Scoring With Him

Audio Review Scoring With Him is book 1 in the Men of Summer series and we have Declan, a seasoned ball player and Grant, the rookie who steels his heart. We have met them before in other books but we get to dive into their love story and it is quiet the story. We get to take a journey with two gorgeous and talented ball players as they navigate their feelings for one another and yet not break the rules they have put in place about not only falling in love but having a fling with a fellow teammate. This book is a MM book but it is so much more. Love is love no matter the gender and to follow these two as they do fall for one another is so heart melting as well as melt the sheets hot. I love how they get to know one another and how the attraction is off the charts but they have that emotional connection too. We have the side stories of their families and past hurts they have endured as well as where their futures may be going. Big strong men can be vulnerable when it comes to love too and the author shows us no matter who we love we all risk our hearts to find that love. Declan is the eldest of our couple and he is the seasoned player and his affection for the rookie, Grant, shows the depth of this man. This isn't a one night stand, it is an epic love story that isn't perfect but we hope will survive into book 2. Yes, this story leaves us wanting more and we will have to wait for book 2 to see where Declan and Grant wind up. I can't wait. Jacob Morgan and Teddy Hamilton were phenomenal narrating this book. They brought the emotion and the passion that were between these two. I will say I both listened and read this book. I devoured the audio as Jacob and Teddy are so pleasurable to listen to and to hear them brought it to life but I love this authors books so much I wanted to see her words as well so I read/listened and so glad I did. If you don't normally read/listen to MM books I recommend you give this one a try. It is a love story, and the fact it is MM is irrelevant, it is a beautiful story of two people that find their person and how they navigate to make it last. If you do love MM then you are in for a real treat because LB brings it in this book and it has all the feels and all the heat and it is 5 homerun stars. Fantastic.

SCORING WITH HIM is the first full-length instalment in Lauren Blakely’s contemporary, adult MEN OF SUMMER erotic, MM, LGBTQ romance series. This is the continuing story of twenty six year old, short stop Declan Steele, and twenty-two year old, rookie catcher Grant Blackwood. Grant’s story begins in the prequel novella CRUSHING ON HIM but you do not have to have read the novella to understand or follow the current story line. NOTE: SCORING WITH HIM focuses on two gay men in professional sports including graphic scenes of same $ex situations. Told from dual first person perspectives (Declan and Grant) SCORING WITH HIM follows the forbidden relationship between San Francisco Cougars’ twenty six year old, short stop Declan Steele, and twenty-two year old, rookie catcher Grant Blackwood. Both Declan Steele, and Grant Blackwood are open about their sexual orientation but when Grant is called up to the majors, on the same team as his idol Declan Steele, all bets are off when Declan begins to flirt with the team’s newest rookie. Hoping to avoid any unwanted publicity, Declan and Grant keep their relationship a secret, a relationship with a timeline as Declan teaches the ‘rookie’ about more than just baseball and the major leagues. What ensues is the building romance and relationship between Declan and Grant, and the fall-out as Grant’s place on the team isn’t guaranteed, and Declan declares their relationship over. Grant Blackwood is a rookie in more ways than one having never had a same sex relationship until meeting Declan Steele. Nothing only does Grant idolize his teammate but Grant has crushed on the guy for as long as he can remember. Pre-season sees Grant struggling to make the team but Declan’s about to reveal that more than Grant could have imagined. The relationship between Grant and Declan is a M/M relationship ; a forbidden relationship in as far as both men work and play for the same team. Author Lauren Blakely’s series of same-$ex stories does not focus on homophobia or hate but on a world where being gay and lesbian is always accepted. As Declan and Grant begin their relationship behind closed doors, Declan learns that his time with Grant has come to an end. The $ex scenes are descriptive, passionate, detailed and erotic. We are introduced to Grant’s best friend Reese, and her brother River; Declan’s best friends Emma, and her brother, professional hockey player James Fitzgerald; and several members of the San Francisco Cougars: Crosby Cash, Sullivan, Miguel, and Chance Ashford. SCORING WITH HIM is a story of first loves, first relationships, friendships and sport. A story of anxious moments, trepidation, uncertainty and love. The premise is captivating and engaging; the romance is spicy and hot; the characters are energetic, real and lost. SCORING WITH HIM ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Reading, and listening with Jacob Morgan and Teddy Hamilton. Not only have I read Scoring With Him by Lauren Blakely, but I’ve listened to it as well. The Audible version came out before the book as per usual with Lauren, but this is the first time I’ve done the double whammy as it were. Reading and listening at the same time, I discovered a few things. 1: I kinda read faster than the guys voicing this hot as Hades story. Maybe because I just wanted to feel more of this fantastic story!! 2: Reading this way gets a body REVVED UP way quicker than individually. And believe me, this tale of two sexy as sin baseball players needs no help in that department. Grant Blackwood and Declan Steel have hotiness all rolled up and tied with the sparkliest of rainbow ribbons. They declare their gayness openly, they’re proud to play baseball and equally proud to be who they truly are. Neither of these two were looking for a relationship. Grant does have a huge crush on Declan that he finds hard to hide or resist acting on, despite the promise he made to himself before he became the rookie catcher for The Cougars. Before he met Declan in the flesh. Declan isn’t just a Steele, he’s made from it, or he was until Grant joined his team. Now, both have to learn how to field not just their baseballs, but their feelings too. They wore their hearts on their sleeves-inside the bedroom. Outside-it was game on. I loved watching these two together, it was both sweet and spicy, and their emotional connection was fully realized by the words on the pages. Scoring With Him is part one of the ‘Men Of Summer’ so just watch out for that cliffhanger. It’ll hit you like a home run, but at least we have more of Deck and Grant coming our way next month.