Sarina Bowen

Elle Kennedy

They don't play for the same team. Or do they? Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died. Ryan Wesley's biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he'll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever. Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions- can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend...and a big one to learn about himself. Warning: contains sexual situations, hotties on hockey skates, skinnydipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition.

Raigan Correll

it’s more than just a case of morning wood. It’s Wes-wood,

And now I hate this app more than I thought possible. 

He’s skinnier than I usually like, but not anorexic thin. 

It was like the serpent shoving the apple at Eve. Or rather the banana…

Natalie Sypeck 

Udit

Cute. Way too much smut but I guess that's the selling point of it. Plus it was actually good and didn't suck so yeah. Might read the sequel when im unemployed again.

aleksandra

1/5

I love it when women are called "chicks" in gay romance books written by a woman. What’s so hard about calling a woman, a woman? And that's not even the worst thing about this book.

akynn 

Amazing wow! I love this book so much! It has great pacing and a perfect balance between storyline and smut! I read this thing so fast! I love it 

I loved the progression of Jamie and Ryan’s relationship. I loved that because of their friendship they were so comfortable together and it allowed them to have laughter in their sex lives. It brought a real intimacy to it. Sex isn’t always so serious lol. 

Cass Paul

They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend...and a big one to learn about himself.

Warning: contains sexual situations, hotties on hockey skates, skinnydipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition.

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️

Hero (Jamie): 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻

Hero (Wes): 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻

Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒

Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂

Him is the first book in the "Him" series and this is a series that focuses on Jamie and Wes and their epic love story. Him is their first book and does deliver a HFN ending which will lead you to wanting to read "Us" which is book 2. I have been wanting to read Him for the longest time, its been on all of the top romance book lists for the longest time, almost ten years now and I am finally getting to this one. I have to say that this book was so special and it will stay with me for quite some time. I was lucky enough to listen to this one in audio and it was so worth it. I absolutely adored it in every way. Him was a story that I can see why it has been so hyped. Its hyped in a very different way than your typical romance, and I fell so hard for these boys in Him. There was such charm to this story while being combined with such heart on each page. I fell so hard for Jamie and Wes and I can't wait to see what is ahead for them.

The coffee shop line is a little long, but I know I'll make it to the rink on time.

Jamie Canning never got the answers to his questions on why his best friend, Ryan Wesley, abandoned their friendship and cut their friendship off shortly after something more happened between them on a night of being drunk. His focus is his game on the ice but when during a competition, they are in the same city and they end up in the same hotel and run into each other and Jamie wants to rekindle that friendship. Ryan Wesley has never forgotten Jamie, but he is gay and Jamie is straight and he has always regretted pushing his friend into something more that he obviously isn't and has had to keep his heart closed off from the hurt of having to let go of Jamie who holds his heart. But when they are back together, being trainers at a hockey camp for potential athletes in the sport, they reconnect in a way neither of them imagined, but can love last between them despite the odds against them?

Him is such a beautiful read and I absolutely had a blast with these two. I honestly didn't know what to expect with this one, and I am not sure if its the book itself or if its the audio narration or even a combination of both, but I fell so hard for this one. There was something so captivating about the relationship between Jamie and Wes. Seeing all the pining and longing was so heartfelt and my heart broke for these two. On one hand we have Jamie, who didn't understand them not speaking, only was ignored and neglected. And then we have Wes, who has known the pain of coming out of the closet and not being supported in who he is or the man he has become. He has felt the brunt of the worst human behavior and not see that much good until he met Jamie.

Wes and Jamie come from very different worlds, but their friendship has never weakened despite the separation that they have had. The way that they are able to just click after being apart for so long, you can see that they have the type of bond that never dies. I love the sense of heart that you feel every time that they are together and how they are able to balance each other out just right. I love the way that they are when they are together. There is definitely some great spice levels in this book but I really enjoyed the level of playfulness that they have especially when they are competing. They understand their sport, each other and the way they give and take is such beautifully focused on. You never know what a couple of authors will do when they get together but Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy are such a powerhouse together and delivered such an impactful story. And that ending just stole my heart, especially Jamie's family, the way they accept Wes so readily just broke my heart that he has never had such support from his loved ones but glad he has Jamie's family now.

There wasn't anything I struggled with persay, was it a complete five star read, no but it got close to one. There could have been a bit more heart over sex. There is a lot of sex in this book haha

Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan are a dream together! Having them both narrate together is perfection, they really made these characters come alive in such a way that you feel every emotion and motivation behind every action these main characters do. I could listen to these two all day and you can bet I will be doing the companion novel in audio too.

Him is a precious installment that delivered a poignant sexy romance that delivers in seeing the heartbreak as well as the joys that can come in a relationship of intimacy and spice.

Jamie laughs at me. And then he kisses me. I lock my hands at the nape of his neck and tug him closer. Warm skin slides against mine, and I know I’m home. Because home is with him.

Our mouths fit together so perfectly. Every time we kiss, I fall even more in love with him, and it has nothing to do with sex or lust. It's him. His closeness and his scent and the way he soothes me.

Jamie doesn’t leave my side, though. He and I are the calm eye of a friendly, familial hurricane. And I hope the storm will never pass.

Themes: Sports-Hockey, MM Love, Pining Hero

Tropes: Unrequited Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Second Chance

Lover of Romance 

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero (Jamie): 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Hero (Wes): 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5


First Impressions
Him is the first book in the "Him" series and this is a series that focuses on Jamie and Wes and their epic love story. Him is their first book and does deliver a HFN ending which will lead you to wanting to read "Us" which is book 2. I have been wanting to read Him for the longest time, its been on all of the top romance book lists for the longest time, almost ten years now and I am finally getting to this one. I have to say that this book was so special and it will stay with me for quite some time. I was lucky enough to listen to this one in audio and it was so worth it. I absolutely adored it in every way. Him was a story that I can see why it has been so hyped. Its hyped in a very different way than your typical romance, and I fell so hard for these boys in Him. There was such charm to this story while being combined with such heart on each page. I fell so hard for Jamie and Wes and I can't wait to see what is ahead for them.

First Line
The coffee shop line is a little long, but I know I'll make it to the rink on time.

Summary
Jamie Canning never got the answers to his questions on why his best friend, Ryan Wesley, abandoned their friendship and cut their friendship off shortly after something more happened between them on a night of being drunk. His focus is his game on the ice but when during a competition, they are in the same city and they end up in the same hotel and run into each other and Jamie wants to rekindle that friendship. Ryan Wesley has never forgotten Jamie, but he is gay and Jamie is straight and he has always regretted pushing his friend into something more that he obviously isn't and has had to keep his heart closed off from the hurt of having to let go of Jamie who holds his heart. But when they are back together, being trainers at a hockey camp for potential athletes in the sport, they reconnect in a way neither of them imagined, but can love last between them despite the odds against them?

What I Loved
Him is such a beautiful read and I absolutely had a blast with these two. I honestly didn't know what to expect with this one, and I am not sure if its the book itself or if its the audio narration or even a combination of both, but I fell so hard for this one. There was something so captivating about the relationship between Jamie and Wes. Seeing all the pining and longing was so heartfelt and my heart broke for these two. On one hand we have Jamie, who didn't understand them not speaking, only was ignored and neglected. And then we have Wes, who has known the pain of coming out of the closet and not being supported in who he is or the man he has become. He has felt the brunt of the worst human behavior and not see that much good until he met Jamie.

Wes and Jamie come from very different worlds, but their friendship has never weakened despite the separation that they have had. The way that they are able to just click after being apart for so long, you can see that they have the type of bond that never dies. I love the sense of heart that you feel every time that they are together and how they are able to balance each other out just right. I love the way that they are when they are together. There is definitely some great spice levels in this book but I really enjoyed the level of playfulness that they have especially when they are competing. They understand their sport, each other and the way they give and take is such beautifully focused on. You never know what a couple of authors will do when they get together but Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy are such a powerhouse together and delivered such an impactful story. And that ending just stole my heart, especially Jamie's family, the way they accept Wes so readily just broke my heart that he has never had such support from his loved ones but glad he has Jamie's family now.

What I Struggled With
There wasn't anything I struggled with persay, was it a complete five star read, no but it got close to one. There could have been a bit more heart over sex. There is a lot of sex in this book haha

Narration
Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan are a dream together! Having them both narrate together is perfection, they really made these characters come alive in such a way that you feel every emotion and motivation behind every action these main characters do. I could listen to these two all day and you can bet I will be doing the companion novel in audio too.

Overall View
Him is a precious installment that delivered a poignant sexy romance that delivers in seeing the heartbreak as well as the joys that can come in a relationship of intimacy and spice.

Favorite Quote(s)
Jamie laughs at me. And then he kisses me. I lock my hands at the nape of his neck and tug him closer. Warm skin slides against mine, and I know I’m home. Because home is with him.

Our mouths fit together so perfectly. Every time we kiss, I fall even more in love with him, and it has nothing to do with sex or lust. It's him. His closeness and his scent and the way he soothes me.

Jamie doesn’t leave my side, though. He and I are the calm eye of a friendly, familial hurricane. And I hope the storm will never pass.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance
Character Types: Athlete
Themes: Sports-Hockey, MM Love, Pining Hero
Tropes: Unrequited Lovers, Friends to Lovers, Second Chance

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Relationship tension more of a focus.

Song This Book Inspires
No One Compares to You by Jack & Jack

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes I would say you need to read this in order

Steam/Spice Explanations

Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.


Narrators:
Teddy Hamilton, Jacob Morgan

never tought i'd be mushy about too hockey dudes in love but here i am

Emma Kamer

haley bertsch

** spoiler alert **
           friends to lovers
rival hockey team

Aishling

3.5 star. No faults what so ever it was good and cute, minimal angst. Definitely recommend it, just didn’t blow me (lol) away

amber baardsen

how tf do you manage to fetishise lesbians in a mlm book?

This book was honestly one of my favorite books I’ve read in a long time. I’m very excited for the next four in the series. 

Seth Schweiger

I can't seem to find the words. I didn't hate it but I didn't love. S9me things definitely left me confused. The spice scenes were good but that seems like the most memorable thing. It 

Reeneisha Wynter 

I can't seem to find the words. I didn't hate it but I didn't love. S9me things definitely left me confused. The spice scenes were good but that seems like the most memorable thing. It 



Chemistry, rediscovering a childhood friend turned lover, and a steamy gay romance! Such a great read and a page turner. I did not want to set this book down and I have found that with Elle Kennedy’s writing. The characters had amazing chemistry and it made you love them and want to keep reading. I will say I docked points because although there was a decent plot throughout the book, I felt it was very over shadowed by the smut. At times I felt it was needed for the self discovery portion, but at others it felt like every other chapter they were doing something. It reminded me of my killer vacation, but written way better. My heart melted at the end and I’m excited to read Us!

ally cuabo 

sophia n

predisposed to like this, friends-to-lovers is one of my favorite things of all time, beaten only by the enemies-to-lovers trope ... i know. i know. and this was childhood friends-to-lovers??? honestly, i'm still not sure it wasn't written specifically for me. i also LOVED that it didn't fall into the "gay for you" category that so many m/m books seem to (gross and highly fetishistic) and instead had actual bisexual representation on page. a TINY bit too angsty for me in a few parts, but barely, and it was short lived. would read again! slams mug on ground! (actually HAVE read again before i learned you can log multiple reads on goodreads oops.) (note: i read a really good review on here that kind of tore this book apart, and. tbh i agree with all of it. but i also don't, bc i thought it was good. is the bar too low with m/m romance? yeah, yeah it is. this was still really fun and well written though, so idk.)

Rachel BD

Ok i love a good mlm hockey romance. (i’m queer myself i’m not fetishising dw). Jamie and Wes are so endearing and i have reread this about 50 times BUT there is a lot of smut. Well written, but still, more smut than i need lmao.

paloma

** spoiler alert **
           Había empezado este libro hace meses, pero por alguna razón nunca pasé del primer capítulo y lo dejé ahí abandonado (hasta ahora).

Tengo que admitir que he desarrollado una debilidad por los M/M Romances, la mayoría de estos siempre son Friends to Lovers y me gusta la angustia que me hacen pasar la mayoría de las veces. 

Acá la angustia no es tanta, pero de igual forma está ahí. ¿Y sabes que más está ahí presente? La tensión. Oh. Mi. Dios. Estos dos tenían una tensión sexual TREMENDA. Quedé un poco sin palabras y a la vez curiosa de cómo sería la dinámica entre esos dos, o cómo acabaría todo; porque por un lado estaba Wes (gay) seguro de lo que le gustaba o de lo que hacía, y por otro estaba Jamie (bisexual) todo confundido y asustado por momentos. Esa mezcla siempre tiene la opción de salir mal, pero al menos en este libro no lo sentí así.

Y si, Wes y Jamie son muy hermosos. No lo sé, siento que su relación es tan natural, llena de química, risas, camaradería, complicidad, etc etc etc; que se me hizo súper fácil conectar con ella y esperar su HEA. 

Creo que lo único me fastidió es que… había momentos de miscommunication o directamente de inmadurez, que me entorpecieron la lectura y que capaz sea esa la razón por la cual no le di las cinco estrellas al final; porque comencé el libro con toda la emoción y vértigo del mundo, pero al acabarlo estaba en plan “bueno, sí. Qué lindo todo, pero mEH”.

Aunque, algo que me gustó mucho pero siento que no mostraron casi nada, fue de la familia de Jamie. Qué gente más simpática, que recibió con los brazos abiertos a Wes y lo hicieron sentir como uno más de la familia. Una lástima que los padres de Wes sean una basura total, pero me consuela saber que ya no está solo y tiene un hogar junto a Jamie.

En fin, ¿había necesidad de un segundo libro para hacernos sufrir más? nop, pero igual lo leeré porque quiero que Wes y Jamie tengan su final feliz.

Kailey Rios

i love a good friends to lovers romance and this was such a cute one!

i’m not a huge fan of sports being heavily incorporated into stories because i honestly couldn’t care less about them but i still really enjoyed reading this.

some of the writing was a little cringey but it wasn’t anything too major and didn’t detract from the overall story.

i was really rooting for wes and jamie’s relationship and i’m definitely looking forward to reading more of them in the sequel.


  4 stars

Megan Lowe

Oh my god, I LOVE Jamie and Wes! I love the humour, the drama, the feelings, the hockey.
This is a great book, not just sports romance, not just a MM romance, a great book full stop. 
I HIGHLY recommend you read this book, like yesterday!

Phee

i really wish i could say that i loved the book and although there are parts that i DID love (i.e. jamie & wes, the concept and even some quotes that are memorable) but overall, it ended up making me feel a little… uncomfortable.. about how jamie’s bisexuality was addressed in the book. 

now i’m all for coming out stories, and i do believe this book had good potential; however, there’s only so many times you can read a character who is gay express their discomfort of their partner also being attracted to women before it just starts to feel biphobic. there were so many lines that were said where wes (gay mc) would outright call jamie (bisexual mc) gay for hooking up with him and THEN call him straight and “experimenting” when remembering he’s also attracted to women… all the while knowing he’s bisexual.. and it’s never completely addressed by wes again ??? and no apology whatsoever ?? literally what was the point?

also, not to mention: 

- completely uncalled for racism by a secondary character (anti asian slurs used) which adds nothing to the plot whatsoever. it’s literally just thrown in because why not i guess..

- there’s a comment made at the end of the book which was also extremely?? and i’ll just copy and paste it here for reference: 
“I could announce I wanted to live my life as a transsexual vampire yeti, and they’d still say ‘Oh, Jamie. You’re so cute.’” …. yeah big yikes.

Overall, i did enjoy some of the moments between jamie/wes and the story had a lot of potential.. i just wish there weren’t so many moments that made me question why i picked up the book to begin with.

lindsey

i have some 
  opinions
 on this one lol

in general, this was a nice childhood friends to lovers mm hockey romance. it was a quick, fun read and i had a pretty good time! i did have some issues regarding the overall writing and pacing of the plot. i would have liked a more gradual build up to them getting together, but it felt like they started messing around pretty quick, especially for two friends that hadn't even talked to each other in 4 years. the writing itself may have had a few cringy lines here and there but my biggest problem was the male gaze from which these authors decided to write. overall, some of the conversations and viewpoints surrounding women, even if this was an mm romance, felt pretty misogynistic and objectifying. to me, i felt that the content was at times biphobic and villainized women. the f slur is also used quite a few times, in situations where i believe it could have gone without, especially when the authors are straight women. just something that i think should be acknowledged.

the romance itself actually ended up being very sweet near the end. for a while i didn't feel very connected to their relationship. i felt that it lacked emotionality and was more surface-level. we didn't get much insight on their friendship or the growth into romance for it to carry much meaning so all that was really left were steamy scenes. and idk how to feel about that lol. i did warm up to them in the latter half so i'm not too mad about it. 

regardless, i will probably give sabrina bowen's works another go because she does seem to be very popular for this genre. hopefully i enjoy them a little bit more :)

Cathy

* 3.5

apparently 2022 is the year for romance ?/!/ 

i found this out through trying to find out similar books to from lukov with love and i was like sure, ice skating -> ice hockey are pretty similar. 

jamie and ryan literally make me want to slam doors because sometimes they are just so insufferable like please just sit down and talk but they have their moments. idk if i’ll read the sequel though, i liked the ending x

romance authors please stop putting shirtless men on covers i am getting third hand embarrassment thank you

“ My life has been chaotic for as long as I can remember, and I always dealt with it alone. My parents’ criticism, my confusion over my sexuality. But for six weeks every summer, I didn’t have to be alone. I had Jamie, my best friend, my rock. ”

Saying I loved it will be the under statement of the year. I'm a sucker for friends to lovers. I love the whole build up of being best friends until they realize they love each other. People find it boring but it's my favorite trope. 

As if two athelets with hot bodies making out with each other was totally worth picking this up. But this book was so much more than the smut. Wes helping Jamie figure out his sexuality, even though he has no idea where would it lead them was the most selfless act. Did I tell you I love friends who turn into lovers? Wes did it not just because he had loved Jamie longer than he was even sure he is gay. He did it for his best friend. 

I loved how Jamie deals with Wes freaking out all the time that at one point he is going to push too far and their friendship will end. He always knew to say the right thing at the right time even though he was the one with the whole "do I like girls or boys or both" question. 

Another thing about Friends to lovers that always gets to me is that you have so many memories to return to. Secret hiking spots, your own jokes, nights when you got shit drunk and did something embarrassing, and all of this not because you were put in some situation where you had no other option but you chose to. You chose one person you want to create those memories with and one day you realize they mean the world to you. That's basically what those six weeks of summer camps meant to Wes and Jamie. 

The story also deals with homophobia, but it truly doesn't matter what some random guy says if and when you have a good support system. This book is just another story proving that love wins, no matter what. 

The ending was so wholesome. I can't wait to read the second part where they are madly, irretrievably in love with each other.

Akansha

“ My life has been chaotic for as long as I can remember, and I always dealt with it alone. My parents’ criticism, my confusion over my sexuality. But for six weeks every summer, I didn’t have to be alone. I had Jamie, my best friend, my rock. ”

Saying I loved it will be the under statement of the year. I'm a sucker for friends to lovers. I love the whole build up of being best friends until they realize they love each other. People find it boring but it's my favorite trope. 

As if two athelets with hot bodies making out with each other was totally worth picking this up. But this book was so much more than the smut. Wes helping Jamie figure out his sexuality, even though he has no idea where would it lead them was the most selfless act. Did I tell you I love friends who turn into lovers? Wes did it not just because he had loved Jamie longer than he was even sure he is gay. He did it for his best friend. 

I loved how Jamie deals with Wes freaking out all the time that at one point he is going to push too far and their friendship will end. He always knew to say the right thing at the right time even though he was the one with the whole "do I like girls or boys or both" question. 

Another thing about Friends to lovers that always gets to me is that you have so many memories to return to. Secret hiking spots, your own jokes, nights when you got shit drunk and did something embarrassing, and all of this not because you were put in some situation where you had no other option but you chose to. You chose one person you want to create those memories with and one day you realize they mean the world to you. That's basically what those six weeks of summer camps meant to Wes and Jamie. 

The story also deals with homophobia, but it truly doesn't matter what some random guy says if and when you have a good support system. This book is just another story proving that love wins, no matter what. 

The ending was so wholesome. I can't wait to read the second part where they are madly, irretrievably in love with each other.

Him

Reviews

Highlights