Winter Ball (Renée’s review)

27991851Title: Winter Ball
Author: Amy Lane
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Release Date: December 25, 2015
Genre(s): Contemporary/Holiday
Page Count: 200
Reviewed by: Renée
Heat Level:  4 flames out of 5
Rating:  4.1 stars out of 5
Blurb:

Through a miserable adolescence and a lonely adulthood, Skipper Keith has dreamed of nothing but family. The closest he gets is the rec league soccer team he coaches after work—and his star player and best friend, Richie Scoggins.

One brisk night in late October, a postpractice convo in Richie’s car turns into a sexual encounter neither of them expected—nor want to forget. Soon Skip and Richie are living for the weekends and their winter league soccer games—and the games they enjoy off the field. Through broken noses, holiday decorating, and the killer flu, they learn more about each other than they ever dreamed possible. Every new discovery takes them further beyond the boundaries of the soccer field and into the infinite possibilities of the best relationship of Skipper’s life.

Skipper can’t dream of a better family than Richie—but Richie’s got real family entanglements he can’t shake off. Skipper needs to convince Richie to stay with him beyond winter ball so the relationship they started on the field might become their happy future in real life!

This was another great addition to the holiday season of m/m yummy goodness of 2015! Skipper and Richie have been friends for many years and even play in a rec soccer league together. One hot and steamy encounter changes the way they see each other.

This was the perfect mix of sweet, friends-to-lovers and dirty, dirty hotness between the sheets! Done the way that only Amy Lane can do! And there is something so refreshing about the “realness” of her characters. Their physical attributes and their bluntness.

My martyr-meter went off for this one when Richie sacrificed his and Skip’s happiness for his family’s BS way too long for my taste, but that was my only beef with this story. Otherwise, this was another great delivery from a favorite author. Definitely recommend!

 

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Advanced Review Copy

Advanced review copy of Winter Ball provided by Dreamspinner Press in exchange for an honest review.