You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice:🔥🔥🔥
Audiobook:🎧🎧🎧🎧
King Sports is finally here! We finally get to see some of the culmination of Damon King's legacy! I have been so hyped for this series since I first discovered Damon King and the Fake Boyfriend series then followed his journey all the way to Can't Say Goodbye where we got a taste of the King Sports agency through Brady Talon. It certainly did not disappoint!
While this book can be read and understood as a standalone, there are plenty of cameos and references throughout the story that make it a lot more fun to experience if you have read the others!
I'm going to start this review as spoiler free as possible and then will give more spoiler content towards the end.
Thad St. James has become an intern at King Sports after not making it into the pro-baseball scene and is a bit bitter about the situation he has found himself in. He and his co-worker Brady Talon are tasked by Damon King with "baby sitting" Kelley Afton, a newly out queer baseball player that is having alot of anxiety about the press he has been receiving regarding this turn of events. This has the 3 of them heading for the Catskills to unplug Kelley from social media for a while.
**This scene is referenced in "Can't Say Goodbye" and takes place in tandem with that particular part of the book, except being told from Brady's POV.
The chemistry between the two characters, even when they didn't like each other, was strong. The inner conflict that Thad had about his failed baseball career and now having to help Kelley, who is successfully living the dream Thad couldn't, then having Kelley be struggling with anxiety disorders really pulled at my heart strings. As someone who struggles with anxiety myself, the representation through Kelley felt natural and really made me emotional a few times that made me really connect with him as a character.
Thad and Kelley's relationship felt real. What I mean by that is that even from the beginning in the Catskills, there was real teething problems. Miscommunication, distance, job related barriers, etc. All realistic things. A lot of books I've read, the characters sometimes feel like they are pulled together "because the plot demands it". Where the connection almost feels too good to be true. Watching Thad and Kelley's relationship develop from disgruntled, forced proximity acquaintances to friends to more was really great and felt appropriately paced.
This story is full of hilarious shenanigans and a bit of miscommunication. The narrators of the audiobook, Liam DiCosimo and Tim Paige did a fantastic job in the Sadenverse's first duet style audiobook! I know that audiobooks in general are pretty expensive to make let alone the duet style like this but Eden this was amazing and I really hope you consider doing it more in the future because I think it was worth it!
**Spoilers HERE***
*
*
*
*
*
The way I cackled everytime Damon was called "Daddy Damon" or "Silver Fox" was ridiculous! I absolutely loved not only Thad and Kelley, but Damon and Brady too along with Camden and Xavier once they made it to the LA office! The way that Damon was able to sniff out Thad and Kelley's "situationship" a mile away had me laughing so hard. Nope! Damon's been doing this too long to not to spot a PR nightmare when he sees one! And that comment at the beginning that Thad made about Damon working until his 80s, had me imagining Damon walking around the office giving his problem clients a whack with his cane as he passes! lol I actually also really loved the way that Damon handled this whole thing, too. Trying to balance being professional but also having a soft spot for love always makes me smile when it comes to Damon.
I loved the parallel from Can't Say Goodbye where Thad is having to climb out of the cabin window to keep from getting caught and Kit and Prescott having to sneak out of Brady's house to keep from getting caught by Brady's parents!
I really appreciated the take on an athlete that just plan wasn't good enough. That no matter how much support, how much you invest, and how much you believe in yourself, sometimes things just don't work out the way you want them to. That Thad came to the realization that he doesn't necessarily need to be the best, he just needs to be the best that he can be and that he can be successful in other ways. That mental journey from Thad was actually really interesting to watch and super satisfying when he finally came into himself!
When Kelley got traded from Philly I was so heart broken and so ridiculously angry with Philly as a city lol. First, the whole thing with Matt Jackson in the Fake Boyfriend Series (though the teams name was the Pennsylvania Bulldogs so it was unsure if it was Philly or Pittsburgh), then Anton gets traded from Philly in Puckboys, and now Kelley is traded as well! I'm sure it was a weird coincidence but man! I'm so glad that Damon offered Thad the same opportunity that he gave Brady!
*
*
*
*
**** Spoilers ENDS***
All in all before this review gets too much longer, I really enjoyed the book. The romance between Thad and Kelley, the cameos, and everything in between. It's definitely one that might be a bit confusing if you didn't read the other books, but Eden and Saxon always do a really good job of explaining things from past books to give you just enough information to understand but also just enough to have you wanting to learn more about it! I was really happy with my experience reading this one and I am already on the edge of my seat for King Sports #2! Hoping to see more of Camden and Xavier but also Lane! I love Lane to pieces and because we are at the LA location, I'm hoping to see more of him too!
Spice:🔥🔥🔥
Audiobook:🎧🎧🎧🎧
King Sports is finally here! We finally get to see some of the culmination of Damon King's legacy! I have been so hyped for this series since I first discovered Damon King and the Fake Boyfriend series then followed his journey all the way to Can't Say Goodbye where we got a taste of the King Sports agency through Brady Talon. It certainly did not disappoint!
While this book can be read and understood as a standalone, there are plenty of cameos and references throughout the story that make it a lot more fun to experience if you have read the others!
I'm going to start this review as spoiler free as possible and then will give more spoiler content towards the end.
Thad St. James has become an intern at King Sports after not making it into the pro-baseball scene and is a bit bitter about the situation he has found himself in. He and his co-worker Brady Talon are tasked by Damon King with "baby sitting" Kelley Afton, a newly out queer baseball player that is having alot of anxiety about the press he has been receiving regarding this turn of events. This has the 3 of them heading for the Catskills to unplug Kelley from social media for a while.
**This scene is referenced in "Can't Say Goodbye" and takes place in tandem with that particular part of the book, except being told from Brady's POV.
The chemistry between the two characters, even when they didn't like each other, was strong. The inner conflict that Thad had about his failed baseball career and now having to help Kelley, who is successfully living the dream Thad couldn't, then having Kelley be struggling with anxiety disorders really pulled at my heart strings. As someone who struggles with anxiety myself, the representation through Kelley felt natural and really made me emotional a few times that made me really connect with him as a character.
Thad and Kelley's relationship felt real. What I mean by that is that even from the beginning in the Catskills, there was real teething problems. Miscommunication, distance, job related barriers, etc. All realistic things. A lot of books I've read, the characters sometimes feel like they are pulled together "because the plot demands it". Where the connection almost feels too good to be true. Watching Thad and Kelley's relationship develop from disgruntled, forced proximity acquaintances to friends to more was really great and felt appropriately paced.
This story is full of hilarious shenanigans and a bit of miscommunication. The narrators of the audiobook, Liam DiCosimo and Tim Paige did a fantastic job in the Sadenverse's first duet style audiobook! I know that audiobooks in general are pretty expensive to make let alone the duet style like this but Eden this was amazing and I really hope you consider doing it more in the future because I think it was worth it!
**Spoilers HERE***
*
*
*
*
*
The way I cackled everytime Damon was called "Daddy Damon" or "Silver Fox" was ridiculous! I absolutely loved not only Thad and Kelley, but Damon and Brady too along with Camden and Xavier once they made it to the LA office! The way that Damon was able to sniff out Thad and Kelley's "situationship" a mile away had me laughing so hard. Nope! Damon's been doing this too long to not to spot a PR nightmare when he sees one! And that comment at the beginning that Thad made about Damon working until his 80s, had me imagining Damon walking around the office giving his problem clients a whack with his cane as he passes! lol I actually also really loved the way that Damon handled this whole thing, too. Trying to balance being professional but also having a soft spot for love always makes me smile when it comes to Damon.
I loved the parallel from Can't Say Goodbye where Thad is having to climb out of the cabin window to keep from getting caught and Kit and Prescott having to sneak out of Brady's house to keep from getting caught by Brady's parents!
I really appreciated the take on an athlete that just plan wasn't good enough. That no matter how much support, how much you invest, and how much you believe in yourself, sometimes things just don't work out the way you want them to. That Thad came to the realization that he doesn't necessarily need to be the best, he just needs to be the best that he can be and that he can be successful in other ways. That mental journey from Thad was actually really interesting to watch and super satisfying when he finally came into himself!
When Kelley got traded from Philly I was so heart broken and so ridiculously angry with Philly as a city lol. First, the whole thing with Matt Jackson in the Fake Boyfriend Series (though the teams name was the Pennsylvania Bulldogs so it was unsure if it was Philly or Pittsburgh), then Anton gets traded from Philly in Puckboys, and now Kelley is traded as well! I'm sure it was a weird coincidence but man! I'm so glad that Damon offered Thad the same opportunity that he gave Brady!
*
*
*
*
**** Spoilers ENDS***
All in all before this review gets too much longer, I really enjoyed the book. The romance between Thad and Kelley, the cameos, and everything in between. It's definitely one that might be a bit confusing if you didn't read the other books, but Eden and Saxon always do a really good job of explaining things from past books to give you just enough information to understand but also just enough to have you wanting to learn more about it! I was really happy with my experience reading this one and I am already on the edge of my seat for King Sports #2! Hoping to see more of Camden and Xavier but also Lane! I love Lane to pieces and because we are at the LA location, I'm hoping to see more of him too!
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
This was so good. I love Eden’s books and this one was one of my favorites I think. I can’t really pinpoint anything, but I just really enjoyed it.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
tense
slow-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
What a start to a new series from Eden Finley! (And a new branch of the Sadenverse). I have been wondering about Thad and Kelley since Can’t Say Goodbye and I’m so excited to read their story! They had so much tension and while no love was lost between them, there was so much love by the end! The representation of Kelley’s panic disorders gets so real and Thad learned so quickly how to cut through all of the voices and be the reason. I was so happy reading about their small moments, big life lessons, and the happy ending!
Thank you for the ARC!
Thank you for the ARC!
emotional
funny
reflective
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
4.5*
I had SO MUCH fun reading this one!! The banter between our two MMC’s was everything! The slow burn, then tension, the stolen moments
I adored Thad’s tough-love approach and his sarcastic, witty comments. I also loved how natural the portrayal of Kelley’s anxiety seemed. As someone with anxiety; I saw parts of myself in the scenes where he was anxious.
Their character growth was everything! I adored them. I adored our background cast. I loved every single second.
I did not expect this book to be as funny as it was. I was giggling at scenes constantly. This was my first Eden Finley book, and I’ll definitely be reading more
I had SO MUCH fun reading this one!! The banter between our two MMC’s was everything! The slow burn, then tension, the stolen moments
I adored Thad’s tough-love approach and his sarcastic, witty comments. I also loved how natural the portrayal of Kelley’s anxiety seemed. As someone with anxiety; I saw parts of myself in the scenes where he was anxious.
Their character growth was everything! I adored them. I adored our background cast. I loved every single second.
I did not expect this book to be as funny as it was. I was giggling at scenes constantly. This was my first Eden Finley book, and I’ll definitely be reading more
funny
hopeful
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:
Yes
This was a quick and refreshing read. I loved the idea of the book and where it was going, but I think this book tried to do too much without actually doing anything?
I enjoyed the characters and the relationship they build. I liked that both MCs have flaws on their own and the conflicts they have make sense with those flaws.
Kelly and Thad, loved them, both separately and together even if at times they feel a little underdeveloped.
Brady is there a lot but there's nothing explained about what's happening with or around him. Even if another book of the series is going to be about him, it felt a bit off here.
I enjoyed the characters and the relationship they build. I liked that both MCs have flaws on their own and the conflicts they have make sense with those flaws.
Kelly and Thad, loved them, both separately and together even if at times they feel a little underdeveloped.
Brady is there a lot but there's nothing explained about what's happening with or around him. Even if another book of the series is going to be about him, it felt a bit off here.
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes