Cover and Excerpt Reveal: The Star by Beth Bolden

So excited to get our first glimpse of Beth Bolden's next football romance, The Star - a Charleston Condors Novel, which releases on Kindle and Kindle Unlimited on June 7th!

From the blurb:

Tight end Landry Banks knows the score when he signs with the Charleston Condors in a rebuilding year.

New owner. New coach. New players. New rules.

But one rule hasn’t changed: Don’t hook up with your best friend’s little brother.

Rookie quarterback Riley Flynn knows what it takes to make it in the NFL. He’s in Charleston to prove himself—to the world and to his teammates, but mostly to his older brother, who’s never believed he could be a star.

The last thing he expects is for his brother’s best friend Landry to welcome him with open arms and an offer to become roommates.

Riley’s always believed Landry was straight—but the way Landry keeps checking him out leaves him suddenly unsure. And Landry’s hot looks certainly don’t help squash the crush he’s always had on his brother’s best friend.

Revisiting his teenage crush isn't part of the plan. But as he and Landry fall into a rhythm of thrilling plays on the field and sizzling tension off it, there's no denying their connection.

 

Riley isn’t willing to trade becoming the next big NFL superstar for love. But with a man like Landry Banks waiting to catch anything he throws at him, maybe he can have both.

Excerpt:

Landry was a little worried that Aidan’s first words to his brother were going to be either some version of the word kid, or a painfully accurate analysis of that interception he’d thrown in the second quarter, but thankfully, instead of either of those, Aidan must’ve dug down and found the good guy Landry knew was underneath all his bullshit, and as Riley approached them, pulling off his helmet, Aidan pulled him into a big, tight hug.

Landry just had a split second between Riley’s helmet coming off and his head disappearing into Aidan’s shoulder to really see him again, for the first time in years.

He was tan and his hair was so blonder than Landry expected—so much blonder than Landry could remember it being, all those years ago, so much blonder than Aidan’s own hair, at least when he resisted the urge to put highlights in. Riley’s baby blue eyes were startlingly light, especially with all that eye black streaked underneath them. And then there was his face.

God, when had the kid gotten so fucking hot?

Landry was straight, but his two brothers were not, which he liked to tell people made him more enlightened. What it really meant was that he noticed attractive men more than he might normally.

And he was totally fucking noticing how insanely attractive Riley Flynn was.

It shouldn’t have been a shock.

After all, Aidan’s ego was not only a result of his prowess on a football field. Lots of people—probably too many people—thought he was good looking. But the last time Landry could remember seeing Riley had been on draft night, seven years back, and he’d been what? Sixteen? Seventeen? Still growing into his frame and his face and holy shit, both of those had happened in spades.

Aidan was all angsty about his viability as a quarterback, but while Riley didn’t have the inches in height, he was built, maybe not as tall as his brother, but with shoulders just as wide. And his arms? Big and thick and corded with muscle that told Landry he definitely knew his way around a weight room.

Shit. I’m totally checking out Aidan’s little brother.

But Landry shook off the thought. He was straight. He was straight as the day was long, wasn’t he? Wouldn’t he know if he wasn’t? Both Logan and Levi were queer, so it wasn’t like he hadn’t considered it a handful of times. But he’d never once had his head turned by a guy like this.

He told himself it was because he just hadn’t seen Riley in so long, and he hadn’t expected him to look like this now.

That was all. It was just the surprise of seeing Riley again after so long.

Riley and Aidan broke apart.

Landry’s palms were sweating a little as he approached.

God, his eyes were even lighter blue here, with little hints of green, like the most pristine water in the Caribbean. Did people even have eyes like this?

It’s just the eye black, making them look lighter and . . .uh . . .well, something.

Fucking something, that was what it was.

“Hey Landry,” Riley said directly, apparently having none of Landry’s problems meeting his eyes. “Been a long time.” He started to hold out his hand, and Landry, who was probably the most recognizable of his brothers, who all played in the NFL, and was therefore used to greeting people even under incredibly awkward circumstances, found himself hesitating.

He should really hug him too, shouldn’t he?

This was the kid. His best friend’s little brother.

But he was also Riley, who was now twenty-four or twenty-five, and he’d just made Landry question, for a moment that had lasted far longer than he wanted to examine closely, his sexuality.

“Uh, hey,” Landry said, and they shook and Landry pulled him into a weird, pseudo-hug.

For a second, he got the impression of a firm, calloused hand, and then a much firmer, compact body.

Okay, maybe Riley was not big, but every single inch of him was packed with strength, rippling with muscle.

Not a thought Landry needed in his brain right now.

Really, not ever, but definitely not with Aidan standing there, currently in the running for the Overprotective Brother of the Year award.

“Looked real good today,” Aidan said.

Riley shot his brother a glare, like he’d offered criticism instead of praise. “Thanks. Don’t you dare add a but to that sentence.”

Aidan threw up his hands. “I didn’t!”

____

Are you as excited as I am for this new series?  Pre-order your copy of The Star today!