Us (Hockey Series Book 2)
Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy
2016
324 pages
Overall Rating: 5/5
MM Sports Romance (Hockey)
Plot: Ryan Wesley and Jamie Canning know the value of keeping a secret– but that doesn’t mean they have to like it. They’ve been living together for months now, and no one even knows they’re a couple aside from their families and Wes’s hockey team managers. And for two men who are confident in themselves and unapologetically in love, pretending they are “just roommates” is pretty awful. But Wes and Jamie both know their silence is worth it because Wes is crushing his rookie season with Toronto, and the last thing he needs is for his Big Gay Moment to happen and overshadow everything he’s worked so hard for.
At least they have their apartment. Their home is like an oasis, a place where Wes and Jamie can be anonymous and themselves and shut out the rest of the world. Unfortunately, it seems Wes has been raving about the amazing views from his living room a little too loudly (mostly as a cover for his thoughts of how lovely Jamie looks living in his apartment, but of course, he can’t talk openly about that), and his Toronto teammate, Blake Riley, needs a new place to live and thinks he might like a piece of those downtown views for himself, so he moves in upstairs on a whim. Unfortunately, Blake is also a people person who loves surprises and is prone to unexpected visits. Wes and Jamie’s little oasis now feels a lot more like a bed and breakfast, and the strain of denying the most important thing in their lives becomes nearly intolerable, leaving both men wondering how they could possibly keep things under wraps until the end of the season.
First Take: OMG I could not put this book down. Ryan Wesley is one of my most favorite book boyfriends of all time. There is no one more important to him than Jamie, and his endless capacity to love him just had me swooning for hundreds of pages. There is so much gloriously juicy tension and secrecy in this book and it absolutely had me on the edge of my seat. My nail beds are decimated and it was so worth it.
Characters: Ryan Wesley is deliriously happy. He’s got Jamie and hockey– the two great loves of his life. Sure, the travel is rough and he wants nothing more than to bring Jamie as his date to all the team functions, but they have a plan to come out at the end of the season and Wes is nothing if not disciplined. In the meantime, he lives for the nights at home with his man, and he’s come up with creative ways to keep things spicy while he’s on the road. And his happiness is translating perfectly upon the ice– he’s having the kind of season most players only dream of. Jamie Canning, on the other hand, is finding the adjustment to grown-up life a little more difficult. He’s not used to keeping secrets and wishes he could be more of himself around his new coworkers. He loves being a coach, but it isn’t quite as easy as he thought it would be– teenagers can be awfully moody, especially when their team is losing. Best new character award goes to Blake Riley, Wes’s big, loud, and extremely lovable teammate. He is such a cuddly teddy bear who’s hilarious (the source of most of my LOLs this time around) and a lot more perceptive than anyone gives him credit for (he gets his own happy ending in Good Boy, also written by our dynamic duo).
Praises: While the first book in the series focused on Wes and Jamie getting together, this book is an exploration of really being together. There were so many cute little moments between them that felt really real and relatable. Wes and Jamie both mature a lot in this story and it was so, so satisfying to follow them on their journey. They deal with the struggles every human faces after high school: how to fit into the real world and adjust to that first grown-up job. It was all the more fascinating because of the added bonus of a behind-the-scenes look at professional hockey and the celebrity that comes along with that. I am a huge sucker for celebrity stories– who doesn’t want to imagine what it’s like to be famous?
Critiques: I’m sad it’s over. Sure, we get a snippet of Wes & Jamie’s future in Good Boy and the novella Epic, but I am really, really sad to say goodbye. There was also some angst in this book, which definitely made me a little sad at times and might turn off some readers, but it felt really necessary so I didn’t mind it aside from the near-tears. Also, I thought the ending was wrapped up well, but also abrupt. I can’t explain it, other than to say I thought the ending scene maybe felt a little incomplete? I dunno, I wanted more. But I think I’m just sad to see them go.
Themes: Coming of Age, Faith v Doubt, Family, Identity, Justice, Loneliness, Man v Self, Man v Society, Sacrificial Love
Overall Tone: Wes and Jamie go through some growing pains in their personal and professional lives as they transition into adulthood, and they’ll need to rely on their love for each other to carry them through it.
Prose: Dual first person POV from Wes & Jamie. They struggle with communication at times and things get pretty tense, but the emergence of Blake Riley brings some much-enjoyed comic relief.
Steam: 4/5. A little less steam than in book one, a little more kink.
Trigger Warnings: None.
Tropes: Athlete Hero, Coming Out, Forbidden Love, Fame, Secrets & Lies, Shared Pasts, Soul Mates
Kinks: A super fun Skype chat and some very creative texting.
Swear Jar: 5/5. Wes and Jamie are a little older, a little wiser– but still curse like sailors.
Cliffhanger: HEA. No cliffhanger.
Memorable quotes:
The man I love. Even now the phrase sticks in my mind with damn near wonder… The way I feel about Ryan Wesley… it’s something I thought existed only in the movies.
There’s an old quote my mother once painted on a ceramic platter. Love is friendship set on fire. I get it now.
I’ve just discovered that falling in love has a dark side. When you’re mad at the love of your life, it’s impossible to feel joy.
Worthy of a reread? OMG Yes.
Stand-Alones, Prequels, Sequels, & Tangents: Book 2 in the series, plus an epilogue/novella named Epic. Series should be read in order, with Epic last. Wes and Jamie also make appearances in two other M/F romances: Good Boy and Stay (WAGS books 1 & 2), both written by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy.
Check out more reviews at The Hopeless Romanticist blog!
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Reviews with images
WES + JAIME FOR LIFE!!
5/5 🌟2/5 🌶️Could Wes and Jaime be any more perfect?! 🥹 My heart was swooning the entire time. Wes is the perfect boyfriend 💕What I love 🫶🏼🏒 their dirty text messages 😏🏒 their each others “home” 🥹🏒 how their still so possessive towards each other 🫠🏒 Wes stopping EVERYTHING to be by Jaime’s side 👬🏒 Jaime’s supportive family 💗🏒 Wes’s Valentine’s Day card 😫 (Epic novella)Side note :: I love Blake! I am so excited for his book. He’s the best bestie. He’s so fun! He’s like a giant teddy bear I wanna cuddle and wrestle 😜
Top reviews from other countries
Gillian Hyland-Byrne
Love this book and the series
Reviewed in Canada on November 6, 2023
Antônio Luciano B. F. Júnior
Você já se apaixonou pelo seu melhor amigo? Deu certo?
Reviewed in Brazil on November 10, 2021
Pierre J.
A good but underwhelming sequel
Reviewed in Spain on March 29, 2022
Pierre J.
Reviewed in Spain on March 29, 2022
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