Series: Changing Lanes #1
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Release Date (Print & Ebook): January 8th, 2018
Subgenre: M/M Contemporary Sports Romance
Link: http://riptidepublishing.com/titles/relay
"Layla Reyne is one of the most exciting new voices in queer romance, and her newest book does not disappoint. RELAY is everything you'd want in an enemies-to-lovers tale and a sports romance. While reading, I had the same heart racing excitement as I do when watching the Olympics and could not put it down."
-RITA nominated author Santino Hassell
Book Blurb:
Captain is not a title Alejandro “Alex” Cantu takes lightly. Elected by his teammates to helm the US Men’s Swim Team, he proudly accepts the role, despite juggling endless training, team administrative work, and helping out on the family farm. And despite his ex-lover, Dane Ellis—swimming’s biggest star—also making the Olympic Team.
Dane has been a pawn in his celebrity parents’ empire from crib to pool, flashing his camera-ready smile on demand and staying deeply in the closet. Only once did he drop the act—the summer he fell in love with Alex. Ten years later, Dane longs to cut his parents’ strings, drop his too-bright smile, and beg Alex for another chance.
Alex, though, isn’t ready to forgive and forget, and Dane is a distraction he doesn’t need on his team, until an injury forces Alex to accept Dane as his medley relay anchor. Working together, their passion reignites. When Dane’s parents threaten reprisal and Alex is accused of doping, the two must risk everything to prove Alex’s innocence, to love one another, and to win back their spots on the team, together.
Teaser Excerpt:
“How’s
it going in there?”
Dane
opened the stall door, eyes downcast as he tried to straighten out his shirt.
“There are a lot of snaps.”
Alex
inhaled sharply, and before Dane could wrap his head around that sound, around
the blush streaking those high cheekbones, Alex had already moved on. To
standing right in front of him. “You’re supposed to leave the shirt open.”
Dane
lifted his hands, and Alex batted them away. He grabbed the uneven shirttails
and ripped the buttons apart, the staccato snaps mirroring Dane’s stuttering
heartbeat. Alex’s grip on the chambray lingered, as did his presence in Dane’s
space, and with each heaving breath, each whiff of cologne tinged with
chlorine, a pore-deep scent no swimmer could shake, Dane’s paper-thin resolved
shredded.
What I thought about Relay
This is my first book from this author, and I was intrigued to include this on my review list because I think this is my first sports romance dealing with the world of Olympic swimming and I was eager to see how that would be handled. I love it when a sports romance actually includes the sport, and I did like how Layla Reyne incorporated the sport into the story.
Dane and Alex fell in love with each other ten years ago at a developmental camp. When Dane can't stand up to his ultra conservative family and be honest about himself, Alex moves on but doesn't forget what he feels is a betrayal. Ten years later, Alex and Dane are back together again, training for the Olympic swim team. Things do not go well for them at the beginning, as Alex tries to take out some of his anger on Dane by keeping him out of one of the relay teams. He believes that Dane is just a product of his privelige and the grudge he holds against Dane is pretty big.
What Alex doesn't realize is that Dane is a product of his ultra-conservative parents and their manipulation. Dane is very unhappy with his life and the way his parents control him, but it isn't until he faces this head on that he gets himself together. After a "truce", Alex shows Dane what kind of life he could have, and that starts Dane's journey to being his own man.
When Dane's parents find out and make threats, everything almost falls apart, including the Olympic team. Dane has to really find his backbone to make things right. There's a bit of a mystery and a few surprises along the way too.
I liked Relay, especially how the team dynamic was utilized in the story. That may have been my favorite part of this sports romance. I adored Alex and Dane's illicit night out, especially Alex showing him how those less fortunate live. It's an eye-opener for Dane all the way around, and he responds to it just beautifully.
Relay whet my appetite for more in this world, so I'm already looking forward to the next book. I hope to get a view of the team at the Olympics!
An ARC was provided for review.
Giveaway
To celebrate the release of Relay, Layla Reyne is giving away two paperback copies of Relay. Open internationally!
About the Author
Author Layla Reyne was raised in North Carolina and now calls San
Francisco home. She enjoys weaving her bi-coastal experiences into her
stories, along with adrenaline-fueled suspense and heart pounding
romance. When she's not writing stories to excite her readers, she
downloads too many books, watches too much television, and cooks too
much food with her scientist husband, much to the delight of their
smushed-face, leftover-loving dogs.
Connect with Layla
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