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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
(Thank you to NetGalley and Carina Press for giving me the chance to read this as an ARC Edition.)
First. this was better than the first in this series, Season's Change.
However, some of the problematic issues I found in that book still appeared in this one. Namely, it's a language thing. I don't know Cait Nary. I don't know anything about her other than what is on her website --which leads me to believe she is a cishet white woman. And I say this only because queer authors tend to let their readers KNOW that they are in fact also queer.
So, what were the problems? Page 510/717: "My apologies to this dude from DC's coconut water. Bi erasure is not a good look."
...No, it isn't. And neither is joking about it. Particularly considering that my accusation of bi-erasure in the first book of this series is a thing that exists. And I am certain that I was not the ONLY PERSON who brought that up. And this little inside joke is one of the reasons I wouldn't pay for this author's books..
There was an earlier instance of problematic language, but heck if I can find it now. That's on me. I should have made better use of the bookmark function.
I will also go on the record saying I don't like Seamus's name being shortened to Sea. I had to be very cognizant of the pronunciation, and honestly...that's a lot of brain effort for a romance. Especially when there was the caveat that there "was already a Shay in country music"....then just call him Camp FFS. Or give him a better name? How about that? There are literally thousands to choose from.
The trope here is "pretend celebrity boyfriends". Which...is so tired. There was nothing new about the way this trope was presented. I was really bored with Brody's continually referral back to his failed relationship with the mysterious London (...also a stupid name if you ask me, which you didn't, so I digress). I also find it highly suspicious to spend THREE YEARS OF YOUR LIFE with a guy. A guy you LIVE WITH. And just disappear? It seemed very disingenuous. Where were the shared friends? You know Brody's Mom either loved or hated the guy and is probably keeping tabs on him either way, That's just what Moms do. And Brody's mom became a throw away character from the beginning.
I am also concerned about how Sea's drinking is handled. Brody uses THC as a sleeping aid. Valid, if it works for you, and where it's legal (...I"m not sure it's legal in Nashville. Just sayin') Toward the middle-end, Sea seems to realize he is drinking a lot...and there is a little discussion around maybe NOT doing that and using drinking as a coping mechanism, and trying to avoid rehab...but, like...you're not a rock? And rehab isn't something to be ashamed of? Everyone needs help. Sea's agent, if he seriously had beef with his actions, had the power (and Sea LET HIM have that power) to be more strict around controlling that drinking to begin with. So...this was all a moot point and why even bother if it wasn't going to actually be an interesting point to the growth of the character??
So...yeah, I didn't really care for this. Nary has gotten some feedback from authors I actually have some general respect for, saying that she does a great job of writing hockey books for hockey fans. Meh. I'm not impressed. I am thankful this had far less broski speak in it than Season's Change did. But nothing else about this book made me ache for the next one.
Will I read the next one?
Probably.
Will I be just as disappointed as I was in this one?
Also probably.
There were minor improvements from the first book here, but this still isn't anything to write home about.
First. this was better than the first in this series, Season's Change.
However, some of the problematic issues I found in that book still appeared in this one. Namely, it's a language thing. I don't know Cait Nary. I don't know anything about her other than what is on her website --which leads me to believe she is a cishet white woman. And I say this only because queer authors tend to let their readers KNOW that they are in fact also queer.
So, what were the problems? Page 510/717: "My apologies to this dude from DC's coconut water. Bi erasure is not a good look."
...No, it isn't. And neither is joking about it. Particularly considering that my accusation of bi-erasure in the first book of this series is a thing that exists. And I am certain that I was not the ONLY PERSON who brought that up. And this little inside joke is one of the reasons I wouldn't pay for this author's books..
There was an earlier instance of problematic language, but heck if I can find it now. That's on me. I should have made better use of the bookmark function.
I will also go on the record saying I don't like Seamus's name being shortened to Sea. I had to be very cognizant of the pronunciation, and honestly...that's a lot of brain effort for a romance. Especially when there was the caveat that there "was already a Shay in country music"....then just call him Camp FFS. Or give him a better name? How about that? There are literally thousands to choose from.
The trope here is "pretend celebrity boyfriends". Which...is so tired. There was nothing new about the way this trope was presented. I was really bored with Brody's continually referral back to his failed relationship with the mysterious London (...also a stupid name if you ask me, which you didn't, so I digress). I also find it highly suspicious to spend THREE YEARS OF YOUR LIFE with a guy. A guy you LIVE WITH. And just disappear? It seemed very disingenuous. Where were the shared friends? You know Brody's Mom either loved or hated the guy and is probably keeping tabs on him either way, That's just what Moms do. And Brody's mom became a throw away character from the beginning.
I am also concerned about how Sea's drinking is handled. Brody uses THC as a sleeping aid. Valid, if it works for you, and where it's legal (...I"m not sure it's legal in Nashville. Just sayin') Toward the middle-end, Sea seems to realize he is drinking a lot...and there is a little discussion around maybe NOT doing that and using drinking as a coping mechanism, and trying to avoid rehab...but, like...you're not a rock? And rehab isn't something to be ashamed of? Everyone needs help. Sea's agent, if he seriously had beef with his actions, had the power (and Sea LET HIM have that power) to be more strict around controlling that drinking to begin with. So...this was all a moot point and why even bother if it wasn't going to actually be an interesting point to the growth of the character??
So...yeah, I didn't really care for this. Nary has gotten some feedback from authors I actually have some general respect for, saying that she does a great job of writing hockey books for hockey fans. Meh. I'm not impressed. I am thankful this had far less broski speak in it than Season's Change did. But nothing else about this book made me ache for the next one.
Will I read the next one?
Probably.
Will I be just as disappointed as I was in this one?
Also probably.
There were minor improvements from the first book here, but this still isn't anything to write home about.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
thank you netgalley for this arc, i also just realized i haven't read the 1st book in this series? So maybe this is why my experience wasn't very enjoyable? I didn't hate this because it's got some fake dating and god knows that's like drugs here and it was kind of? new? not reused but again? i didn't feel the chemistry, at all. Idk if it's just me but it was hard to get through
[I received a digital arc for an honest review]
Contract Season by Cait Nary is the second book in the Trade Season series. Brody Kellerman always has a set plan and follows it to the letter. He doesn’t plan on meeting Seamus “Sea” Murray and their instant attraction and resulting hook up. Both men have high profile careers and aren’t ready to come out so they go their separate ways with minimal intention of seeking each other out again. After a second run in causes a media storm the two are forced into a relationship to protect the future of their jobs. Lines start to blur as the relationship struggles and the two men are forced to acknowledge that maybe it’s not all that fake.
Brody Kellerman is so focused on trying to make up for the bad ending to his season before that he doesn’t realize how short and rude he came off to Sea initially. When he manages to try and make it up to the man, Sea struggles to trust that Brody isn’t just doing damage control under the guise of their fake relationship.
2 stars for Brody and Sea tolling away to see if there’s any truth in their fake relationship.
Contract Season by Cait Nary is the second book in the Trade Season series. Brody Kellerman always has a set plan and follows it to the letter. He doesn’t plan on meeting Seamus “Sea” Murray and their instant attraction and resulting hook up. Both men have high profile careers and aren’t ready to come out so they go their separate ways with minimal intention of seeking each other out again. After a second run in causes a media storm the two are forced into a relationship to protect the future of their jobs. Lines start to blur as the relationship struggles and the two men are forced to acknowledge that maybe it’s not all that fake.
Brody Kellerman is so focused on trying to make up for the bad ending to his season before that he doesn’t realize how short and rude he came off to Sea initially. When he manages to try and make it up to the man, Sea struggles to trust that Brody isn’t just doing damage control under the guise of their fake relationship.
Spoiler
That being said I would say that more than ¾ of the book is spent with the two men questioning each other’s motives and no communication at all. Instead Sea drowns himself in booze and can only face talking to Brody drunk and Brody just pretends everything is fake to focus on his game. This became frustrating at half way and then by the 75% mark you started to not see a happy ending in sight for the two or if you even want one. That was kind of the kiss of death for me for this book because I am usually the MCs number one cheerleader for a HEA and I definitely didn’t feel this way with this book.2 stars for Brody and Sea tolling away to see if there’s any truth in their fake relationship.
Thank you to Carina Press and Netgalley for the arc!
I went into this skeptical because the reviews were not glowing so far but I must say I think a lot of the reviews were unfair. This was exactly what I thought it would be. A mindless romance novel that sufficiently distracted me from my own life as I read it.
Brody and Sea’s meet cute was sexy and sizzling from the start. Meeting at the wedding and the kiss after Brody spilled champagne on Sea. It was a great meetcute! And their first sex was steamy and emotional and I love that it was from Brody’s pov so you learn later from Sea’s pov why it went the way it did.
I rarely read forced outing works but this was handled well. In the day of social media it is often how it goes. A grainy photo spread across the internet forcing a celeb to either come out or ignore it. Sadly! But I thought it was fun how this got spun into a fake dating scenario. Brody the famous hockey player and Sea the up and coming country music star needing to spin it as a relationship vs a one night stand for their respective industries.
I also understood their miscommunication. Sea was withholding a key fact about himself that explained a lot of his hot and cold nature. I kept wanting sea to just talk to Brody but bother of them were just impossible lol. I think the pacing was good with their fake dates and the burgeoning feelings between both of them. And when they finally communicated to each other it was good! Especially after the awards show which I kind of wish there had been more of? But when they finally cleared the air it was obvious that they did really like one another and in a weird way could work. And I appreciated the epilogue! I always like seeing a couple together post the initial getting together scene.
All in all this was a steamy romance novel (despite only 3 sex scenes) and it handled the plot as well as it could within that context. Some things could’ve been handled differently but I enjoyed the various characters and also was rooting for Sea and Brody to figure their shit out. Which is the entire point of reading a book. Maybe I’m the odd one here but I rate books on if I enjoy them despite some fumblings from the author.
I went into this skeptical because the reviews were not glowing so far but I must say I think a lot of the reviews were unfair. This was exactly what I thought it would be. A mindless romance novel that sufficiently distracted me from my own life as I read it.
Brody and Sea’s meet cute was sexy and sizzling from the start. Meeting at the wedding and the kiss after Brody spilled champagne on Sea. It was a great meetcute! And their first sex was steamy and emotional and I love that it was from Brody’s pov so you learn later from Sea’s pov why it went the way it did.
I rarely read forced outing works but this was handled well. In the day of social media it is often how it goes. A grainy photo spread across the internet forcing a celeb to either come out or ignore it. Sadly! But I thought it was fun how this got spun into a fake dating scenario. Brody the famous hockey player and Sea the up and coming country music star needing to spin it as a relationship vs a one night stand for their respective industries.
I also understood their miscommunication. Sea was withholding a key fact about himself that explained a lot of his hot and cold nature. I kept wanting sea to just talk to Brody but bother of them were just impossible lol. I think the pacing was good with their fake dates and the burgeoning feelings between both of them. And when they finally communicated to each other it was good! Especially after the awards show which I kind of wish there had been more of? But when they finally cleared the air it was obvious that they did really like one another and in a weird way could work. And I appreciated the epilogue! I always like seeing a couple together post the initial getting together scene.
All in all this was a steamy romance novel (despite only 3 sex scenes) and it handled the plot as well as it could within that context. Some things could’ve been handled differently but I enjoyed the various characters and also was rooting for Sea and Brody to figure their shit out. Which is the entire point of reading a book. Maybe I’m the odd one here but I rate books on if I enjoy them despite some fumblings from the author.
I wanted to love this, but no. I don’t feel like I know Brody at all. Sea is very fleshed out but Brody almost seems like a background character.
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When I learned this book was not only a fake dating gay hockey romance, but an adult romance featuring a country singer, I thought someone had been sifting through my reading wishlist. Actually reading it was even better.
While a country singer in a gay sports romance is precisely my heart's desire, I did feel it was a little unbalanced. I did pick up on Brody's character growth, but it felt entirely overshadowed by Shay's big struggles. I also would've liked a smidgen more hockey in a hockey romance. It did also feel a bit slow and over-dramatic on Shay's end at points, so more balance in general would've served me well. Fake dating is one of my favorite plot devices, and while it served its purpose of pushing them together, it got so quickly lost amongst the Big Feelings.
Aside from that, I was merely along for the emotional rollercoaster. Again, I appreciated the author's approach to sex scenes; so often romance characters have the "we don't have to do [X], now or ever" conversation, but always the resolution is the reluctant character eventually doing [X] to demonstrate character growth. I really appreciate Nary depicting a different answer to the situation, leaving characters room to grow or simply having a "non-standard" relationship to sex.
I loved the book so much that I read through the acknowledgements and nodded along with them. I picked up on the nods to Carrie Underwood, and got a little teary as Nary mentioned the strides certain figures made even as she was writing this book. While this isn't an easy no-thoughts 5-star book, the author is definitely a 5-star writer for me, & I'll be picking up anything she puts out from now on.
While a country singer in a gay sports romance is precisely my heart's desire, I did feel it was a little unbalanced. I did pick up on Brody's character growth, but it felt entirely overshadowed by Shay's big struggles. I also would've liked a smidgen more hockey in a hockey romance. It did also feel a bit slow and over-dramatic on Shay's end at points, so more balance in general would've served me well. Fake dating is one of my favorite plot devices, and while it served its purpose of pushing them together, it got so quickly lost amongst the Big Feelings.
Aside from that, I was merely along for the emotional rollercoaster. Again, I appreciated the author's approach to sex scenes; so often romance characters have the "we don't have to do [X], now or ever" conversation, but always the resolution is the reluctant character eventually doing [X] to demonstrate character growth. I really appreciate Nary depicting a different answer to the situation, leaving characters room to grow or simply having a "non-standard" relationship to sex.
I loved the book so much that I read through the acknowledgements and nodded along with them. I picked up on the nods to Carrie Underwood, and got a little teary as Nary mentioned the strides certain figures made even as she was writing this book. While this isn't an easy no-thoughts 5-star book, the author is definitely a 5-star writer for me, & I'll be picking up anything she puts out from now on.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Outing
Moderate: Drug use, Homophobia
Minor: Alcoholism
some lingering self-consciousness over past sexual encounters, tied in with being famous & closeted