A review by enchantingreads_rosyreviews
Best of Both Worlds by Emily Silver

funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

"His dark brown eyes are filled with nothing but hate right now. No doubt the same as mine. I’m seething. If fire were coming out of my ears, I wouldn’t be surprised. Who does this guy think he is?" ...
"Fake it ’til I like Graham Fisher is going to be my new motto. I can make it work. Right?"

When we left Noah, he was struggling to recover from an injury from Graham Fisher, his poor performance caused him to be traded to the Nashville Knights (Fisher’s team), & he had to leave his hometown, his team, his friends without a proper goodbye. (No wonder why he’s alone on his book’s cover! 😢) So this book is a big adjustment for Noah… in more ways than one!

The tension between him & Graham is wonderful, but watching it develop felt like a reward. With callbacks to several characters from the Colorado sports romance world Emily’s created, Noah & Graham’s story sucked me in from the very beginning. Feet kicking definitely took place. Lots of giggling happened. And I may or may not have avoided “adulting” so I could keep reading because I am obsessed! The way this story unfolds feels authentic & their love story felt earned in a satisfying way that’s guaranteed to add this to your list of fave reads!

"My parents and their friends, Dad’s old teammates, are the biggest gossips in the world... 'Noah Jackson Fields. You shouldn’t be fighting with your teammates,' Mom chides. I wince at her admonishment. Doesn’t matter how old you are, there’s nothing like getting told off by your mother."

Simply put, I LOVED this story! It grabbed ahold of my heart & still hasn't let it go. Graham's exploration, Noah's open acceptance, their non-judgmental relationship dynamics & the moments with characters we've loved from other books are just some of the things that make this story wonderful. (Plus, Emily uses the title in the story in 2 distinct, & entertaining, ways.)

"Noah Fields is the sexiest person in the world, and it should scare me how quickly I’m becoming addicted to the man. I don’t want anyone else but him... Being with Noah, just the two of us, pushes every thought out of my head. This is all that matters. The two of us connecting. The rest will come however it comes. And I’ll worry about it when it does."

But I think my favorite part was how Emily approached the queer identification angle. Noah being an out hockey player wasn't an issue. He even made a comment about how he assumed no one on the team would want to go with him to gay bars, but was surprised when they said that wasn't the case. Even as Graham starts to explore his new queer identity, his journey feels unique to his character & largely accepting. Queer identities are celebrated in this world because people are living their authentic selves, but the simple fact someone loves another of the same gender is not a big deal otherwise. It's a beautiful thing & it makes me love this story (& Emily) even more!

"'No regrets?'
'Not one.'
When it comes to this man? I don’t think I could regret anything."
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