Contract Season by Cait NaryMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Three and a half stars.
Brody Kellerman is a gay ice hockey defenseman. He's always kept his relationships out of the public eye, the last thing he wants is to be the first gay sportsman with all the angst that entails. Unfortunately, his partner of three years, London, didn't feel the same way and not being invited to accompany Brody to his best friend and teammate Alex's wedding as his 'plus one' was the final straw. So Brody is going stag. His eye is caught by the country singer crooning with a guitar while the congregation await the bride, too bad he spills two glasses of champagne down the guy's shirt! Brody knows he's not the most talented guy in the league, but he's totally focused and totally disciplined. He eats right, works out, sleeps the regular eight hours a night and has a plan for one year, fives, and even ten years' time. Marriage and kids is something he desperately wants, but after he retires when he can afford to concentrate on something other than hockey.
Seamus (Sea) Murray is an up-and-coming country singer, but it's difficult to write meaningful love songs when you have to be careful about which pronouns to use. After coming third in a US talent show he's still getting used to being recognised out in public, he's the epitome of the ugly duckling who grew into a beautiful swan but it meant he didn't get a chance to experiment in high school with girls or boys. Sea loves living and working in Nashville, but he's not really adulting very well, in fact most days he feels like a kid who'll get caught out at any moment. Uncoordinated, messy, and disorganised.
A no-strings-attached one-night stand becomes two nights when they meet at a charity function hosted by Alex's wife, but then a random selfie-taker catches the two of them in an unguarded moment. As the dominoes fall Sea and Brody's publicist decide the best way to style this is to stage a fake romance, it plays better than random hook-up partners to public opinion. With a fake-romance contract for six months, a set of pre-agreed 'dates', and their careers to manage can Brody and Sea make the story real?
I liked this, it was less superficial than I was expecting, more about Brody and Sea's careers and their feelings. Both men were adorable and I totally understood each one's reservations about their relationship.
Charming opposites attract, fake relationship romance.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
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