Ratings3
Average rating4.5
The rules of the game don’t apply off the field in this first Barons novel. New York Barons tight end Gavin Brawley is suspended from the team and on house arrest after a video of him brawling goes viral. Gavin already has a reputation as a jerk with a temper on and off the field—which doesn’t help him once he finds himself on the wrong side of the law. And while he’s been successful professionally, he’s never been lucky when it comes to love. Noah Monroe is a recent college grad looking for a job—any job—to pay off his mounting student debt. Working as Gavin’s personal assistant/babysitter seems like easy money. But Noah isn’t prepared for the electrifying tension between him and the football player. He’s not sure if he’d rather argue with Gavin or tackle him to the floor. But both men know the score, and neither is sure what will happen once Gavin's timeout is over…
Series
1 primary bookThe Barons is a 1-book series first released in 2017 with contributions by Santino Hassell.
Reviews with the most likes.
I read this book in one sitting while listening to college football on in the background, and it really set the ambiance. People, this book is so good. I don't care if you don't like sports, but if you enjoy M/M romance, this is definitely one to pick up. Unlike Hassell's Five Borough's series, this book has a different kind of pacing. The build-up and tension is excellent, and he does an A+ job of making the premise believable.
Probably my favorite of Hassell's books to date (and that's saying something), so I'm really excited for the next Barons book out in January.
Four and a half stars for this albeit not novel trope of hate-to-love but very well done execution of it
Gavin Brawley isn't exactly liked by the fans of his football team, his most recent action, namely that of hitting a guy, isn't making him more popular exactly. Though Gavin doesn't give a shit about that he doesn't like the other repercussion of his actions, housearrest with an ankle bracelet.
Six months of housearrest without being able to go buy groceries or the like leave him in need of a personal assistant. Enter Noah, a college graduate in need of money who'd really like to punch Gavin in the face most of the time.
The trope featured in the novel is nothing new. Two guys who would rather punch each other in the face than talk or be in each others presence. The slow realization that the other isn't so bad after all. The turn from dislike to like and lust. The inefitable inability to not act on the growing attraction. Yes, it's the from hate-to-love trope. Nothing new, nothing extraordinary here that wasn't done a thousand times by different authors. Well, you can also get a coffee about anywhere that doesn't mean they are all equally good. Some are just lousy and taste about as good as dirty dishwater others are so heavenly you could drown youself in it and die happy.
Illegal Contact is the type of coffee that doesn't have ay fancy shit like vanilla syrup or stuff in it but you know it was made by someone who knows what the fuck they are doing. If you want something of quality but not necessarily anything new or daring this is a book for you. Even if sports isn't your thing, it wasn't Noah's either before he started working for Gavin but it grew on him. The characters will grow on you as well, we don't see an awful lot from the sidecharacters but hey, remember what I said about that good ol' coffee with no extra shit in it? Let's say it's a good black coffee with a spoonfull of sugar in it. It doesn't need anymore than that, it's perfectly fine the way it is. Good to relax and have a nice time with.
Okay, my coffee analogy has gone on long enough I'll stop now. Anyway, it's a good, solid and nice read for in between bigger books or just to have some relaxing quality time. I can recommend this book to anyone who doesn't despise the trope and doesn't say no to some descriptive steamy times.