Review: Winging It by Ashlyn Kane & Morgan James

Title: Winging It
Author: Ashlyn Kane & Morgan James
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Length: 300 pages

Grade: A-



BLURB:

Gabe Martin has a simple life plan: get into the NHL and win the Stanley Cup. It doesn’t include being the first out hockey player or, worse, getting involved with one of his teammates. But things change.

Dante Baltierra is Gabe’s polar opposite—careless, reckless… shameless. But his dedication to the sport is impressive, and Gabe can overlook a lot of young-and-stupid in the name of great hockey. And Dante has a superlative ass in a sport filled with superlative asses.

Before Gabe can figure out how to deal, a tabloid throws him out of his comfortable closet into a brand-new world. Amid the emotional turmoil of invasive questions, nasty speculation, and on- and off-ice homophobia, his game suffers.

Surprisingly, it’s Dante who drags him out of it—and then drags him into something else. Nothing good can come of secretly sleeping with a teammate, especially one Gabe has feelings for. But with their captain out with an injury, a rookie in perpetual need of a hug, and the race to make the playoffs for the first time since 1995, Gabe has a lot on his plate.

He can’t be blamed for forgetting that nothing stays secret forever.


MY REVIEW

I love sports-themed M/M books and the blurb made Winging It seem right up my alley. Turns out I was right. Winging It is an awesome read. It has many tropes readers will enjoy: friends into lovers, coming out and some very hot first time, the-boy-is-a-virgin sex scenes.

The story is mostly told from Gabe's POV.  The star hockey player is gay and in the closet. He has a crush on his younger teammate, Dante Baltierra. Now, Dante has never been attracted to men before and so their romantic relationship progresses slowly, which really gives credence to the Gay For You theme. So, when Gabe and Dante finally hook up...woah, it is totally worth the wait! And the best part of this book for me? These characters act like guys. Guys who are typical jocks, have trouble expressing their emotions, but in the end discover love and how to work through their complex -- and now public -- relationship.

Overall, while the pacing in the beginning of the book dragged a bit, the middle grabbed my interest, so much that I was upset I had to put the book away and go to work! If you love hockey, the GFY trope and a terrific coming out tale, you will love Winging It. Recommended!

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Review: The Alpha's Ardor by Rebecca Brochu

Title: The Alpha's Ardor (Wolves of Flathead #1)
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Length: 72 pages

Grade: A- 


BLURB:

Declan Adair and his twin brother Lachlan are wolf shifters with no home or pack and a dark past that makes them hated by other weres. Hunted and forced to separate, Declan finds himself chased north and straight into Flathead, a large sprawling territory that is home to a single massive pack.

Unsure and more afraid than he wants to admit, Declan’s situation is only made worse by his undeniable attraction to the Flathead pack’s alpha, Law.

Law is everything an alpha should be: powerful, controlled, and surprisingly enough to Declan—kind. And when Law seems to want Declan just as much as Declan wants Law, it’s unbelievable. With a past full of hurt and the knowledge that the only one he can trust is his twin, Declan is torn between the way he knows the world works and the possibility that the alpha’s ardor might just be real.


MY REVIEW

It takes a lot to surprise me these days, but The Alpha's Ardor was a pleasant surprise. What a lovely treat for this shifter fanatic! Ms. Brochu's take on the werewolf trope is refreshingly new and intriguing. Declan and Lachlan's backstory was different and compelling and completely integral to the plot.

Declan's love interest, Law wasn't your typical gruff, controlling Alpha, but instead caring and sweet to confused and afraid Declan. The hurt-comfort scenes were wonderful between these two characters. I was engaged from beginning to end in their love story. Add in some interesting secondary characters like Declan's twin brother, Lachlan and you have the start of a great series.

This author is definitely one to watch! Really worth your time to pick this book up.