Rating: ★★★+.5 | 251 Pages | Intermix | Contemporary Romance | 08/15/2017
When a fight caught-on-tape lands Gavin Brawley–the notoriously hotheaded tight end for The New York Barons–on house arrest the last thing he wants to deal with is a new personal assistant. Noah Monroe is a freshly unemployed social worker who could care less about Gavin and just wants to do the job and start paying his student loans. But will Noah worm his way into Gavin’s heart and bring out #DatBrawleySmile ?
This book was great, I’m just really into the way Santino Hassell writes romance. He slowly builds sexual tension and pairs it with cutting banter. Noah, being a self proclaimed “poor kid from Queens” goes toe to toe with Gavin’s surliness. I was just waiting for a Slap Slap Kiss–although it ends up being more of a You Are Better Than You Think You Are.
Hassell is also writing some of the most authentic portrayals of millennials I’ve read in romance. The pop culture references, language and world views feel modern and authentic. Like the way Noah and Gavin talk about the toxic and often problematic culture of professional football. While Gavin loves football and knows it saved his life he’s also realizes if word got out he was bisexual and had a boyfriend his career could be over.
Authentic, heartwarming and fun Hassell’s debut football series is a touch down !
*ARC provided by Netgalley
SIDENOTE
By the way, this is so, so, so random but the fact that this book features a guy named Gavin never leaving his big house in the Hamptons reminds me of that episode of the Gavin Volure episode of 30 Rock.