Him

I'm such a huge fangirl for this book that I had no idea how to write a review when I read this for the first time a couple of months ago. Not that I'm any better now, but I really just want to gush about my love for this wonderful love story.

Ryan “Wes” Wesley and Jaime Canning became best friends at 13 when they met at a hockey summer camp. They spent the summers playing hockey, pranking, all round having fun and the remaining part of the year sending each other boxes of gag gifts. But an incident on the last day of camp before college forces Wes to cut off contact leaving Jaime with lots of questions.

It's four years later and they unexpectedly meet again when their college teams qualify for the Frozen Four. Meeting again makes them realise how important their friendship was to each other and Wes decides to surprise Jaime by joining as a coach at their summer camp before heading to Toronto to begin his NHL career. Will Wes win back his friend? Will his unrequited feelings for Jaime affect their future? All these questions are answered in the pages of this brilliant and beautiful novel.

Ryan may come across as a cocky, over confident, successful athlete but we quickly realise that it's a front he has put up to hide his vulnerable side from the world. He is also grappling with the idea of hiding his sexuality from his new team because he doesn't want the scrutiny of being the first out gay NHL player along with that of being a rookie. Growing up in a very indifferent and unsupportive family, he lived his happiest days every summer alongside Jaime and now, he just wants one more summer with his best friend and the only person he has ever loved – even if he has to hide his true feelings.

Jaime is only too happy to have his friend back for six more weeks and they get along like a house on fire almost instantly, as if the last four years of separation don't exist. He is also a very laidback, chill Cali boy and when he is confronted with his sudden attraction towards Wes, he doesn't overthink and just dives right into it.

The progression of their relationship from best friends to lovers is very beautifully written. They share such a strong bond and we are shown glimpses of their teenage years together, that it is very easy for us to see them as a couple. They trust, support and complement each other unconditionally. And most importantly, their sexual chemistry is OFF THE CHARTS!!!!! What makes the steamy scenes even better in the book is that they are totally sexy but also full of humor and emotion – I blushed, laughed out loud and got misty eyed too. Jaime and Wes never really talk about their feelings, but express their love for each other through tender touches, sensual kisses and heart warming actions. They always put each other and their friendship first, even if it means they don't get to be together. But thankfully, the separation is short lived and we get the amazing sexy reunion. Ohhh the feels 😘😘😘

Both the guys are extremely adorable that I fell for them right from the get go, but I love Ryan a teeny tiny bit more. He loves Jaime so much but struggles to accept that his feelings are truly reciprocated and he can have both his career and the love of his life. Jaime comes from a very well loved, accepting family, so his journey of exploring his bisexual identity is much more smooth. The writers have done an excellent job of giving both the MCs unique voices, personalities and backstories – which makes it very easy for us to love them individually while also rooting for them hard as a couple.

I have to specially mention Jaime's “Canning clan”. They are awesome and their home exudes love and warmth. The epilogue is singularly powerful and emotional because Ryan gets to truly experience the love of a family.

I still feel I have failed in adequately expressing my fondness for this book because I love it too much and don't have enough words to describe my feelings. Let's just say that Ryan and Jaime will always be one of my favorite couples ever. This book has also made it's way into my All-time Favorites shelf on Goodreads.

If you like – a good best friends to lovers romance; sweet, sensitive and adorable (not the aggressive alpha male) athlete MCs; low on angst and high on emotion plot; fabulously entertaining banter and shenanigans; lots of hot and sexy times – then this is the book for you. This is also a great foray into M/M romance if you are interested in exploring the genre. “Him” undoubtedly proves that two great romance authors can create more magic when they decide to collaborate.

If you enjoy audiobooks or just want to give them a try, then I highly recommend this one. Jacob Morgan and Teddy Hamilton do a magnificent job bringing these characters to life. And just like Ryan, I'm totally in love with Jacob's voice as he narrates his POV. Definitely a must listen in the romance section.

I don't know why I haven't read this one already years ago, because I have it from 2020 already. Maybe I was afraid of the fact that I would love it too much and that I would be too excited from those hot scenes. Which in both cases is actually true. But it's simply perfect just the way it is and I wouldn't change anything about it. Cannot wait for the second book which I have to start reading immediately.

This book was recommended to me by a few people and boy were they right. I absolutely loved it, I wasn't even half way through when I downloaded the next book.

It is a wonderful story filled with emotion. You'll fall in love with these characters and once you start reading it'll be hard to stop.



More to follow

Ehh, unfortunately this didn't live up to the hype for me. This was like 90% smut without any real sense that the characters had romantic chemistry, and no plot. Despite having a long history together, once the MC's started hooking up early on (around the 20% mark) it honestly felt like they were just doing it out of boredom, and the romance never progressed from there. There were occasional moments of the fun banter I love in the Off-Campus series, and I think the story had a good premise for there to be a lot of angst - which is what I had hoped for.

However for me, the lack of romantic chemistry/development, along with a bunch of random casual sexism (from both MC's) and biphobia (from Wes) -both of which went unchallenged- really spoiled the reading experience for me here.

SECOND READ 3/25/17-3/26/17I'd been waiting for the audio to start reading [b:Us 27797842 Us (Him #2) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454072715s/27797842.jpg 47775179] so after a bat shit week I decided to do a refresher read of [b:Him 25686927 Him (Him #1) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436433289s/25686927.jpg 45514970] first and what a fantastic idea that was. I won't rehash my review though it's all over the place but those were my thoughts, as they were, at the time. I will reiterate how much I loved the “him” in question: Jamie Canning. He's young but already so full of the qualities that will make him a man you want to know your whole life. When Wes met him was definitely the luckiest day of his life because not only did he get Jamie but he also got the Canning clan and if there's someone in need of a loving family that is Ryan Wesley. I will add that I loved Ryan too. He is cocky and a bit full of himself but in his defense he can back it up. Plus he is an athlete! An NHL bound hockey player! Small egos, low ambition, and self effacement don't get you in to the NHL. He's self aware of his hard prickly shell but his upbringing has made that a necessary survival skill. I also want to thank [a:Sarina Bowen 7737308 Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1402702789p2/7737308.jpg] for putting good women in her M/M books. Unlike some M/M readers I'm not freaked or grossed out by sexually present women in M/M and I like that she doesn't portray them as evil or conniving or whatever other misogynistic thing but rather as breathing, sentient, and complex beings. That's a long way of saying that Holly needs her own book. Another person who needs his own book, because I feel for him and need to know his future got better is Mark Killfeather. Extra points for not doing the usual bi erasure. Jamie was true and honest in his previous relationships with women, it just so happens he wasn't in love with those people. Jamie & Wes were lost to each other from day one. They just didn't know it. ;-)This brought me back to Happy. Thank you. I'm off to [b:Us 27797842 Us (Him #2) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454072715s/27797842.jpg 47775179]FIRST READ 9/1/16-9/2/16This was everything I didn't know I needed and wanted!Everything from a fantastic audio by [a:Teddy Hamilton 15007880 Teddy Hamilton https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/user/u_50x66-632230dc9882b4352d753eedf9396530.png] and [a:Jacob Morgan 3145556 Jacob Morgan https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1493415553p2/3145556.jpg] to the sweet, hopeful and heartwarming story of two people becoming adults & jumping into the world and its attendant challenges but secure in love and good company.I'd been reticent about reading this as I don't do sports so much and NA can sometimes be hit or miss for me but Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy handle the story beautifully with just the right amount of seriousness but no trumped up angst or drama and with lots of humor and good vibes and of course sexiness to spare.I know that life is full of a**holes but I was so glad that aside from Wesley's father and Killfeather Sr.the community surrounding Jamie and Wes (Ryan) were normal, recognizable and lovely people that we all wish to know and can I just say that I want to be adopted by the Canning clan? Also Holly! Love that girl so hard.Is there a lovelier man than Jamie Canning? Sensitive, open and loving yet strong and decisive when it counts. And Wes ... whose been dealt from both piles of the deck: talent to spare but shitty parents; a society that still shuns people like him for their sexual orientation and a community and family and best friend/lover who embrace him whole heartedly. Yes he sometimes runs and hides but who didn't when they were 18 or 22? My only quandary now is that I don't know if I want to read [b:Us 27797842 Us (Him #2) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1454072715s/27797842.jpg 47775179] because I felt like [b:Him 25686927 Him (Him #1) Sarina Bowen https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436433289s/25686927.jpg 45514970] ended perfectly and I don't want to burst my bubble of bliss, plus there doesn't seem to be an Audio version yet and I really loved the narration.