Summary

Zane

Four years ago, I met Liam Holdsworthy.
Hot, snarky, and hiding behind a sadness I couldn’t place. I wanted him, even back then. There were only two problems.
One, I was deeply closeted.
And two, he was dating my best friend.
Now I’m retired from the NFL and openly out, there’s nothing to stop me from getting my gay on.
When Liam comes back into my life, and I realize he’s single, I’ll find any reason to spend time with him. That’s how I created a list of gay first experiences I coax him into helping me with.
But I don’t just want his help.
I still want him.

Liam

After leaving a long-term relationship with a closeted NFL player, I went through a string of guys trying to find the one. None of them were boyfriend material let alone the forever type.
I’m looking for a guy to come home to. Someone serious and down to earth.
I’m definitely not looking for Cooper Zane.
Yet, I can’t shake him, and not only because I’m helping him with his big bi bucket list. Every time I see him is like a shot of adrenaline to my system, and I’m always left wanting more.
I need Mr. Serious, and Cooper’s the least serious person I’ve met.
He’s newly out.
He’s never had a relationship.
And most importantly, he may be retired, but he’s not done with football.
He’ll do anything to get it all back.
And I’m not prepared to be relegated to the sidelines ever again.

Review

I didn’t love the first book in the series, Bet on Me, so I *almost* didn’t read this one. But I really liked Zane in book one so I decided to give it a shot. Boy, am I glad I did!!

Zane. Liam. Ugh. This book tugged at my heart strings, and I ended up having tears pricking at the back of my eyes for a goodly chunk of the last, like, third of the book. I also spent a lot of it laughing out loud at Zane’s antics. I LOVE the chemistry between Liam and Zane. Zane is trying to hard to get Liam to let go and fall, and Liam is trying so hard to resist and instead go for this image of the person he’s “supposed to” want, the life he’s “supposed to” have. And then the pet names Zane comes up with for Liam!! HA! I actually laughed so hard I cried. This book is so fun and playful and I just adored it.

This is the second book in the Love’s a Gamble series. While it can be read as a standalone, Zane is the BFF of Taryn (one of the MCs in book one) and Liam is Taryn’s ex, so there’s some set-up there you’re missing if you skip book one, Bet on Me. This book also has MAJOR spoilers for book one, so if you plan to read both then definitely read them in order!