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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️
- Forced Proximity
- Client/Agent to Friends
- Friends to Lovers
Summary:
Thad St. James is interning with King Sports to become a sports agent since he couldn't pursue a professional baseball career like he had hoped. Kelley Afton is a professional baseball player represented by King Sports who has recently come out as gay. Kelley struggles with severe anxiety and finds it hard to detach from social media, constantly reading comments—both positive and negative—about being an openly gay athlete. To cope, he embarks on a two-week social media detox in the Catskills with the interns, Thad and Brady (the latter being featured in “Can’t Say Goodbye”). Thad isn't enthusiastic about babysitting Kelley, especially since he views Kelley as a frustrating diva who needs to put his phone down. However, after they engage in conversation and give each other a chance, they begin to form a connection that could lead to friendship and possibly more. The challenge is that getting involved with a client poses significant risks and could jeopardize Thad's backup plan.
My Review:
I loved this book! I'm thrilled to see the interconnectedness of stories and characters from the start of the Fake Boyfriend Series and throughout the Sadenverse. I read Can’t Say Goodbye and was curious about these two characters, so reading their story has been so fun!
What I loved:
Kelley’s battle with anxiety is portrayed in a compelling and nuanced way, providing readers with a real sense of his internal struggles. The choice to juxtapose Thad’s reactions to Kelley’s anxiety against Brady’s responses as his agent adds depth to their relationship dynamics. This contrast highlights Thad’s personal growth and understanding and reflects how different kinds of support influence Kelley’s journey. As Thad evolves alongside Kelley, their love story unfolds beautifully, illustrating the complexities of their connection.
I felt the author was able to craft the distinct personalities of both main characters. Their relationship transforms over time from a professional client-agent relationship into a deep friendship, which then blossoms into a FWB arrangement, ending in a heartfelt romance. This progression feels authentic and engaging, allowing me to invest in their story.
What I did not love:
I found one aspect of the story a bit troubling: how the MCs handled the financial situation. This particular plot point felt somewhat forced and slightly cringe. The implications for their relationship and Thad’s career are resolved, but I think that situation could have been handled differently, given Kelley’s familiarity with the agency.
I genuinely enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to others who appreciate a well-crafted romance that delves into emotional nuances and character development.
** I received an advanced copy from the author through Foreword PR, and this is my honest review.
- Forced Proximity
- Client/Agent to Friends
- Friends to Lovers
Summary:
Thad St. James is interning with King Sports to become a sports agent since he couldn't pursue a professional baseball career like he had hoped. Kelley Afton is a professional baseball player represented by King Sports who has recently come out as gay. Kelley struggles with severe anxiety and finds it hard to detach from social media, constantly reading comments—both positive and negative—about being an openly gay athlete. To cope, he embarks on a two-week social media detox in the Catskills with the interns, Thad and Brady (the latter being featured in “Can’t Say Goodbye”). Thad isn't enthusiastic about babysitting Kelley, especially since he views Kelley as a frustrating diva who needs to put his phone down. However, after they engage in conversation and give each other a chance, they begin to form a connection that could lead to friendship and possibly more. The challenge is that getting involved with a client poses significant risks and could jeopardize Thad's backup plan.
My Review:
I loved this book! I'm thrilled to see the interconnectedness of stories and characters from the start of the Fake Boyfriend Series and throughout the Sadenverse. I read Can’t Say Goodbye and was curious about these two characters, so reading their story has been so fun!
What I loved:
Kelley’s battle with anxiety is portrayed in a compelling and nuanced way, providing readers with a real sense of his internal struggles. The choice to juxtapose Thad’s reactions to Kelley’s anxiety against Brady’s responses as his agent adds depth to their relationship dynamics. This contrast highlights Thad’s personal growth and understanding and reflects how different kinds of support influence Kelley’s journey. As Thad evolves alongside Kelley, their love story unfolds beautifully, illustrating the complexities of their connection.
I felt the author was able to craft the distinct personalities of both main characters. Their relationship transforms over time from a professional client-agent relationship into a deep friendship, which then blossoms into a FWB arrangement, ending in a heartfelt romance. This progression feels authentic and engaging, allowing me to invest in their story.
What I did not love:
I found one aspect of the story a bit troubling: how the MCs handled the financial situation. This particular plot point felt somewhat forced and slightly cringe. The implications for their relationship and Thad’s career are resolved, but I think that situation could have been handled differently, given Kelley’s familiarity with the agency.
I genuinely enjoyed the book and highly recommend it to others who appreciate a well-crafted romance that delves into emotional nuances and character development.
** I received an advanced copy from the author through Foreword PR, and this is my honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Toxic relationship
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
Baseball player Kelley falls for (not his) agent Thad, once Thad gets over himself and his bitterness. Anxiety disorder rep.
Forced proximity, workplace romance
Forced proximity, workplace romance
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book is sure to bring the fluffy, entertaining M/M sports romance vibes we're used to from the author.
Thad and Kelley are the next generation in Eden's sport romance universe, Thad being an intern at King Sports, which was founded by none other than Damon King (MC in Fake Out). I love how the characters and their stories come together in this new series.
But let's look at Thad and Kelley. Sports agent and baseball player. What could go wrong? Although Thad does not represent Kelley, things can easily go wrong as Kelley is represented by King Sports.
I like their beginning and their friendship a lot. They are a lot different but also a lot alike, which makes their start a little bumpy, taking both of them a little time to get over some issues. Mainly Thad's resentment of Kelley for achieving his baseball dream, while Thad has to stick to his backup plan as a sports agent.
I also very much appreciate the mental health representation in this story. Kelley struggles with severe anxiety and has trouble dealing with the press that follows a professional athlete in general, but it doubles down after his coming out. But Thad helps him get out of his shell and be more confident in his presence in the world. It's kinda sweet seeing Kelley be much more confident and trusting with Thad.
They spend most of the book in different cities, but their long-distance pining makes the story much more engaging because you can't help but root for them to work it out.
I also adore all the well-known characters popping up from other books. Cameos from Brady Talon (Can't Say Goodbye) and Lane (Shameless Puckboy) really tie in the Demonverse/Sadenverse experience.
All in all, their story is sweet, spicy, and entertaining. Do not expect big character development and soul-searching, though. As usual from the author, the story and characters are one-dimensional with little else going for them other than their relationship and their jobs. Thad at least has friends and a family, but Kelley was left with no one. Not a single friend or family member shows up in the book apart frome a few friendly-ish teammates. It used to bother me more, but nowadays, I'm going into reading a Sadenverse book, knowing it will probably be shallow. But it's entertaining.
I'm afraid of one thing regarding this series. And it's the lack of female characters. It would be a great opportunity to include female sports agents and athletes in this series to not only show support for queer guys but also women and queer women in sports too. I hope the author won't write another series with only male supporting characters, which has been the case in the latest series. A bunch of male characters who rarely know a woman who isn't their mom or sister. It's getting to a point where it's ridiculous.
Thad and Kelley are the next generation in Eden's sport romance universe, Thad being an intern at King Sports, which was founded by none other than Damon King (MC in Fake Out). I love how the characters and their stories come together in this new series.
But let's look at Thad and Kelley. Sports agent and baseball player. What could go wrong? Although Thad does not represent Kelley, things can easily go wrong as Kelley is represented by King Sports.
I like their beginning and their friendship a lot. They are a lot different but also a lot alike, which makes their start a little bumpy, taking both of them a little time to get over some issues. Mainly Thad's resentment of Kelley for achieving his baseball dream, while Thad has to stick to his backup plan as a sports agent.
I also very much appreciate the mental health representation in this story. Kelley struggles with severe anxiety and has trouble dealing with the press that follows a professional athlete in general, but it doubles down after his coming out. But Thad helps him get out of his shell and be more confident in his presence in the world. It's kinda sweet seeing Kelley be much more confident and trusting with Thad.
They spend most of the book in different cities, but their long-distance pining makes the story much more engaging because you can't help but root for them to work it out.
I also adore all the well-known characters popping up from other books. Cameos from Brady Talon (Can't Say Goodbye) and Lane (Shameless Puckboy) really tie in the Demonverse/Sadenverse experience.
All in all, their story is sweet, spicy, and entertaining. Do not expect big character development and soul-searching, though. As usual from the author, the story and characters are one-dimensional with little else going for them other than their relationship and their jobs. Thad at least has friends and a family, but Kelley was left with no one. Not a single friend or family member shows up in the book apart frome a few friendly-ish teammates. It used to bother me more, but nowadays, I'm going into reading a Sadenverse book, knowing it will probably be shallow. But it's entertaining.
I'm afraid of one thing regarding this series. And it's the lack of female characters. It would be a great opportunity to include female sports agents and athletes in this series to not only show support for queer guys but also women and queer women in sports too. I hope the author won't write another series with only male supporting characters, which has been the case in the latest series. A bunch of male characters who rarely know a woman who isn't their mom or sister. It's getting to a point where it's ridiculous.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
fast-paced
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
challenging
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have enjoyed the heck out of all of Finley’s books I’ve read and The Backup Plan is no exception. She does a fantastic job of giving her readers interesting characters and believable plots. Some of the characters may be big-shot athletes, musicians, etc but at the end of the day they are just men looking for a connection.
Thad is struggling a little after realizing that a MLB career isn’t in the cards for him. And he’s taking it out on a certain extremely sexy, extremely talented, extremely egotistical pitcher. Once he realizes what is truly at the root of Kelley’s need to be liked, it sends him on a path of little self-reflection. And maybe a little more.
Kelley’s mental health issues may have caused him to take a self-imposed break in the woods, but it also gives him the one person that he feels completely comfortable being his self with. Someone who also helps him quiet the destructive voices in his head.
There is a lot standing between Thad and Kelley, mostly revolving around their jobs, but it isn’t full of drama. Instead we get a steamy, funny, and satisfying read as they find themselves having to decide what they are willing to do, to give up, to embrace a future together.
(Part of a bigger universe but can be read as a standalone.)
**I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**
Thad is struggling a little after realizing that a MLB career isn’t in the cards for him. And he’s taking it out on a certain extremely sexy, extremely talented, extremely egotistical pitcher. Once he realizes what is truly at the root of Kelley’s need to be liked, it sends him on a path of little self-reflection. And maybe a little more.
Kelley’s mental health issues may have caused him to take a self-imposed break in the woods, but it also gives him the one person that he feels completely comfortable being his self with. Someone who also helps him quiet the destructive voices in his head.
There is a lot standing between Thad and Kelley, mostly revolving around their jobs, but it isn’t full of drama. Instead we get a steamy, funny, and satisfying read as they find themselves having to decide what they are willing to do, to give up, to embrace a future together.
(Part of a bigger universe but can be read as a standalone.)
**I voluntarily read and reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**