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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I really enjoyed this one! It was fun and angsty and had my interest the entire time. I loved the dual POV and how we could see into both characters thoughts and actions because it helped a lot of things make more sense. This book had my heart hurting in the best way but also made me smile and laugh. I wanted to take both characters and smash them together and say COMMUNICATE!!!!!
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
In Contact Season, Cait Nary creates a charming slow-burn romance between Brody Kellerman, a professional hockey player, and Seamus Murray, a rising country star. Brody and Sea's fake relationship begins after they are forcefully outed and decide that fake dating is the best way to save their images since they both exist in conservative industries.
As a fan of Nary's first book, Season's Change, Contract Season was one of my most anticipated reads this year, and I wasn't disappointed. The yearning between Brody and Sea was so easy to lose myself in and enjoy. I really liked Sea's character arc as he reflected on his life and tackled ideas of sexuality and sex given his upbringing. Although it's a very sensitive topic, there are often times in queer relationships where you can feel like you should have more sexual experience by a certain age, so I found most of Sea's internal wrestling relatable. I also really enjoyed all the side characters because they weren't just there for decoration and actively played a part in the story.
I thought it was a little strange that Brody's long-term ex never really showed up in the story except brief mentions. That was especially interesting since the demise of their relationship was because Brody kept London hidden and then was suddenly in the media in a very public relationship. I was also a little wary of how the story handled Sea's potential alcholism. I believe there is a very thin line between social drinking as a young 20-something and displaying symptoms of alcoholic dependency. Towards the middle/end of the story, Sea's internal dialogue seemed as though he was leaning more towards aloholic dependency, and I wished it was discussed more instead of just having a therapy session and leaving it at that.
However, overall I really enjoyed Nary's writing and the way that Brody and Sea's relationship grew despite their rough start. Also there was a very cute and brief cameo with Olly and Benji when Brody was on a road trip!
Thank you to Carina Press and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
As a fan of Nary's first book, Season's Change, Contract Season was one of my most anticipated reads this year, and I wasn't disappointed. The yearning between Brody and Sea was so easy to lose myself in and enjoy. I really liked Sea's character arc as he reflected on his life and tackled ideas of sexuality and sex given his upbringing. Although it's a very sensitive topic, there are often times in queer relationships where you can feel like you should have more sexual experience by a certain age, so I found most of Sea's internal wrestling relatable. I also really enjoyed all the side characters because they weren't just there for decoration and actively played a part in the story.
I thought it was a little strange that Brody's long-term ex never really showed up in the story except brief mentions. That was especially interesting since the demise of their relationship was because Brody kept London hidden and then was suddenly in the media in a very public relationship. I was also a little wary of how the story handled Sea's potential alcholism. I believe there is a very thin line between social drinking as a young 20-something and displaying symptoms of alcoholic dependency. Towards the middle/end of the story, Sea's internal dialogue seemed as though he was leaning more towards aloholic dependency, and I wished it was discussed more instead of just having a therapy session and leaving it at that.
However, overall I really enjoyed Nary's writing and the way that Brody and Sea's relationship grew despite their rough start. Also there was a very cute and brief cameo with Olly and Benji when Brody was on a road trip!
Thank you to Carina Press and Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Outing, Alcohol
Minor: Drug use
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Binge read this within days of getting approved by Netgalley.
Contract Season tells the story of hockey player Brody and Seamus (Sea). Brody has just broken up with a long term boyfriend and he’s attending the wedding of his team mate Alex to musician Josette. Josette has a young protégée Sea play at the wedding, and Sea only has eyes for Brody. After an inauspicious first night together they catch up again, and though neither are out - they are inadvertently outed on social media. The result - their managers negotiate for them to fake date.
Contract season has all the angst, joy and sadness you want in a romance. Sea isn’t experienced in many ways, and he struggles to communicate unless it’s through his songs. Brody is routine oriented and likes to control his environment - and though he’s open to a relationship, he doesn’t expect to be at sixes and sevens with how Sea makes him feel and the challenges their circumstances present. The focus is on then navigating the relationship, Sea figuring his own wants and needs, and their reactions to and from their respective communities, and the general public.
It is a slower moving romance, there are things off the page and the relationship is far from perfect. But the imperfectness is what makes this more real. Sea lacked confidence. Brody went with it and at other times was unsettled by it and unsure about how to respond. Real. Their physical relationship wasn’t perfect and there were some insecurities. Real. Was there uncertainty about their relationship’s viability. Hell yes. Real. Was their selfishness and self-focus and a lot of internalising. Yes. Real.
I enjoyed the dynamics. It was different. The sensitivity, the verbalisation of characters experiences, the recognition things will be different for different people, and depend on their support systems was very real. Was it perfect. No. And I don’t think this one is for everyone (particularly given some of these reviews) but I couldn’t put it down.
Contract Season tells the story of hockey player Brody and Seamus (Sea). Brody has just broken up with a long term boyfriend and he’s attending the wedding of his team mate Alex to musician Josette. Josette has a young protégée Sea play at the wedding, and Sea only has eyes for Brody. After an inauspicious first night together they catch up again, and though neither are out - they are inadvertently outed on social media. The result - their managers negotiate for them to fake date.
Contract season has all the angst, joy and sadness you want in a romance. Sea isn’t experienced in many ways, and he struggles to communicate unless it’s through his songs. Brody is routine oriented and likes to control his environment - and though he’s open to a relationship, he doesn’t expect to be at sixes and sevens with how Sea makes him feel and the challenges their circumstances present. The focus is on then navigating the relationship, Sea figuring his own wants and needs, and their reactions to and from their respective communities, and the general public.
It is a slower moving romance, there are things off the page and the relationship is far from perfect. But the imperfectness is what makes this more real. Sea lacked confidence. Brody went with it and at other times was unsettled by it and unsure about how to respond. Real. Their physical relationship wasn’t perfect and there were some insecurities. Real. Was there uncertainty about their relationship’s viability. Hell yes. Real. Was their selfishness and self-focus and a lot of internalising. Yes. Real.
I enjoyed the dynamics. It was different. The sensitivity, the verbalisation of characters experiences, the recognition things will be different for different people, and depend on their support systems was very real. Was it perfect. No. And I don’t think this one is for everyone (particularly given some of these reviews) but I couldn’t put it down.
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was so charmed by Brody at the beginning that I was not expecting to get a different POV two chapters later. It's a very Nashville story that focuses a lot on the country music industry, public imagine, and the price of fame, but there's still well-written hockey to satisfy me as a hockey fan. The two characters feel like they have the same conversation about how messed up their situation is, over and over, and it definitely feels like a more mature take on fake dating, as opposed to the pining-filled version I've read. The ending is sweet, and the characters - even the very minor ones - are lovable.
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
This was truly lovely.
I think I've said it before, but Cait Nary is a master at creating angst-riddled, highly emotional, I-have-been-punched-in-the-sternum-with-a-boatload-of-feels-help-me, romances.
I absolutely adored "Contract Season", and although I preferred the first book a tiny bit more (nothing can beat Olly and Benji in my heart; they're just so *bursts into tears*), I really enjoyed this emotional, romantic rollercoaster of a book, and its two complex and flawed, but deeply relatable, protagonists.
Sea and Brody were fabulous MCs.
Sea was a walking, talking contradiction: he's charming and sexy, but deeply insecure and anxious and so endearingly pure, at the same time. And also, 100% realistic.
Brody was equally relatable: he's high-strung and always in control, but also insecure and afraid and just as charming as Sea, although in more quiet, reserved way. I loved them together, although they frustrated me to no end with their lack of communication and jumping to conclusions without actually talking to each other, but I guess that was what made their relationship so believable.
I also loooooved the side characters. I think I might have preferred them to the MCs at times! Cait Nary is very talented at making you fall in love with a vast cast of side characters, so much that you'd literally sell your soul for them to have their own romance novel and arc, and I distinctly remember "Season's Change" being exactly the same. I especially loved Party and Alex, but the whole hockey team was unbelievably lovable, as Sea's industry friends (and of course, Kiwi the cat: Brody being a cat dad was top tier stuff.)
The story was riveting and angsty, the slowburn romance was *chef's kiss* (if a bit on the "can you please talk now, and then maybe kiss and make up, pretty please" end of the spectrum) and the writing was UNBELIEVABLY good: it made me feel so damn much. So much, I actually nearly cried once or twenty times.
Cait Nary is a very, very talented writer and I literally cannot wait to read more of her stuff. Actually, in the meantime, I miiiight re-read "Season's Change": those small glimpses of Olly and Benji made me miss them (and yes, Poiro too) so damn much.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I think I've said it before, but Cait Nary is a master at creating angst-riddled, highly emotional, I-have-been-punched-in-the-sternum-with-a-boatload-of-feels-help-me, romances.
I absolutely adored "Contract Season", and although I preferred the first book a tiny bit more (nothing can beat Olly and Benji in my heart; they're just so *bursts into tears*), I really enjoyed this emotional, romantic rollercoaster of a book, and its two complex and flawed, but deeply relatable, protagonists.
Sea and Brody were fabulous MCs.
Sea was a walking, talking contradiction: he's charming and sexy, but deeply insecure and anxious and so endearingly pure, at the same time. And also, 100% realistic.
Brody was equally relatable: he's high-strung and always in control, but also insecure and afraid and just as charming as Sea, although in more quiet, reserved way. I loved them together, although they frustrated me to no end with their lack of communication and jumping to conclusions without actually talking to each other, but I guess that was what made their relationship so believable.
I also loooooved the side characters. I think I might have preferred them to the MCs at times! Cait Nary is very talented at making you fall in love with a vast cast of side characters, so much that you'd literally sell your soul for them to have their own romance novel and arc, and I distinctly remember "Season's Change" being exactly the same. I especially loved Party and Alex, but the whole hockey team was unbelievably lovable, as Sea's industry friends (and of course, Kiwi the cat: Brody being a cat dad was top tier stuff.)
The story was riveting and angsty, the slowburn romance was *chef's kiss* (if a bit on the "can you please talk now, and then maybe kiss and make up, pretty please" end of the spectrum) and the writing was UNBELIEVABLY good: it made me feel so damn much. So much, I actually nearly cried once or twenty times.
Cait Nary is a very, very talented writer and I literally cannot wait to read more of her stuff. Actually, in the meantime, I miiiight re-read "Season's Change": those small glimpses of Olly and Benji made me miss them (and yes, Poiro too) so damn much.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia, Alcohol
emotional
funny
hopeful
Loveable characters:
Yes
Got approved for the ARC yesterday, started it this morning and then proceeded to binge read it all day. I'll definitely be reading the first in the series now that I've finished this one.
I was somewhat iffy on this one in the beginning. Some of the framing of the breakup between one of the MCs and his ex made me a little wary. And then the catalyst for the fake relationship is really rough. I know forced outing is a thing that happens to celebrities, it's one of the multitude of reasons being famous sounds like a complete nightmare to me, but it's just so fucking awful. That whole part of the book went beyond angsty to being just a total gut punch. For a while I wondered if I could even enjoy the whole fake dating bit because the reasons for it were just so fucked up. So it's a credit to the author that the pacing of this and the emotional arc did end up working for me.
Although the MCs hook up right at the beginning of the book, from there on out its a slooooooooow burn. There's little I love more than a super slow burn, so it was very much my cup of tea. Both of the MCs felt very real. I LOVED the side characters. Again, they felt very real and had depth and were interesting and funny and just added so much to the book. Also, obviously, I was obsessed with Kiwi the cat.
Spice wise, I'd rate this as low heat. There aren't a lot of sex scenes. That was fine by me, even though there were some perfect opportunities for a pining wank scene or a phone sex scene, both of which are faves for me. But really the heat level felt right for these characters and their relationship and I certainly didn't feel like the book was lacking. I also happen to really like when an MC either doesn't feel comfortable doing certain things when it comes to sex or doesn't like them or feels inadequate at them. I'm always happy to see that whole aspect of the awkwardness and insecurity that can come along with sex in romance books, and I really liked it here. I also liked that not every sex scene went well. And the whole vibe of playful and teasing banter between the MCs during sex. It all worked for me.
I appreciated that there was queerness on page apart from the MCs, and the mentions of ace and aro identities being valid things that exists in the world. There was one conversation with two characters discussing whether they thought a side character was still a virgin that I could have done without, but for the most part I liked the way virginity was framed as not a big deal.
I wanted a bit more from the ending and was annoyed by the last paragraph. But it was far from a deal breaker in a book that I couldn't put down and overall really enjoyed. I'll absolutely be checking out anything in the future from this author.
I was somewhat iffy on this one in the beginning. Some of the framing of the breakup between one of the MCs and his ex made me a little wary. And then the catalyst for the fake relationship is really rough. I know forced outing is a thing that happens to celebrities, it's one of the multitude of reasons being famous sounds like a complete nightmare to me, but it's just so fucking awful. That whole part of the book went beyond angsty to being just a total gut punch. For a while I wondered if I could even enjoy the whole fake dating bit because the reasons for it were just so fucked up. So it's a credit to the author that the pacing of this and the emotional arc did end up working for me.
Although the MCs hook up right at the beginning of the book, from there on out its a slooooooooow burn. There's little I love more than a super slow burn, so it was very much my cup of tea. Both of the MCs felt very real. I LOVED the side characters. Again, they felt very real and had depth and were interesting and funny and just added so much to the book. Also, obviously, I was obsessed with Kiwi the cat.
Spice wise, I'd rate this as low heat. There aren't a lot of sex scenes. That was fine by me, even though there were some perfect opportunities for a pining wank scene or a phone sex scene, both of which are faves for me. But really the heat level felt right for these characters and their relationship and I certainly didn't feel like the book was lacking. I also happen to really like when an MC either doesn't feel comfortable doing certain things when it comes to sex or doesn't like them or feels inadequate at them. I'm always happy to see that whole aspect of the awkwardness and insecurity that can come along with sex in romance books, and I really liked it here. I also liked that not every sex scene went well. And the whole vibe of playful and teasing banter between the MCs during sex. It all worked for me.
I appreciated that there was queerness on page apart from the MCs, and the mentions of ace and aro identities being valid things that exists in the world. There was one conversation with two characters discussing whether they thought a side character was still a virgin that I could have done without, but for the most part I liked the way virginity was framed as not a big deal.
I wanted a bit more from the ending and was annoyed by the last paragraph. But it was far from a deal breaker in a book that I couldn't put down and overall really enjoyed. I'll absolutely be checking out anything in the future from this author.