in a world than can seem all too mundane. She invites readers into her characters’ lives and worlds when they are their most vulnerable, their most human, living with the same hopes and fears we all have. An avid traveler who has lived in big cities and small towns in four different continents, Amy has found that time and distance are no barriers to love. She invites her readers to reach out and share how her characters have touched their lives or how the found families they have gathered around them have shaped their worlds.
Born on Long Island, NY, Amy has lived in Los Angeles, London, and Bangkok. She currently lives in Fort Collins, Colorado for who knows how long.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 337 reviews
July 3, 2017
This was a sweet romance..
I really enjoyed this book. It was low on angst and drama and just what I needed for a relaxing day of reading.
Bryce is just a big old naïve teddy bear. I wanted to cuddle up to this big guy. For a man to have such an intimidating exterior he was quite vulnerable with one of the biggest hearts. All he ever wanted to do was play hockey and take care of his family. But lately he's grown a bit wore down with all the injuries and time away from his family and is considering retirement. But he worries about taking care of his family. He has his own dreams of finding someone to love and have a family with, but he's never had a relationship with a woman to where he felt completely connected to or sexually fulfilled. His ex-wife accused him of being gay in a heated argument. It seems everyone around him thinks he is gay but him. But that all changes when he blows a tire and he finds himself in the care of Dakota.
Dakota has lost just about everyone he had ever cared for. And now he's about to lose his home and farm to a distant nephew of the man who took him in and was like family to him. Before Tom passed he promised Dakota he had drawn up another will making Dakota the benefactor of all his possessions, including the farm and all his land. But the will couldn't be found so everything was being given to this distant nephew. Out on a bike ride trying to clear his head Dakota finds himself on the side of road with a huge man that looks so damn handsome and vulnerable. He is especially attracted to all those muscles and finds the man endearing when he admits he doesn't know how to change the tire. Dakota thinks he's getting a "gay vibe" from Bryson and curiously starts flirting with him. Bryson takes the bait and soon things get heated with a little B&E thrown in.
The book is strongly about family, love, acceptance, being true to yourself, falling in love, and finding your HEA.
I adored many of the characters in this book and the animals. I loved Bryce and Dakota together and how well they took care of one another even if the other was upset with the other. They truly cared about each other. It showed in every touch and kiss. They were quite adorable and very bad at hiding their feeling's.
I can't wait to see what happens in the future books!
If your in the mood for something fun, easy, sweet, with some great characters then pick this one up.
Happy reading dolls! xx
**An ARC was kindly given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.**
I really enjoyed this book. It was low on angst and drama and just what I needed for a relaxing day of reading.
Bryce is just a big old naïve teddy bear. I wanted to cuddle up to this big guy. For a man to have such an intimidating exterior he was quite vulnerable with one of the biggest hearts. All he ever wanted to do was play hockey and take care of his family. But lately he's grown a bit wore down with all the injuries and time away from his family and is considering retirement. But he worries about taking care of his family. He has his own dreams of finding someone to love and have a family with, but he's never had a relationship with a woman to where he felt completely connected to or sexually fulfilled. His ex-wife accused him of being gay in a heated argument. It seems everyone around him thinks he is gay but him. But that all changes when he blows a tire and he finds himself in the care of Dakota.
Dakota has lost just about everyone he had ever cared for. And now he's about to lose his home and farm to a distant nephew of the man who took him in and was like family to him. Before Tom passed he promised Dakota he had drawn up another will making Dakota the benefactor of all his possessions, including the farm and all his land. But the will couldn't be found so everything was being given to this distant nephew. Out on a bike ride trying to clear his head Dakota finds himself on the side of road with a huge man that looks so damn handsome and vulnerable. He is especially attracted to all those muscles and finds the man endearing when he admits he doesn't know how to change the tire. Dakota thinks he's getting a "gay vibe" from Bryson and curiously starts flirting with him. Bryson takes the bait and soon things get heated with a little B&E thrown in.
The book is strongly about family, love, acceptance, being true to yourself, falling in love, and finding your HEA.
I adored many of the characters in this book and the animals. I loved Bryce and Dakota together and how well they took care of one another even if the other was upset with the other. They truly cared about each other. It showed in every touch and kiss. They were quite adorable and very bad at hiding their feeling's.
I can't wait to see what happens in the future books!
If your in the mood for something fun, easy, sweet, with some great characters then pick this one up.
Happy reading dolls! xx
**An ARC was kindly given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.**
July 7, 2017
Adorable and sexy!
I really enjoyed this low-angst story about a hot shot hockey player finally coming to terms with his sexuality and the country boy who steals his heart.
Bryce is one of the most endearing MCs ever. He has such a huge heart.
The ending made me feel all gooey inside. This is love at first sight done right.
I really enjoyed this low-angst story about a hot shot hockey player finally coming to terms with his sexuality and the country boy who steals his heart.
Bryce is one of the most endearing MCs ever. He has such a huge heart.
The ending made me feel all gooey inside. This is love at first sight done right.
October 28, 2020
4.5 Stars
As far as contemporary, feel-good M/M romances go, this one was pretty damn wonderful.
Featuring a slight age-gap and lots and lots of sexy first-time gay experiences for our gentle-giant hockey-pro MC, Bryce, this story is low on angst and high on passion and romance.
When Seattle based Bryce inherits a property in Colorado from a long-distance relative, he takes some time off to go stake his unexpected but welcomed claim, deciding to re-situate his mother in the homestead of his new farm. But before even making it to the property, Bryce has a vehicle mishap on a tricky mountain road and finds himself rescued by a sexy-as-sin, motorcycle riding, flirty younger man named Dakota.
Bryce—who has recently struggled with the possibility that he might be gay and not even have realised it until now—is suddenly and very enthusiastically keen to throw caution to the wind and explore his new-found attraction to Dakota. A life-altering quickie in an abandoned cabin later, and Bryce knows now for certain that he’s very much gay and very much crushing for the first time in his life on another man.
Before their mutual attraction and giddy new feelings can properly take root, Bryce discovers that Dakota lives on his new property and has a very personal and passionate interest in the land’s future. This conflict of interest could have dragged into a very long-winded drama, aimed at keeping the pair apart, but I was surprised and deeply pleased to find it hardly slowed these two down when it came to their undeniable chemistry and growing feelings.
Most of the story is set on the farm, following Bryce and Dakota’s whirlwind romance as they fall deeper and deeper into a forever kind of love, all while dealing with plans for the future, including, but not limited to, Bryce’s decisions regarding his pro-ice hockey career. As I said, this was fairly low on the angst scale, and although they had some huge real-world life decisions to make, I loved that communication remained key throughout and they worked through their issues and plans together.
One of my favourite aspects of this story was the large and boisterous cast of family and friends, who filled many of the pages in the second half of the story as Bryce and Dakota brought their worlds together for a week-long Thanksgiving gathering. Sometimes too many characters like this can be overwhelming and confusing, but I found myself following along fairly easily and enjoying all the banter and support provided, particularly to Bryce, who was slowly but surely coming out to his dearest family members as the story progressed. It was heartwarming to witness and added a little something extra to the overall story.
Bryce and Dakota’s love story could be considered instalove-ish, but I was totally on board from the moment they locked eyes. Their chemistry was palpable on all levels, with their emotional connection proving just as strong and worthwhile as their physical attraction. In truth, I was easily won over by these two and I enjoyed every minute of their sweet and simple story.
Considering this was my first time reading this author, I feel the experience went exceedingly well, and I look forward to reading further in this series to discover more about these kind and sexy hockey players as they continue to find love and happiness beyond the ice.
Note: For those who don’t enjoy sports romances, never fear—this hockey player never once hits the ice on page, so I’d consider it more a backdrop sports theme at best.
As far as contemporary, feel-good M/M romances go, this one was pretty damn wonderful.
Featuring a slight age-gap and lots and lots of sexy first-time gay experiences for our gentle-giant hockey-pro MC, Bryce, this story is low on angst and high on passion and romance.
When Seattle based Bryce inherits a property in Colorado from a long-distance relative, he takes some time off to go stake his unexpected but welcomed claim, deciding to re-situate his mother in the homestead of his new farm. But before even making it to the property, Bryce has a vehicle mishap on a tricky mountain road and finds himself rescued by a sexy-as-sin, motorcycle riding, flirty younger man named Dakota.
Bryce—who has recently struggled with the possibility that he might be gay and not even have realised it until now—is suddenly and very enthusiastically keen to throw caution to the wind and explore his new-found attraction to Dakota. A life-altering quickie in an abandoned cabin later, and Bryce knows now for certain that he’s very much gay and very much crushing for the first time in his life on another man.
Before their mutual attraction and giddy new feelings can properly take root, Bryce discovers that Dakota lives on his new property and has a very personal and passionate interest in the land’s future. This conflict of interest could have dragged into a very long-winded drama, aimed at keeping the pair apart, but I was surprised and deeply pleased to find it hardly slowed these two down when it came to their undeniable chemistry and growing feelings.
Most of the story is set on the farm, following Bryce and Dakota’s whirlwind romance as they fall deeper and deeper into a forever kind of love, all while dealing with plans for the future, including, but not limited to, Bryce’s decisions regarding his pro-ice hockey career. As I said, this was fairly low on the angst scale, and although they had some huge real-world life decisions to make, I loved that communication remained key throughout and they worked through their issues and plans together.
One of my favourite aspects of this story was the large and boisterous cast of family and friends, who filled many of the pages in the second half of the story as Bryce and Dakota brought their worlds together for a week-long Thanksgiving gathering. Sometimes too many characters like this can be overwhelming and confusing, but I found myself following along fairly easily and enjoying all the banter and support provided, particularly to Bryce, who was slowly but surely coming out to his dearest family members as the story progressed. It was heartwarming to witness and added a little something extra to the overall story.
Bryce and Dakota’s love story could be considered instalove-ish, but I was totally on board from the moment they locked eyes. Their chemistry was palpable on all levels, with their emotional connection proving just as strong and worthwhile as their physical attraction. In truth, I was easily won over by these two and I enjoyed every minute of their sweet and simple story.
Considering this was my first time reading this author, I feel the experience went exceedingly well, and I look forward to reading further in this series to discover more about these kind and sexy hockey players as they continue to find love and happiness beyond the ice.
Note: For those who don’t enjoy sports romances, never fear—this hockey player never once hits the ice on page, so I’d consider it more a backdrop sports theme at best.
September 27, 2017
Sexy read about self discovering and love. A sweet sport romance with no sport in it (Bryce is a Hockey player recovering from an injury so no play time for him) but with a lot of cute-hot moments.
I don't know why but when the setting in a book is Colorado I go crazy and very invested just because.
I could blame Kristen Ashley's books or the fact that just imagine the Rocky Mountain made me nostalgic... a nonsense since I am from Spain and even if a traveler, the nearest I've been from this mountain has been Denver and for a couple of hours so... the longing is a craziness of mine.
"At least I picked a gorgeous place to have a crisis. And a gorgeous guy to have it with"
You're probably asking yourself why this tedious intro... Well, just to say the first time these two met was on the road, with the Rocky Mountain as background, in the middle of a funny situation, with an also funny dialogue, and amusing thoughts. And there, the book got me. I'm that easy, even if the hookup felt a bit hurried to me since I didn't even notice they exchanged names...
Established that I'm easy, I must say I'm not stupid, and I need more than landscape and a roadside sexual encounter, so let's expose the stuff you want to read:
Point one: Two gorgeous and hot MCs. I liked both, the curly blondie and the dark long haired one. The farmer and hockey player, the gay and the oblivious-I-don't-know-what-I-am.. The dubious and insecure country young man and the mega kind City Boy. Both.
Point two: the story itself was cute and sweet. They didn't steal my heart but it was very enjoyable and easy to read.
This book is about knowing ourselves and finding home. It's low on angst and it contains some good humor so I would recommend it to anyone who wants a light read about two cute MCs who really care for each other.
And for the first time, ladies and gentlemen, I didn't miss the point... or not that much, right? RIGHT? I even enumerated my highlights when I'm usually like this guy:
You are welcome! (Please, read with the ironic tone it was written)
Reviews for Book Lovers
I don't know why but when the setting in a book is Colorado I go crazy and very invested just because.
I could blame Kristen Ashley's books or the fact that just imagine the Rocky Mountain made me nostalgic... a nonsense since I am from Spain and even if a traveler, the nearest I've been from this mountain has been Denver and for a couple of hours so... the longing is a craziness of mine.
"At least I picked a gorgeous place to have a crisis. And a gorgeous guy to have it with"
You're probably asking yourself why this tedious intro... Well, just to say the first time these two met was on the road, with the Rocky Mountain as background, in the middle of a funny situation, with an also funny dialogue, and amusing thoughts. And there, the book got me. I'm that easy, even if the hookup felt a bit hurried to me since I didn't even notice they exchanged names...
Established that I'm easy, I must say I'm not stupid, and I need more than landscape and a roadside sexual encounter, so let's expose the stuff you want to read:
Point one: Two gorgeous and hot MCs. I liked both, the curly blondie and the dark long haired one. The farmer and hockey player, the gay and the oblivious-I-don't-know-what-I-am.. The dubious and insecure country young man and the mega kind City Boy. Both.
Point two: the story itself was cute and sweet. They didn't steal my heart but it was very enjoyable and easy to read.
This book is about knowing ourselves and finding home. It's low on angst and it contains some good humor so I would recommend it to anyone who wants a light read about two cute MCs who really care for each other.
And for the first time, ladies and gentlemen, I didn't miss the point... or not that much, right? RIGHT? I even enumerated my highlights when I'm usually like this guy:
You are welcome! (Please, read with the ironic tone it was written)
Reviews for Book Lovers
June 15, 2018
3 stars for the Audio
2 stars for the story
I guess it is time for me to go into:
Its Me! not the Book! so many readers loved this. I just couldn't get into the story that much. Some parts were sweet, others i found really irritating.
My first attempt at reading this failed due to the many typos and the Insta between Bryce and Dakota threw me off. When i saw Michael Pauley was narrating this i decided to give it another try, i have to say as much as i love MP, here it was somehow a miss especially with Dakota and the female voices.
What worked
-The Characters were likable enough.
-Robbie i will listen to his book if it will ever come out on Audio.
What didn't work
-I couldn't feel the chemistry between Bryce and Dakota, all throughout the book, sometimes it just felt flat. Even the sex scenes fell flat.
-There were some inconsistencies when it came to Bryce's family, i think the author forgot how many Brothers and Sisters he had.
- It had the Made Marian Vibe all over it.
- The age thing was all wrong, IMO Bryce felt like 24 and Dakota 34, not the other way round, even the mentions it at some point.
-Overall, i just couldn't connect.
Again its me not the book! or I will just blame it all on Archer and Mallory! i am still reading it at a snail pace, not wanting it to end.
2 stars for the story
I guess it is time for me to go into:
Its Me! not the Book! so many readers loved this. I just couldn't get into the story that much. Some parts were sweet, others i found really irritating.
My first attempt at reading this failed due to the many typos and the Insta between Bryce and Dakota threw me off. When i saw Michael Pauley was narrating this i decided to give it another try, i have to say as much as i love MP, here it was somehow a miss especially with Dakota and the female voices.
What worked
-The Characters were likable enough.
-Robbie i will listen to his book if it will ever come out on Audio.
What didn't work
-I couldn't feel the chemistry between Bryce and Dakota, all throughout the book, sometimes it just felt flat. Even the sex scenes fell flat.
-There were some inconsistencies when it came to Bryce's family, i think the author forgot how many Brothers and Sisters he had.
- It had the Made Marian Vibe all over it.
- The age thing was all wrong, IMO Bryce felt like 24 and Dakota 34, not the other way round, even the mentions it at some point.
-Overall, i just couldn't connect.
Again its me not the book! or I will just blame it all on Archer and Mallory! i am still reading it at a snail pace, not wanting it to end.
October 1, 2019
This romance was a warm, heartfelt read that hit all the ‘awe’ buttons. The initial chemistry between Bryce and Dakota is off the charts, but at the same time both their characters are apparent already. I loved Bryce’s big heart and sweetness, trying to take care of everyone he loved. And he was so wonderfully oblivious, it was sweet and funny at the same time.
There’s a solid amount of angst in City Boy, but it’s realistic, and at least they’re talking to each other—most of the time. Bryce’s conflict especially felt real, and you almost struggle with him in making hard decisions. The May-December element here is subtle, as the age difference is only ten years, and it’s not that big a deal.
One thing I love to see in romances is a supporting cast of friends and family, and this book had plenty. In fact, there were so many that I did lose track of who was who every now and then. The set up for the next book was well done, not so much it took away from this plot, but enough to make us curious. I’ll definitely be reading the next book in this series.
If you don’t like sports romances, fear not, because the actual sport content in City Boy is low. As in: they’re watching one ice hockey game. I know crap about hockey, and I loved this book. Just saying.
There’s a solid amount of angst in City Boy, but it’s realistic, and at least they’re talking to each other—most of the time. Bryce’s conflict especially felt real, and you almost struggle with him in making hard decisions. The May-December element here is subtle, as the age difference is only ten years, and it’s not that big a deal.
One thing I love to see in romances is a supporting cast of friends and family, and this book had plenty. In fact, there were so many that I did lose track of who was who every now and then. The set up for the next book was well done, not so much it took away from this plot, but enough to make us curious. I’ll definitely be reading the next book in this series.
If you don’t like sports romances, fear not, because the actual sport content in City Boy is low. As in: they’re watching one ice hockey game. I know crap about hockey, and I loved this book. Just saying.
February 7, 2023
I really liked this a lot!
October 28, 2020
For the majority of this book I thought I'd be giving it 4 stars. The drama level was low, which I'm fine with -- there needs to be some level of struggle for the character(s), but I hate being bowled over by misery and suffering. There was no gratuitous angst here.
And there was a lot I enjoyed, mostly in the first half of the book. There were lots of funny bits worth highlighting. But somewhere in the second half the fun leached away.
It was due to a gradual accumulation of things. For example, way too much time was spent with the 50 family members who showed up for the holidays. Okay, there weren't actually that many -- only a DOZEN of them -- ALL getting page time -- PLUS almost as many friends getting page time too. Yikes. I don't like big groups like that in real life, and apparently I don't enjoy them in fiction either.
The interactions between the MCs turned too sappy for my tastes. The villain was evil -- no, make that EVULLLLLLLL -- and without any discernible motive. Eventually I realized I was no longer enjoying the book, just trudging along toward the end and in a hurry to get there.
Three stars represents an averaging of my feelings, good and bad. But those who like things sappier than I do (probably almost everyone), or who love big family gatherings, may enjoy this book. I'm not planning to read the next in the series, but I might at least sample it and give it a chance.
And there was a lot I enjoyed, mostly in the first half of the book. There were lots of funny bits worth highlighting. But somewhere in the second half the fun leached away.
It was due to a gradual accumulation of things. For example, way too much time was spent with the 50 family members who showed up for the holidays. Okay, there weren't actually that many -- only a DOZEN of them -- ALL getting page time -- PLUS almost as many friends getting page time too. Yikes. I don't like big groups like that in real life, and apparently I don't enjoy them in fiction either.
The interactions between the MCs turned too sappy for my tastes. The villain was evil -- no, make that EVULLLLLLLL -- and without any discernible motive. Eventually I realized I was no longer enjoying the book, just trudging along toward the end and in a hurry to get there.
Three stars represents an averaging of my feelings, good and bad. But those who like things sappier than I do (probably almost everyone), or who love big family gatherings, may enjoy this book. I'm not planning to read the next in the series, but I might at least sample it and give it a chance.
July 7, 2017
I guess I’m going to be the odd one out with this, since everyone loved this. I mean, I liked it, but I also had some issues with it.
Bryce is a 34 year old professional hockey player, currently recovering from a knee injury. He is traveling to Colorado to see a house he inherited from a long lost relative when he gets a flat tire. It is 24 year old Dakota who comes to his rescue.
And while the two are trying to change the tire, Bryce can’t help but check out the beautiful younger man. A lot of people have previously assumed Bryce is gay, but he himself never got that memo. That is until he meets Dakota.
These two start out with an experimental hook-up to figure out if Bryce really is gay. But end up seeing more of each other when they find out Dakota lives on Bryce’s new land as a tenant…
I really liked these guys and thought they were very sweet together. I loved how oblivious Bryce seemed to be about being gay. Even his ex-wife knew before him! But he did admit it pretty fast once he met Dakota, so no dragged out gay freak out or anything.
My main problem was that it felt as if the relationship was steadily building 'til about 50% and after that it just stopped. From then on all they were talking about was Bryce coming out and his future as a hockey player.
And while the could have been super romantic, the author decided to make it a thing for the MCs to fight over. Yes, I got that Dakota wasn’t happy I was very disappointed the author decided to go that way instead of the romantic hearts and flowers way it also could have gone.
But there is enough steam in this for all the dirty boys and girls to be happy, so that was a good thing.
Editing was not so great though. There were lot of missing or misspelled words, but I don't really mind that in my books, so that wasn't a huge problem for me.
While I definitely see the appeal of this book and I really enjoyed the first half, I was disappointed in the second half and the lack of relationship development in that part.
But don’t let my opinion keep you from reading this book! This had an overall sweetness that a lot of readers will love.
----------------------------
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
Bryce is a 34 year old professional hockey player, currently recovering from a knee injury. He is traveling to Colorado to see a house he inherited from a long lost relative when he gets a flat tire. It is 24 year old Dakota who comes to his rescue.
And while the two are trying to change the tire, Bryce can’t help but check out the beautiful younger man. A lot of people have previously assumed Bryce is gay, but he himself never got that memo. That is until he meets Dakota.
These two start out with an experimental hook-up to figure out if Bryce really is gay. But end up seeing more of each other when they find out Dakota lives on Bryce’s new land as a tenant…
I really liked these guys and thought they were very sweet together. I loved how oblivious Bryce seemed to be about being gay. Even his ex-wife knew before him! But he did admit it pretty fast once he met Dakota, so no dragged out gay freak out or anything.
My main problem was that it felt as if the relationship was steadily building 'til about 50% and after that it just stopped. From then on all they were talking about was Bryce coming out and his future as a hockey player.
And while the could have been super romantic, the author decided to make it a thing for the MCs to fight over. Yes, I got that Dakota wasn’t happy I was very disappointed the author decided to go that way instead of the romantic hearts and flowers way it also could have gone.
But there is enough steam in this for all the dirty boys and girls to be happy, so that was a good thing.
Editing was not so great though. There were lot of missing or misspelled words, but I don't really mind that in my books, so that wasn't a huge problem for me.
While I definitely see the appeal of this book and I really enjoyed the first half, I was disappointed in the second half and the lack of relationship development in that part.
But don’t let my opinion keep you from reading this book! This had an overall sweetness that a lot of readers will love.
----------------------------
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
January 18, 2018
This book started out a bit slow for me, part of that problem was the fact that within pages of the beginning of this book it was obvious what the connection was between the two MCs. That of itself was not the issue... the fact that the two MCs did not know what it was till 30% of the way through the book was. However, after reading the whole book it totally worked for me. Though it meant I put the book down a few times, and shifted to reading something else, in the end I kept being drawn back to this book, needing to know just how these two got together. Just a warning I am a hopeless romantic, so like the last 20% of the book a box of tissues was required. I really loved both Bryce and Dakota, and though both men are sexy as hell I gotta admit there was something about Dakota that just really did it for me. Though Bryce did totally surprise me with one thing he did late in the book, it blindsided me and made me gasp. Bryce's family was also incredible, as well as the circle of Dakota's friends. Once I got past that first 30% this book grabbed my heart and just ran away with it!
Other than the Christmas short that is a part of this series, this is my first book my Ms. Wasp. I will be finishing this series and also checking out her other ones. She has shown an awesome ability to not only make a movie in my head with her writing but also write characters who become very real to me as a reader, people who I care about. I would highly recommend this book!
Other than the Christmas short that is a part of this series, this is my first book my Ms. Wasp. I will be finishing this series and also checking out her other ones. She has shown an awesome ability to not only make a movie in my head with her writing but also write characters who become very real to me as a reader, people who I care about. I would highly recommend this book!
August 30, 2017
This book was an ooey-gooey delight! And the next book comes out tomorrow. Yay!
July 8, 2017
Un libro dulce, low angst, poco realista, con agujeros enormes en la trama, pero dulce. Es 2.5 estrellas para mi, pero la cantidad de typos, errores, que tiene es increible, necesita un revisado muy urgente.
September 17, 2017
Super adorbs
This is exactly what I needed right now. A super sweet read about two adorable idiots fumbling their way through love. Completely pocket worthy. These two put a smile on my face that's still there after finishing the book.
This is exactly what I needed right now. A super sweet read about two adorable idiots fumbling their way through love. Completely pocket worthy. These two put a smile on my face that's still there after finishing the book.
June 28, 2017
I liked an awful lot of this book, the plot isn't beyond the realms of possibility - there are plenty of men who don't come out until later life for whatever reason - and it felt honest.
I believed that Bryce hadn't a clue why he wasn't able to make his marriage work even though he'd loved his wife (they're over by some years when this story starts) and that his weird feelings about other blokes he'd put down to either admiration of their skills or their personalities, rather than they'd been the crushes of an unaware gay man.
He was beautifully naive and it showed in every interaction with Dakota, making their mountainside hook up all the more heartfelt and emotional.
Dakota was also a nicely rounded character, his hurt and anger at what was happening in his life and how he felt once the new owner of the farm was revealed was also understandable.
But, once they got together, I think it became a little less realistic, there were only minor hurdles thrown in their path (and yes it's a romance and it's nice to see that the whole world aren't homophobic assholes and all their friends and family were fine because they'd all really secretly thought Bryce was gay) but I think a bit more conflict would have worked better.
There is a pervading masculinity in sport, especially in the US's top four, and I don't think perhaps enough was given to the real fears that should have been part of Bryce's decisions he was making regarding his future. It was mentioned but brushed aside slightly.
Now, that's only a tiny minor criticism and it's nothing which spoils the flow of the narrative or the romance of the book itself, which is really sweet and has a lot of stupidly hot sex, especially as Bryce is a total gay sex virgin. This was done really well, they didn't just jump into full on demon monkey sex all over the place!
I had an ARC so there are a fair few typos, grammatical tense mistakes and editing errors which I'd expect would be ironed out by the time the book comes out so they didn't distract too much from the over all story.
This is the start of a new series from A.E. Wasp and one I'm looking forward to continuing.
#ARC received from the author in response for an honest and unbiased review.
I believed that Bryce hadn't a clue why he wasn't able to make his marriage work even though he'd loved his wife (they're over by some years when this story starts) and that his weird feelings about other blokes he'd put down to either admiration of their skills or their personalities, rather than they'd been the crushes of an unaware gay man.
He was beautifully naive and it showed in every interaction with Dakota, making their mountainside hook up all the more heartfelt and emotional.
Dakota was also a nicely rounded character, his hurt and anger at what was happening in his life and how he felt once the new owner of the farm was revealed was also understandable.
But, once they got together, I think it became a little less realistic, there were only minor hurdles thrown in their path (and yes it's a romance and it's nice to see that the whole world aren't homophobic assholes and all their friends and family were fine because they'd all really secretly thought Bryce was gay) but I think a bit more conflict would have worked better.
There is a pervading masculinity in sport, especially in the US's top four, and I don't think perhaps enough was given to the real fears that should have been part of Bryce's decisions he was making regarding his future. It was mentioned but brushed aside slightly.
Now, that's only a tiny minor criticism and it's nothing which spoils the flow of the narrative or the romance of the book itself, which is really sweet and has a lot of stupidly hot sex, especially as Bryce is a total gay sex virgin. This was done really well, they didn't just jump into full on demon monkey sex all over the place!
I had an ARC so there are a fair few typos, grammatical tense mistakes and editing errors which I'd expect would be ironed out by the time the book comes out so they didn't distract too much from the over all story.
This is the start of a new series from A.E. Wasp and one I'm looking forward to continuing.
#ARC received from the author in response for an honest and unbiased review.
November 26, 2018
I enjoyed this book for the most part. But it felt too insta for me... it wasn't actually, but the whole story spanned over two weeks, which seemed awfully fast, though the feelings were there.
I think I have only 2 big complaints: The beginning and the ending. XD
The beginning:
The ending was just plain cheesy. Sweet, if not a bit too much.
3.5 stars
I think I have only 2 big complaints: The beginning and the ending. XD
The beginning:
The ending was just plain cheesy. Sweet, if not a bit too much.
3.5 stars
May 31, 2024
4 stars
Bryce is such a tremendous obliviot, but he doesn't waste much time wallowing in the realisation that he's been kidding himself about his sexuality for his whole life, and really leans into his relationship with Dakota who is the more reluctant of the two to commit to anything.
I really enjoyed the cosy day-to-day at the farm, and all the found family aspects. I especially appreciated that Bryce's ex wife is a good friend of his and encourages his new relationship; no evil harpies here, in fact there are a number of other strong female characters too.
The MC have good conversations about the future and I thought their relationship was believable.
I am not a fan of the "grand gesture" and liked how the trope was reversed here, with . I liked the distinction the author made between being out in your day-to-day life, versus having your personal life broadcast online.
Overall, this was quite low angst but sweet and engaging and I'll be checking out what else this author has written. Maybe the PR rep Bryce spoke to has his own book, he seemed nice...
Bryce is such a tremendous obliviot, but he doesn't waste much time wallowing in the realisation that he's been kidding himself about his sexuality for his whole life, and really leans into his relationship with Dakota who is the more reluctant of the two to commit to anything.
I really enjoyed the cosy day-to-day at the farm, and all the found family aspects. I especially appreciated that Bryce's ex wife is a good friend of his and encourages his new relationship; no evil harpies here, in fact there are a number of other strong female characters too.
The MC have good conversations about the future and I thought their relationship was believable.
I am not a fan of the "grand gesture" and liked how the trope was reversed here, with . I liked the distinction the author made between being out in your day-to-day life, versus having your personal life broadcast online.
Overall, this was quite low angst but sweet and engaging and I'll be checking out what else this author has written. Maybe the PR rep Bryce spoke to has his own book, he seemed nice...
September 24, 2017
3.5 stars – Though I have several of her books on my Kindle already, City Boy is the first of A.E. Wasp’s books that I have read. Low on the angst and quick on the insta-love, this is the sort of easy reading that’s perfect if you’re looking for a sweet and uncomplicated romance.
Bryce Lowery’s life has always been about hockey, but after twenty years of playing professionally and currently sitting out for a lengthy recovery after an injury, the idea of signing a new multimillion-dollar contract to keep playing doesn’t hold the same appeal that it once did. When he unexpectedly inherits a farmhouse and orchard from a distant relative, it looks like the perfect opportunity to get away for some perspective. Dakota Ryan’s life has been marked by people leaving him, most recently through the death of the man who took him in at sixteen when his adoptive parents were killed, and by bad choices coming back to bite him in the ass, most recently the one made eight years ago not to allow that man, who was like a grandfather to him, to adopt him. Unfortunately, that decision will probably now cost Dakota not only the place he’s lived for most of his life but also his livelihood growing apples as the property gets transferred to the man’s distant nephew instead of to Dakota. When a chance meeting between Bryce and Dakota results in a lot more than just a tire change on the side of a mountain road, Bryce’s realization about his sexuality gives him one more thing to question, and the very real possibility that Bryce will be just another person to leave him makes Dakota wary.
City Boy is ultimately a story about trust and decisions. It’s also a story about family and taking care of important people in one’s life. And it’s also about staying true to yourself and going after what you want. The strongest part about the novel is the fact that the situations that lead up to both Bryce’s and Dakota’s decisions were compelling in their realism. All of these individual factors were wonderfully woven into a believable and heartfelt story that, despite being low on the angst, had plenty of emotional punch.
But it wasn’t without its problems. In the acknowledgments section of the book, the author states that this is the longest book she has written. In comparison to romance novels as a whole, this book isn’t long, but there were several scenes in the book that either dragged for me or didn’t work for me because they were so long. I know many readers will disagree with me on this, mainly because it is a first-time-gay story, but my primary example of this is that after the book starts with three chapters of mainly individual introductory material, it follows with a nine-chapter-long scene where Bryce and Dakota meet, most of which is an extended sex scene. Yes, nine chapters. Sure, the delicious descriptions of Bryce’s first time with a man were nice, but after we barely know anything about the characters—and when they know essentially nothing about each other—nine chapters of increasingly intimate interaction where by the end they’re having intimate conversation about their dreams and such was just too unrealistic for me. I just couldn’t buy it. Sorry.
Fortunately, once that mess was complete, the plot of the book kicked into gear and I was able to get into the story a lot more. Sure, it was insta-love, but at least Dakota reacted to it in a way I felt fit his character based on his past. For the most part, I found Dakota’s character realistic based on everything we are told about him. On the contrary, throughout the book, as much as I liked him for the incredibly caring individual he’s portrayed to be, I struggled to find Bryce’s character as realistic, solely for the reason that the author identified him as a professional hockey player who has had a much-longer-than-average career. He just struck me as too naïve about so many things. Put the same character in a different life and I’d have loved him to pieces. As it was, however, it was a big challenge for me to get beyond the difficulty I had.
Considering the two big issues I had with City Boy, if the story had not been as compelling as it was, I likely would have put this aside unfinished. Fortunately, it was a well-conceived plot that resulted in the right balance at the moment of truth, where neither character’s decision felt more important than the one the other had to make. And, yeah, even though that initial scene between Bryce and Dakota was far too drawn out for my liking, the romance was full of good moments of its own. The result is a novel that’s well worth the time to read, and it has me looking forward to the next one in hopes that the storytelling style will be crafted as well as the story itself is.
Though I am a book blogger, this is my honest review of a book that I purchased myself.
Follow Me: Reviews by Tammy & Kim | Facebook | Twitter
Bryce Lowery’s life has always been about hockey, but after twenty years of playing professionally and currently sitting out for a lengthy recovery after an injury, the idea of signing a new multimillion-dollar contract to keep playing doesn’t hold the same appeal that it once did. When he unexpectedly inherits a farmhouse and orchard from a distant relative, it looks like the perfect opportunity to get away for some perspective. Dakota Ryan’s life has been marked by people leaving him, most recently through the death of the man who took him in at sixteen when his adoptive parents were killed, and by bad choices coming back to bite him in the ass, most recently the one made eight years ago not to allow that man, who was like a grandfather to him, to adopt him. Unfortunately, that decision will probably now cost Dakota not only the place he’s lived for most of his life but also his livelihood growing apples as the property gets transferred to the man’s distant nephew instead of to Dakota. When a chance meeting between Bryce and Dakota results in a lot more than just a tire change on the side of a mountain road, Bryce’s realization about his sexuality gives him one more thing to question, and the very real possibility that Bryce will be just another person to leave him makes Dakota wary.
City Boy is ultimately a story about trust and decisions. It’s also a story about family and taking care of important people in one’s life. And it’s also about staying true to yourself and going after what you want. The strongest part about the novel is the fact that the situations that lead up to both Bryce’s and Dakota’s decisions were compelling in their realism. All of these individual factors were wonderfully woven into a believable and heartfelt story that, despite being low on the angst, had plenty of emotional punch.
But it wasn’t without its problems. In the acknowledgments section of the book, the author states that this is the longest book she has written. In comparison to romance novels as a whole, this book isn’t long, but there were several scenes in the book that either dragged for me or didn’t work for me because they were so long. I know many readers will disagree with me on this, mainly because it is a first-time-gay story, but my primary example of this is that after the book starts with three chapters of mainly individual introductory material, it follows with a nine-chapter-long scene where Bryce and Dakota meet, most of which is an extended sex scene. Yes, nine chapters. Sure, the delicious descriptions of Bryce’s first time with a man were nice, but after we barely know anything about the characters—and when they know essentially nothing about each other—nine chapters of increasingly intimate interaction where by the end they’re having intimate conversation about their dreams and such was just too unrealistic for me. I just couldn’t buy it. Sorry.
Fortunately, once that mess was complete, the plot of the book kicked into gear and I was able to get into the story a lot more. Sure, it was insta-love, but at least Dakota reacted to it in a way I felt fit his character based on his past. For the most part, I found Dakota’s character realistic based on everything we are told about him. On the contrary, throughout the book, as much as I liked him for the incredibly caring individual he’s portrayed to be, I struggled to find Bryce’s character as realistic, solely for the reason that the author identified him as a professional hockey player who has had a much-longer-than-average career. He just struck me as too naïve about so many things. Put the same character in a different life and I’d have loved him to pieces. As it was, however, it was a big challenge for me to get beyond the difficulty I had.
Considering the two big issues I had with City Boy, if the story had not been as compelling as it was, I likely would have put this aside unfinished. Fortunately, it was a well-conceived plot that resulted in the right balance at the moment of truth, where neither character’s decision felt more important than the one the other had to make. And, yeah, even though that initial scene between Bryce and Dakota was far too drawn out for my liking, the romance was full of good moments of its own. The result is a novel that’s well worth the time to read, and it has me looking forward to the next one in hopes that the storytelling style will be crafted as well as the story itself is.
Though I am a book blogger, this is my honest review of a book that I purchased myself.
Follow Me: Reviews by Tammy & Kim | Facebook | Twitter
October 5, 2017
Very much enjoyed this one!
RTC...
~*~
4.5 Stars!
I really loved this story.
Honestly, the only thing that truly bothered me, although it's not truly a complaint, is that I SO wanted a detailed scene of Dakota bottoming, because the book kinda built it up, him imagining it several times and them talking about it, but - can't have everything, and ultimately it's not a huge deal, just a personal thing.
But aside from that, this was very good. The sex was amazingly hot and scorching and passionate, and Dakota and Bryce were special together. I loved how even though these two become sexual with each other almost right away, it did not feel forced, because romance was not pushed right away. It was what it was at first - a hook up. But what brings them together again is, in my opinion, well done, and their chemistry was off the charts.
I feel like the amount of time it took them to fall in love could be considered a little rushed, but they were so good together and I was able to feel their passion for each other come off the page so much that I didn't think it was rushed.
I also never got that feeling that I've gotten with other books that deal with a character just realizing they aren't straight, and are completely new with it with this one. Bryce wasn't pushed into coming out after only knowing for only a few weeks that he is gay. There were times were Dakota came close to it, but he understood when to back off and let Bryce have some time. I thought Bryce came to terms with his sexuality pretty quickly actually, but it didn't feel disingenuous or anything like that. It was actually refreshing to read about someone just realizing they're gay in their 30's coming to terms with it fairly easily - not that there wasn't angst with it, but just that Bryce came to terms with himself fairly easily - having a wonderful, accepting family helped with that, too.
I also enjoyed how these two worked out their problems - they did not always get it right, but they both talked things out eventually, got everything out on the table and I loved that. Not miscommunication trope to be found in this.
Also, what could have become cliche and contrived with Dakota's ex didn't, and the guy was only around like twice, and he was easily dealt with, and that was refreshing too.
I definitely recommend this, because the story, the chemistry, the characters are just too good, in my opinion, to pass up. Loved this! :)
***Copy provided by The Alpha Club***
RTC...
~*~
4.5 Stars!
I really loved this story.
Honestly, the only thing that truly bothered me, although it's not truly a complaint, is that I SO wanted a detailed scene of Dakota bottoming, because the book kinda built it up, him imagining it several times and them talking about it, but - can't have everything, and ultimately it's not a huge deal, just a personal thing.
But aside from that, this was very good. The sex was amazingly hot and scorching and passionate, and Dakota and Bryce were special together. I loved how even though these two become sexual with each other almost right away, it did not feel forced, because romance was not pushed right away. It was what it was at first - a hook up. But what brings them together again is, in my opinion, well done, and their chemistry was off the charts.
I feel like the amount of time it took them to fall in love could be considered a little rushed, but they were so good together and I was able to feel their passion for each other come off the page so much that I didn't think it was rushed.
I also never got that feeling that I've gotten with other books that deal with a character just realizing they aren't straight, and are completely new with it with this one. Bryce wasn't pushed into coming out after only knowing for only a few weeks that he is gay. There were times were Dakota came close to it, but he understood when to back off and let Bryce have some time. I thought Bryce came to terms with his sexuality pretty quickly actually, but it didn't feel disingenuous or anything like that. It was actually refreshing to read about someone just realizing they're gay in their 30's coming to terms with it fairly easily - not that there wasn't angst with it, but just that Bryce came to terms with himself fairly easily - having a wonderful, accepting family helped with that, too.
I also enjoyed how these two worked out their problems - they did not always get it right, but they both talked things out eventually, got everything out on the table and I loved that. Not miscommunication trope to be found in this.
Also, what could have become cliche and contrived with Dakota's ex didn't, and the guy was only around like twice, and he was easily dealt with, and that was refreshing too.
I definitely recommend this, because the story, the chemistry, the characters are just too good, in my opinion, to pass up. Loved this! :)
***Copy provided by The Alpha Club***
October 22, 2017
I really enjoyed this story. Dakota was adorable and Bryce was so clueless about everything. They made one hot couple.
The secondary characters were nice too and we get to meet Robbie, the MC in the second installment of this series.
Free with Kindle Unlimited
The secondary characters were nice too and we get to meet Robbie, the MC in the second installment of this series.
Free with Kindle Unlimited
October 26, 2018
First we meet Bryce who is at a hockey bar with his teammates and ex wife.
Bryce is hiding in the bathroom from a woman when his ex and teammate come find him. They tell Bryce he is gay to which he says no I can’t be.
Later the bartender takes him home and also tells him he is gay.
Bryce is confused ( so am I ).
Next we meet Dakota who is whiny and annoying. Dakota is packing up his family ranch when his ex boyfriend shows up. Dakota thinks it’s a good thing his sister is there because otherwise he would hop into bed with him despite the fact he is part of the reason he lost the family farm since the ex stole mass amounts of money from him ( cue me rolling my eyes hard ).
We then get Dakota trying to blow off steam by riding his motorcycle in the mountains. He sees the guy ahead of him weaving and driving like a drunk Mr Magoo. Dakota goes to pass him when he hears the SUV blow a tire.
Of course it’s Bryce who tells him despite the fact that he lives in Seattle ( a city where you have to drive if you want to get anywhere ), he doesn’t really drive ( I’m thinking maybe hire a driver if you know you will be driving through twisty mountain roads. I roll my eyes again ).
Dakota tells Bryce he can change the tire. While this is happening Bryce asks Dakota if he is gay ( as you do when you are making small talk with a stranger ). Then he asks him how do you know you are gay. At this point my eyes are rolling so hard I can barely read.
They start making out and Dakota tells him the only way to know you are gay is by giving a blow job because anal sex doesn’t count.
They manage to get to a circle of resort cabins that are of course closed for the season ( I need Tylenol for my eyes that haven’t stopped rolling ).
Finding one that is easily broken into they proceed to engage in mutual blowjobs ( they have to find out if Bryce is really gay and this is the only way ).
After the description of Bryce’s “monster cock” I had to stop and give my eyes a break.
Come back to find out the big mystery reveal which was so dumb.
Dakota keeps whining. Bryce is a complete idiot.
The sex is boring and there is zero chemistry.
DNF because Jesus this was horrific.
Bryce is hiding in the bathroom from a woman when his ex and teammate come find him. They tell Bryce he is gay to which he says no I can’t be.
Later the bartender takes him home and also tells him he is gay.
Bryce is confused ( so am I ).
Next we meet Dakota who is whiny and annoying. Dakota is packing up his family ranch when his ex boyfriend shows up. Dakota thinks it’s a good thing his sister is there because otherwise he would hop into bed with him despite the fact he is part of the reason he lost the family farm since the ex stole mass amounts of money from him ( cue me rolling my eyes hard ).
We then get Dakota trying to blow off steam by riding his motorcycle in the mountains. He sees the guy ahead of him weaving and driving like a drunk Mr Magoo. Dakota goes to pass him when he hears the SUV blow a tire.
Of course it’s Bryce who tells him despite the fact that he lives in Seattle ( a city where you have to drive if you want to get anywhere ), he doesn’t really drive ( I’m thinking maybe hire a driver if you know you will be driving through twisty mountain roads. I roll my eyes again ).
Dakota tells Bryce he can change the tire. While this is happening Bryce asks Dakota if he is gay ( as you do when you are making small talk with a stranger ). Then he asks him how do you know you are gay. At this point my eyes are rolling so hard I can barely read.
They start making out and Dakota tells him the only way to know you are gay is by giving a blow job because anal sex doesn’t count.
They manage to get to a circle of resort cabins that are of course closed for the season ( I need Tylenol for my eyes that haven’t stopped rolling ).
Finding one that is easily broken into they proceed to engage in mutual blowjobs ( they have to find out if Bryce is really gay and this is the only way ).
After the description of Bryce’s “monster cock” I had to stop and give my eyes a break.
Come back to find out the big mystery reveal which was so dumb.
Dakota keeps whining. Bryce is a complete idiot.
The sex is boring and there is zero chemistry.
DNF because Jesus this was horrific.
July 4, 2017
I absolutely. Friggin. Loved. This! Bryce has lived for hockey since he was 14. Now at 34 he's been injured, and faces decisions about his career. He's also questioning his sexuality, having been told by others for years, including his ex-wife, that he's gay. But introspection is not his strong suit. When Dakota stops to help the hapless man with a tire, sparks fly and Dakota helps Bryce confirm that he is indeed, gay as a Pride parade. Dakota has known nothing but loss all his life. All the family he had is gone and the will, leaving him the property he's lived and worked on for so long, is lost. Imagine his surprise when he finds out Bryce's mother has inherited it.
It's a rather rocky road to romance (yes I'm fond of alliteration) but the physical pull between them is strong. Both also feel the emotional pull but Dakota's afraid to trust, Bryce isn't out and hasn't decided on continuing his career or not. The characterization is wonderful and enhanced with alternating POV's. I wouldn't really call this May/December, as the age difference is only 10 years. More than that, I loved the way they really talked about most things. They did hold back, especially Dakota, but it wasn't a miscommunication trope. They're helped along by wonderful secondary characters, like Dakota's sister Lori, Bryce's ex, Nikki and his mother Connie.
There's not really any hockey, other than a game they attend but the flavor is there. The sex scenes are intense and scorching, plentiful but not overwhelming and not filler. It's an utterly delightful, low-angst story, not overly sweet, with an upbeat plot line and uplifting ending. I cannot wait to read the next in this series.
*i received an ARC from the author. A review was requested but not required*
It's a rather rocky road to romance (yes I'm fond of alliteration) but the physical pull between them is strong. Both also feel the emotional pull but Dakota's afraid to trust, Bryce isn't out and hasn't decided on continuing his career or not. The characterization is wonderful and enhanced with alternating POV's. I wouldn't really call this May/December, as the age difference is only 10 years. More than that, I loved the way they really talked about most things. They did hold back, especially Dakota, but it wasn't a miscommunication trope. They're helped along by wonderful secondary characters, like Dakota's sister Lori, Bryce's ex, Nikki and his mother Connie.
There's not really any hockey, other than a game they attend but the flavor is there. The sex scenes are intense and scorching, plentiful but not overwhelming and not filler. It's an utterly delightful, low-angst story, not overly sweet, with an upbeat plot line and uplifting ending. I cannot wait to read the next in this series.
*i received an ARC from the author. A review was requested but not required*
August 28, 2019
At first I wasn't so sure if I would like this story, but with each chapter I liked the main characters better and enjoyed the book more and more.
Great audio, narrated by Michael Pauley!
Story 3.5 stars
Audio 4 stars
Great audio, narrated by Michael Pauley!
Story 3.5 stars
Audio 4 stars
July 7, 2017
4.5 stars! Sweet read! If the rest of the books in this series are just as good, I'm all in.
June 26, 2020
Hay algún detalle importante en la trama poco creíble, pero obviando esto, la pareja protagonista es adorable y muy mona; y sus respectivas familias maravillosas.
April 28, 2018
Sexy, fun, adorable, sweet...I love a good fish out of water story and when combined with an age gap between partners, great side and secondary characters, and a happy ending I'm a very happy camper. City Boy offered not only romance, but some twists and turns that kept the story flowing well and me interested throughout.
I enjoyed Michael Pauley's narration overall and thought he did a good job bringing the story to life and giving the character's personalities a chance to shine.
Note for sticklers: Michael Pauley's tone and inflection sometimes gets a bit too breathy and he slipped out of the character voice for Dakota a few times. Enough that during dialogue portions I sometimes had to rewind to listen to a section and listen again to understand what was happening.
3.5 Stars
Audio copy of City Boy (Hot off the Ice #1) provided by the author in exchange of an honest review.
This review has been cross-posted at Gay Book Reviews.
August 24, 2018
Really a cute love story. I loved Bryce's journey and just how DOWN he was for it. He just rolls with it without that much angsting over it. There's disbelief and "how did I not know this about myself?" but not angst. I also liked that Dakota's insecurity was handled in such a different way that is typical. I don't know if I can explain the difference but it felt different to me. I also loved that Dakota just gave up on trying to resist what he was feeling. It was charming in it's way. Bryce's family is awesome. As is Dakota's sister. It was just a really cute sweet story.
February 4, 2018
Unfortunately, I don't think this author is for me. I found the characters to be very flat and unrealistic. Bryce's boy scout personality verged on annoying and Dakota was whiny. They just didn't grab me. The writing didn't really appeal to me either. Unrealistic dialog, repetitive descriptions, and stilted prose. I ended up skimming most of the book because it just didn't hold my attention.
September 21, 2017
I liked this so much. This is a new to me author so this was a really pleasant surprise.
Full review to come.
Full review to come.
May 5, 2018
This book was seriously good!! I absolutely LOVED everything about it.
Super cute, sweet, feel good story with really likeable characters. And the Audio was fantastic!!! This is the start of a new series I am really looking forward to. I cannot wait to see where the Author takes this series next.
Dakota has learned that not a lot of people and things in life are for keeps. Everyone and everything leaves you at some point in time. And now Dakota is due to lose the home, farm and Apple orchard he’s known and lived at for almost 20 years..
Bryce is a super sweet hockey player who’s at a crossroads in life... Keep playing hockey, or retire and find something else to do with him time... When a distant relative he’s never even met, leaves him an Apple orchard he’s got a huge decision to make, including what to do with the “renter” already living on the land.
Dakota is sick of people using him, loving and leaving him, making promises they won’t or can’t keep. Bryce has never been with a guy before, and isn’t even sure he’s really gay. This book is really cute, low angst with not a lot of drama. A chance Encounter, and some instant love, these two have some choices that can make or break their relationship and future together. The Family and friends included in this book are a lot of fun to meet and brought a lot more to the book with their antics. There’s Not a lot of hockey actually being played in this book. But, the Author does a great job of explaining the sport when it’s talked about. Which makes sense to me since the series is called Hot “off” the ice, it’s not really a sports book.
Audio - Michael Pauley is great narrating this book!! I absolutely totally enjoyed this narration, this mix between his voice and this story was just perfect. It’s definitely made it’s way to the top of my favorites at this point.
Super cute, sweet, feel good story with really likeable characters. And the Audio was fantastic!!! This is the start of a new series I am really looking forward to. I cannot wait to see where the Author takes this series next.
Dakota has learned that not a lot of people and things in life are for keeps. Everyone and everything leaves you at some point in time. And now Dakota is due to lose the home, farm and Apple orchard he’s known and lived at for almost 20 years..
Bryce is a super sweet hockey player who’s at a crossroads in life... Keep playing hockey, or retire and find something else to do with him time... When a distant relative he’s never even met, leaves him an Apple orchard he’s got a huge decision to make, including what to do with the “renter” already living on the land.
Dakota is sick of people using him, loving and leaving him, making promises they won’t or can’t keep. Bryce has never been with a guy before, and isn’t even sure he’s really gay. This book is really cute, low angst with not a lot of drama. A chance Encounter, and some instant love, these two have some choices that can make or break their relationship and future together. The Family and friends included in this book are a lot of fun to meet and brought a lot more to the book with their antics. There’s Not a lot of hockey actually being played in this book. But, the Author does a great job of explaining the sport when it’s talked about. Which makes sense to me since the series is called Hot “off” the ice, it’s not really a sports book.
Audio - Michael Pauley is great narrating this book!! I absolutely totally enjoyed this narration, this mix between his voice and this story was just perfect. It’s definitely made it’s way to the top of my favorites at this point.
October 4, 2017
Awww. This is a great romance. Bryce and Dakota are wonderful together. Bryce falls into a gentle giant category of hero who has been clueless about his own sexual orientation though many around him have not. He is kind and so hardworking.
Dakota is younger and has had one fairly abusive relationship in the past but he is also kind.
The meet up of theses too and their circumstances are a bit over the top but they talk about it like grown ups which is nice. The sex is hot but so is the communication.
The issues with coming out in sports are well done. The cast and setting are great.
The villain is a bit flat and uncomplicated but overall this is a really lovely book and I am hooked on this author now.
Dakota is younger and has had one fairly abusive relationship in the past but he is also kind.
The meet up of theses too and their circumstances are a bit over the top but they talk about it like grown ups which is nice. The sex is hot but so is the communication.
The issues with coming out in sports are well done. The cast and setting are great.
The villain is a bit flat and uncomplicated but overall this is a really lovely book and I am hooked on this author now.
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