I am not a sports fan. Yet, my husband of 42 years has taught me, over time, to enjoy baseball, as well as the rudiments of other things I need to know. I can actually work up some enthusiasm for the Super Bowl.
Woo hoo.
But one thing, as a gay man, that is always present in my mind when I watch any sports event, is the dearth of out gay or bi players in any of the major professional sports. This is particularly acute for me regarding baseball and football. I like baseball and don’t know why there are no out players; while football epitomizes toxic masculinity as it is worshiped in this country.
So that’s why I gave “Illegal Contact” five stars. It is something of a fantasy, not to mention the start of a series that tackles (heh heh) football and gay/bi players. It is also a kind of classic m/m trope-filled romance that transcends its genre because it is expertly crafted by a man who gets it all right.
The main characters of Noah Monroe and Gavin Brawley are spot on. Complex and believable, each one offers layers of complexity below the surface. There is thought and introspection and emotional growth. The secondary players are great as well, both offering support for Gavin and Noah and setting up plot points for the next book in the series (which I’ve already bought). If the politically correct balance feels a little pat (Brawley is white and bi; Boudreaux is mixed-race and gay; Marcus is black and straight) I’ll forgive, because it’s a dynamic that works as a plot device to keep the narrative tight and focused.
Of course, this being m/m, there is plenty of sex, and in this case it worked; because this was about Gavin and Noah discovering things about themselves and each other that made the sexual aspect of their connection feel imperative. Yes, there is lots of romantic fantasy here: nerdy Irish boy from Queens meets angry jock from Newark. The point is that Hassell writes with both care and an attention to detail that elicits genuine emotions out of his readers. He’s good. The story is good. It moved me to tears (really, a football romance!). I am impressed when a story like this can surprise me.
Santino Hassell is a writer I continue to watch with great interest.
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Reviews with images
Slow burn romance at its best
This is only the third Santino Hassell novel (and second full length one) I’ve read and man I can’t wait to devour more of his books. Getting through a lot of Santino’s back catalogue is high in my reading goals this year!!!Illegal Contact is a fabulous story about two men - Gavin the high profile NFL player and Noah, his recently hired PA - who end up in the most unlikely of circumstances and come to find that they were exactly what each other needed. What I loved about this story is that I learnt so much about topics I was unfamiliar with - from NFL to the role of a sports star PA to the difference between a manager and an agent as well as the influence that the media can have on ones perception of celebrities. And then there is the romance between two men who spend a good third of the story at each other’s throats but only because the obvious attraction and chemistry is messing with them. I have a massive soft spot for the lovable jerk and Gavin fits this to a tee. His brash demeanour covers a kind, sweet soul who just wants to play NFL and not deal with all the “extras” (like publicity and endorsements) that goes along with it. Watching him fall for the cute, quirky nerd Noah is equal parts fascinating and hilarious as they both navigate their newfound feelings for one another. I’ve said it before and it’s likely I’ll say it in all my reviews of Santino’s books but he writes the ins and outs of relationships in a way I have never experienced with another romance author. The nuances, the subtlety, the feelings and emotions are absolutely perfect and it’s this which will keep me buying and reading Santino’s novels time and time again.I’m so keen to find out more about Gavin’s friends Simeon and Marcus - so January 16 cannot come soon enough when I can dive into book 2 of the series!!
Top reviews from other countries
Charleyrose
Top notch Santino Hassell writing.
Reviewed in Australia on August 30, 2017