The Jock (The Team - MM Sports Romances Book 1) by Tal Bauer

The Jock by Tal Bauer is a book that balances angst with sweet first love. It's not as heartbreaking as most of his books, but it will still take you on a journey of love, family, and coming into your self.


From the blurb:

Wes Van de Hoek clawed his way off his family’s West Texas ranch under the Friday night lights, earning a football scholarship to the state’s best university. Three years in, he has it all: he’s the starting tight end, team captain, and, according to ESPN, maybe the best college football player in the nation. But he’s been keeping a secret from everyone.

Justin Swanscott has three certainties in his life: he’s gay, football is overrated, and he really, really doesn’t like cowboys. He should never have fallen into Wes’s open-range eyes or let his heart run wild when Wes gave him that shy little smile over summer. But he couldn’t stop himself.

Everyone’s asking questions about Wes this season: How is he playing so well? Will Texas be undefeated this year? Will he take the team all the way to the national championship? What’s next for him?

The truth? Wes isn’t dreaming about an NFL contract. His heart belongs to Justin, even though the world wants it to belong to football.

Wes has stadiums packed with screaming fans, ESPN is all over him, and the NFL wants him badly. He’s living under a microscope, and the pressure keeps building as the team keeps winning. Everyone wants something from him, but all Wes wants is to love Justin.

Something’s gotta give.


Molly Otto's review:

What begins, unlike most Tal books, makes you wonder if this will be as moving as its predecessors? Can it draw those emotions that Tal has a unique power of achieving? The answer is yes, yes, he can. With innocent young love comes the joy of reality and those choices you make that can both build and destroy all those around us. Then, when things start to get to a place, you feel hope that Tal twist hits you with a two by four. You are not ready for the pain it will destroy your hope in humanity for something so unthinkable to happen. From here, everything once again is tilted on its head, but this time, for the better, their is a new light from the pain to a better future.


The Jock is currently available as an e-book and paperback and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription