Him Paperback – November 30, 2021

College romance...check....Athletes...check...sexy alpha men...check...a storyline that dragged me in, had me invested within the first few pages...CHECK... Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy was one of those books that had me intrigued when it first popped up on my facebook feed, I marked down the release date in my diary and waited (not so patiently) for it's release, I #1clicked it the second it went live and made sure I left it to read when I had time to savour it, book friends gave it high praise and I was excited to dive in, when I had a break in my blogging commitments yesterday I dove in...and I didn't put it down until I turned the last page, I struggled to walk away to eat dinner with my family, as I read the final words I set it down, smiled that smile only a book lover will understand, I sighed and then I picked it up again to read through my highlighted passages, I messaged book friends to tell them to buy this book instantly if they hadn't already, and I enjoyed that joyous moment any reader will understand when you finish a book that made your heart soar.Ryan Wesley, has few regrets, he's a college hockey superstar about to embark on the national championships, he's got a NHL contract waiting for him once his college career is over, life is good... the only thing that truly gives him pause is the way he ended his friendship with childhood friend Jamie Canning four years ago. Embarrassed, guilt ridden, upset and angry Wes walked away from his best friend fearful some drunken decisions can never be fixed. Despite the confusion of adolescence and childhood crushes on his very male best mate one thing that night all those years ago proved was that Wes was gay, he accepted it and went about his life.Jamie Canning lost his best friend Wes four years ago, he hasn't allowed himself to truly think about it in detail in the years that passed, he's an all star goalie with a contract waiting for him, he's not short for friends, he's got a girl who keeps his bed warm and he spends his summers coaching the sport he loves, when he runs into his ex best mate at the Frozen Four play offs, for the first time in four years he finally lets the memories of all that happened wash over him, he remembers summers spent at camp with Wes, he remembers what it's like to have a best friend by his side, and he remembers the confusion and hurt and anger of that best friend walking away without a word.Wes is undoubtedly all alpha male, he's tough, independent, his strength isn't just physical, he's lived a life where he's had no choice but to be self sufficient, with the exception of Jamie he's never truly had anyone he's wanted to let in, he's gotten used to hiding who he is sexually, not totally in the closet but not truly out of it either, for such a huge personality being discreet constantly has taken its toll.Jamie can't really complain about his life, he's got a loving and supportive family, friends who have his back, a girl who would jump at the chance for something more than friends with benefits, hockey and summer camp, he's never really known what it's like to have to hide a side of himself, but when he and Wes finally have the opportunity to mend their friendship, things he's never really addressed, thoughts he's never entertained are suddenly brought to the forefront of his mind, try as he might to dispel is thoughts, he is realising his sexuality might be more fluid then he thought, but more than that whatever happens this summer might be about more than just experimenting."Loved you every summer since I was thirteen years old."There's this beautiful tender quality to both Wes and Jamie, Wes has come to terms with where he is and what he wants, but embarking on anything with Jamie means being vulnerable in a way he hasn't been since that fateful night four years ago. There's a stereotype that professional athletes especially hockey players must be big and tough, that gay men are flowery and effeminate, even in the day and age we live in hatred and bigotry still run rampant, it's evident that we even have to label books as M/M and not just as contemporary romance, in truth there wasn't one moment in this book that the thought that these two characters were anything but two people taking me along for a ride as they discovered what I already know to be true, that love is powerful, it has the power to build you up and bring you to your knees, that family is the one you make for yourself, that your worth is not determined by those who only wish to tear you down."But here's the thing about family, Ryan...blood doesn't mean s***. You just need to surround yourself with people who do love you."From the first page to the very last line Him captivated me, it was funny and irreverent, sexy as hell, it was tender and touching, Bowen and Kennedy straddled the line of when to go for it and when to pull back perfectly, there was never a moment when I thought something was over done, and even as I turned the last page I was left wanting more and yet perfectly sated, it's a tough gig to balance heat, humour and heart but the authors knocked it out the park, and I can't wait to see what else they write together.

I've read Kennedy's Off Campus books and Bowen's Ivy Years books and found them all to be unfailingly entertaining, but some of them have packed more of an emotional punch than others. This book features all of the authors' strengths, but it didn't quite reach the emotional heights I hoped for.Jamie and Wes are very appealing characters and the support cast is interesting as well. The dialogue is great and there are many moments of humour. I enjoyed reading this book, but I was left wanting more. It took quite a bit of thought before I could pinpoint what was missing. It was the affection and tenderness and longing I've found in my favourite Kennedy and Bowen books.Wes and Jamie have been close friends for years and they fall easily back into that comfortable relationship, but with the addition of sex. I found it a bit hard to believe that Jamie had never had the slightest smidgen of attraction to anyone except girls, and yet he feels this sudden, intense attraction to Wes and plunges wholeheartedly into a sexual relationship with him. Jamie's lack of insecurity was refreshing, I suppose, but a bit of confusion or uncertainty might have made for a more emotionally engrossing story.Wes has been in love with Jamie for years, and Jamie realises how much Wes always meant to him but as their relationship unfolds, full of humour and sexual satisfaction, it feels not much different from Jamie's arrangement with Holly, his previous casual sexual partner. Even the emotional climax near the end of the book, when they realise they can have a life together, left me a bit dissatisfied. I think at times like that the first person present tense narration (which I generally loathe) felt clumsy and inadequate to convey deep feelings. It was more intrusive and annoying than in Kennedy's previous books.There is a lot of sex in this book, far more than the story requires. The nature of their sexual encounters doesn't seem to change significantly as time passes; they remain great friends having hot sex. Therefore a lot of this sex felt repetitive to me.I don't want to sound too negative; overall this is a very entertaining and generally well-written story. But in comparison with Bowen's other mm romance The Understatement of the Year, this one just lacks emotional intensity.