Faceoff (Playing The Field 1) by J.M. Snyder

This short story by J.M. Snyder it's all a question of "play": the hockey game Christian and Ronnie are playing on the ice, for the first time in opposite team after being fellow players the years before; the play of glances they are doing, Christian trying to catch Ronnie's look, and Ronnie trying with all his own to avoid him; the secret game they were conducting, playing the role of teammate and being instead lovers. The book lasts the time of the game, during which Christian replays his story with Ronnie and more the game goes on, more the time is near the actual one, and the final move will be played here and now.

Usually in a sports romance there is always the big issue of being gay in a uber-manly world, a world that seems to deny that gay men can also be good players (no pun intended). Instead in this short story, this issue is down-played; it's not denied, but it's not the main problem Christian and Ronnie had. When their relationship started, they probably recognized a fellow soul in the other man, the necessity to hide the relationship was common understanding, and the things seemed to develop nice and easy. But Christian is a young professional players, with still big dreams and stars in his eyes: he wants to hit the big game, and the little league where Ronnie and him are playing is not his final target. Ronnie instead is content with his life, with his steady role in a small town league that probably allows him more freedom, always with discretion. And so it's not the "gay" issue that torn them apart, but more Christian's ambition.

Now three months later, Christian wants to "play" their problem on the field, and instead Ronnie seems to prefer to avoid all of it. It's really ended between them? Actually there was not a break point, Christian simply left and Ronnie didn't stop him... the final confrontation will prove if their love (if love was, since no one said the big word), was real or was only another game.

As I said the book last only the space of a game, so it doesn't want to be all-inclusive of all the possible strand of the story; it's more a moment in life, but both characters are quite nice. Christian maybe is more developed, but Ronnie has potential: his reasons are not quite explained, I can only imagine them, like my idea that he prefers to "play" in a small field to avoid the judgment of the big media, but I believe this is a bonus; I have enough hint to fill the void that a short story usually leaves.

Tee'd Off (Playing The Field 2) by J.M. Snyder

The second in the theme sports series by J.M. Snyder, Playing the Field, is a bittersweet story which is perfectly set in the golf course world. I don't know, but I always link golf with quiet and also a bit of sadness, maybe since ofthen the movie industry influence that idea.

And so here we start along the memory lane with Greg, a man that has always dreamed to live of golf and that he has always felt more at home in a golf club than everywhere else. He has now the perfect life, he lives and works for a golf club and he can enjoy its atmosphere every single moment of his life... but maybe the golden cage is more like a real cage, above all when prevents Greg to meet and seriously set down with a man. He has plenty of opportunity to meet willing men, but Greg has a point to not have relationship with customers, and the people who work for the club like him, are mostly temporary worker, today here, tomorrow perhaps.

Greg has never realized as the life is fast flowing through his fingers till the moment he meets again Trey. Trey was the son of the first man for whom Greg was a caddie, the man who helped Greg to realize his dream. Trey was four years younger, and Greg has never seen him as nothing more than an annoying kid. Not even when Greg started to have feelings for other men, he thought twice to Trey. But now Trey is back again in his life, all grown up and willing... where all those years went? Is it possible that, while Greg was living in his golden cage, the world outside move one? The meeting of the two men should be a nice chance for Greg to have some fun, and instead it starts a chain in Greg's mind that will lead him to wonder if what he has is what he really wants, and if Trey could be something more of a weekend fling. At the same time, the thought to having a relationship with Trey means, in a way, to close a chapter of his life that probably Greg is not yet ready to do, if Trey remains the little annoyng kid of his memories, Greg will remain forever the young man with great expectation.

For a 40 pages long short story, Tee'd Off has two round characters and a nice set, and it's really an enjoyable story, above all, as I said, for the setting in an exclusive golf club, and for the taste of a life that not all people can have.

Play On (Playing The Field 3) by J.M. Snyder

Play On is another short story by J.M. Snyder sets around some sport field, this time soccer played by college guys. Sean is a junior at College and also in the soccer team. He is one of the best player but then Cordero joins the team; it's not the competition that distracts Sean from the game, it's the man: Cordero, with his African American look and his cool behavior is like fire for a moth, Sean can't resist to be near the man.

Quite daring for someone you don't know well, Sean makes clear his preferences with Cordero the first day, and good for him, Cordero returns the interest. It's hot, fast and often sex till first day, but only after practice; it seems that, other than a great sexual agreement, there is nothing much else between them: they have different friends, different interests... The mood of the story is exactly like that, it's not a romantic love between Sean and Cordero, and I'm not saying that they will have no chance to an happily ever after, it's only that, in this moment, no one of them is searching something more. Now the only problem is to have enough sex to satisfy the initial hunger so that they can also play on the field, instead of playing only out of it. Or the other possibility, is to find the time to meet also out of the practice day, so that when it's time to start the game, they are not horny like two teenagers who have just discovered sex.

Another hint that basically this is an erotic romp, and not a sweet romance (if sex in the shower, on the couch, on the kitchen table is not enough...), is that Sean's attraction for Cordero is very much physical; Sean doesn't even know what Cordero is studying, what he likes, what he wants, he at first doesn't even know if Cordero is gay, but despite all of this, Sean knows that he wants the man; Sean likes African American men, he even tries to melt with the slang, that is not his own, to have better chances at success. So Sean is more attracted to what Cordero represents than to who really Cordero is. But as I said before, for a sexy romp without expectation to be more, this is more than enough and leads to very naughty and enjoyable sex scenes.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1602728275/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

This short story by J.M. Snyder it's all a question of 'play': the hockey game Christian and Ronnie are playing on the ice, for the first time in opposite team after being fellow players the years before; the play of glances they are doing, Christian trying to catch Ronnie's look, and Ronnie trying with all his own to avoid him; the secret game they were conducting, playing the role of teammate and being instead lovers. The book lasts the time of the game, during which Christian replays his story with Ronnie and more the game goes on, more the time is near the actual one, and the final move will be played here and now.

Usually in a sports romance there is always the big issue of being gay in a uber-manly world, a world that seems to deny that gay men can also be good players (no pun intended). Instead in this short story, this issue is down-played; it's not denied, but it's not the main problem Christian and Ronnie had. When their relationship started, they probably recognized a fellow soul in the other man, the necessity to hide the relationship was common understanding, and the things seemed to develop nice and easy. But Christian is a young professional players, with still big dreams and stars in his eyes: he wants to hit the big game, and the little league where Ronnie and him are playing is not his final target. Ronnie instead is content with his life, with his steady role in a small town league that probably allows him more freedom, always with discretion. And so it's not the 'gay' issue that torn them apart, but more Christian's ambition.

Now three months later, Christian wants to 'play' their problem on the field, and instead Ronnie seems to prefer to avoid all of it. It's really ended between them? Actually there was not a break point, Christian simply left and Ronnie didn't stop him... the final confrontation will prove if their love (if love was, since no one said the big word), was real or was only another game.

As I said the book last only the space of a game, so it doesn't want to be all-inclusive of all the possible strand of the story; it's more a moment in life, but both characters are quite nice. Christian maybe is more developed, but Ronnie has potential: his reasons are not quite explained, I can only imagine them, like my idea that he prefers to 'play' in a small field to avoid the judgment of the big media, but I believe this is a bonus; I have enough hint to fill the void that a short story usually leaves.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/1602728275/?tag=elimyrevandra-20

Christian “Magic” Magdziuk is a minor league hockey player with dreams of someday heading to the NHL, and he’ll do whatever it takes to make that dream come true. So he plays with the Richmond Rebels for only one short season before he asks to be traded to the Bedford Blizzard, a farm team for the American Hockey League, where he might get a little more notice from scouts.

His attitude on the ice left him few friends among the Rebels...that is, until teammate Ronnie Niedermeyer took a liking to him. One thing led to another and the two men became lovers during the time Christian played with the team. But when he transferred to the Blizzard, he left the Rebels—and Ronnie—behind.

Now it’s the first game of a new season, and Christian’s facing off against his former teammates in the season opener. But after all this time, does something still smolder between Christian and Ronnie?
From Amber Allure Press

This was an incredibly quick read. The story was made up of a series of moments, breif, succinct and fast paced rather than having the padding of a longer novel around it. Perhaps it is my fault for not looking more closely at what the word count of the book was when I was buying, but, at 40 pages in pdf I cannot help but feel a little disappointed that it was not longer. Especially as what I did read was enjoyable. I know I have whinged about this before, but when I pay that much for a book I guess I expected a few more pages. However, due to how the story was written maybe it would not have worked in a longer format.

The romance was sweet and hot and I enjoyed the characters. Christian with his drive and ambition to do better for himself and Ronnie with his quiet stoicism. The premise of the book is what initially made me pick it up and the lovely cover. I have a thing for sports romances and have all of Susan Elizabeth Phillips firmly on the shelf!

So, much locker room shots, men in towels and hockey sticks. Nice!
More reviews on my blog. http://sharrow.wordpress.com/ ( )