Illegal Contact
The Barons series
by Santino Hassell
BOOK BLURB:
The rules of the game don’t apply off the field in this first Barons novel.
New York Barons tight end Gavin Brawley is suspended from the team and on house arrest after a video of him brawling goes viral. Gavin already has a reputation as a jerk with a temper on and off the field—which doesn’t help him once he finds himself on the wrong side of the law. And while he’s been successful professionally, he’s never been lucky when it comes to love.
Noah Monroe is a recent college grad looking for a job—any job—to pay off his mounting student debt. Working as Gavin’s personal assistant/babysitter seems like easy money. But Noah isn’t prepared for the electrifying tension between him and the football player. He’s not sure if he’d rather argue with Gavin or tackle him to the floor. But both men know the score, and neither is sure what will happen once Gavin’s timeout is over…
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5 of 5 Stars
So, this is my first book by this author. His Five Boroughs series comes highly recommended by a very reliable source but my review schedule has been packed and my life a bit hectic so I haven’t read them yet. After reading this, I’m not sure what I was waiting for! And honestly, those covers… all of them!
This book is probably not a 5 star read to some people and I get that but it is for me partially because I’m a true sucker for a sports romance. I’ve been on a mediocre book streak and I needed a really good read. This book was just perfect for me at the right time – fantastic, entertaining writing; exceptional characters and a good story. I think one of my favorite things about it is the way it ended.
I’m not going to lie…Gavin wasn’t exactly likable at the beginning of the book. A horrible childhood led to his lack of trust in people that drove the self-preservation behavior. It took Noah a hot minute to get past that façade but underneath his tough exterior and sharp tongue Gavin has a sweet, romantic heart. He’s never really learned how to interact with people. He’s never learned how to take care of himself. He’s never had someone love him and take care of him just because of him and not who he is and what he can do for them. He just wants to play football and not deal with all the crap that comes with it. Enter Noah…who also has a sarcastic wit; take no BS attitude and cutting vocabulary. He is the perfect person to handle Gavin. I loved their banter. Their sexual tension was OFF.THE.CHARTS. But more than that, in each other they found friendship and true, bone deep love. I’m not sure which I them I like more. While I can’t resist a romantic football player, I’m a sucker for the Clark Kent nerdy bada$$. I really hope we get to see them more throughout the series.
Fair warning – I did get teary toward the end of the book. And I still don’t like Joe even though he seems to care about Gavin in a weird sort of way. Mel, the publicist is awesome. Marcus is fantastic. The jury is still out on Simeon for me…he’s a little over the top but I’m guessing that’s for show and we’ll find out why in his book.
Obviously, this is a must read and I’m heading to Amazon now to get started on the Five Boroughs series while I wait for book 2 in this series!
Pre-Order Book 2 Now!
Amazon
Two rival football players begin a game with higher stakes than the Super Bowl in this steamy romance from the author of Illegal Contact.
Simeon Boudreaux, the New York Barons’ golden-armed quarterback, is blessed with irresistible New Orleans charm and a face to melt your mama’s heart. He’s universally adored by fans and the media. Coming out as gay in solidarity with his teammate hasn’t harmed his reputation in the least—except for some social media taunting from rival linebacker Adrián Bravo.
Though they were once teammates, Adrián views Simeon as a traitor and the number-one name on the New Jersey Predators’ shit list. When animosity between the two NFL players reaches a boiling point on the field, culminating in a dirty fist fight, they’re both benched for six games and sentenced to joint community service teaching sullen, Brooklyn teens how to play ball.
At first, they can barely stand to be in the same room, but running the camp forces them to shape up. With no choice but to work together, Simeon realizes Adrián is more than his alpha-jerk persona, and Adrián begins to question why he’s always had such strong feelings for the gorgeous QB…
AUTHOR BIO:
Santino Hassell was raised in Brooklyn by a strict Catholic family, but he was anything but traditional. He grew up to be a smart-mouthed, school-cutting grunge kid, then a transient twenty-something, and eventually transformed into an unlikely romance author.
Santino writes queer romance that is heavily influenced by the gritty, urban landscape of New York City, his belief that human relationships are complex and flawed, and his own life experiences.
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