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aplace_inthesun 's review for:
Contract Season
by Cait Nary
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.