What happened in high school stayed in high school. Until now.
Five years ago, Michael Graham betrayed the only person who ever really knew him. Since then, he’s made an art of hiding his sexual orientation from everyone. Including himself.
So it’s a shock when his past strolls right into the Harkness College locker room, sporting a bag of hockey gear and the same slow smile that had always … same slow smile that had always rendered Graham defenseless. For Graham, there is only one possible reaction: total, debilitating panic. With one loose word, the team’s new left wing could destroy Graham’s life as he knows it.
John Rikker is stuck being the new guy. Again. And it’s worse than usual, because the media has latched onto the story of the only “out” player in Division One hockey. As the satellite trucks line the sidewalk outside the rink, his new teammates are not amused.
And one player in particular looks sick every time he enters the room.
Rikker didn’t exactly expect a warm welcome from Graham. But the guy won’t even meet his eyes. From the looks of it, his former… best friend / boyfriend / whatever isn’t doing so well. He drinks too much and can’t focus during practice.
Either the two loneliest guys on the team will self destruct from all the new pressures in their lives, or they can navigate the pain to find a way back to one another. To say that it won’t be easy is the Understatement of the Year.
Warning: unlike the other books in this series, this heartbreaking love story is about two guys. Contains sexual situations, dance music, snarky t-shirts and a poker-playing grandmother.
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Loved it! The angst is real in this second chance storyline. All the feels while Rikker and Graham navigate their journey. Their chemistry is sizzling hot! I also loved Teddy Hamilton and Christian Fox’s narration. #GOAL!
I honestly don’t know where to start…
Understatement of the Year is a story that connects you so deeply with its characters that I haven’t yet let them go. I really… don’t want to.
Since reading it, I have heard “Moves Like Jagger” by Maroon 5 on my playlist three times. Each time the first notes struck the chord of recognition in my mind, I felt a rush of too many things to name, images of Rik and G on that guerilla night in that bar in Vermont flashing through my mind, a mix of feelings that belonged to /them/ along with all the eagerness of a woman desperately flipping pages to find what might happen next filling up my chest.
I can’t tell you what it’s like being so connected to a book and its characters that you’re instantly thrown back inside it every time you hear a song. Maybe it’s a cliche, but the best word I can think of is… Magical. All of this is to say that the story and the journey Rik and G take was simply beautiful, and if you’re considering taking this book up, do so.
My only, small, disappointment was that the sex between them, particularly the penetrative sex, was skipped over, moving from hot and stripped to post-cuddling. As I am thirsty for /every/ detail, I missed getting to read each second of these intimate moments for myself. However, the story was so desperately good, so extremely well-written, the characters so shatteringly vivid, that in the end, I hardly missed it. In the end, Understatement of the Year is a FAVORITE.
5/5 stars from me 100% recommend. If you’re looking for a good book to sink into, you’ve found it.
A lovely, sad, and ultimately happy ending story of two young men in a world where their sexuality isn’t always welcome. One of my favorites of this series!
Loved Ricker & Graham’s story. Their chemistry is amazing. Felt like I was there with them going through the struggles of being in a MM relationship. Thank you Sarina for bringing their amazing story to audiobook. Teddy Hamilton & Christian Fox were perfection as narrators!
Wow what a rollercoaster ride this was. Rikker was so patient with Graham. A true push and pull with plenty of tender moments. Once again Sarina writes a beautiful MM love story. These guys were complex and the issues they faced were big ones. Tackling the, “To come out or not to come out” question was done with sensitivity and felt really real. I loved this story.
The Ivy Years is way more angsty than I was expecting but it’s soooooooooo good!! Rikker and Graham are perfection *swoon*
I will keep this one short, but sweet. The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen had all the feels for me. I laughed, cried, was upset, hurt, heartbroken….all of these things. Teddy Hamilton and Christian Fox (narrators) brought Micheal Graham and Johhny Rikker to life. Sarina’s writing style is so real and raw that I could not help but be drawn in by her words. So good!
I swear each book keeps getting better and better. Another fantastic story. These two were breaking my black heart! I can’t wait to get to the novella about them, they’re such great guys! Okay, I’m binging the rest of the books right now.
A great serie from Sarina Bowen
I know i say this everytime i finish a Sarina Bowen book but how do they keep being as awesome as the one before but i can’t help because The understatement of the year is another amazing story.
I haven’t read too many m/m books actually I’ve only read Sarina Bowen’s and Elle Kennedy’s Him and Us and if you have never read an M/M i would recommend any of these three to be your first they are so freaking good.
Again this story had all the feels for me, from dealing with one character coming out and being forced to come out was heartbreaking and then to have another character really struggling to even say the word Gay and to hide for so long again was heartbreaking.
I also loved how the start of the chapters we get all the hockey terms being from a country that doesn’t really watch hockey it was awesome to learn the hockey lingo.
This was a second chance love story and these two parted in the first place was also so heartbreaking but just listening to this story unfold had a big smile of my face. There were times when i wanted to smack micheal graham upside the head and make him see there was nothing wrong with him, but that is what made the whole story.
Another amazing book in this series and again a massive fan of Sarina Bowen massive 5 stars for this book and series so far.
God, this is one of my favorite ever. I can’t even.
Graham and Rikker are super complicated as well as their story. But complexity of it all is what makes you feel everything about the story so deeply. You feel the pain, you feel the confusion, you feel every single emotion the characters go through. Yes, there are many moments worth of laughter, many moment so hot you gasp, and think ‘damn’, but what’s special about Sarina Bowen’s books is that they’re smart. They are so well researched and you can learn so much for them. And this is one of the best coming out story. It’s full of pain, confusion and at the end, acceptance, but every scene is in its place, everything is so perfectly orchestrated so you get the full experience. It’s both heart-breaking and beautiful. I usually get frustrated with characters’ hot-and-cold behavior, but seriously, I couldn’t even get frustrated with Graham. He’s a beautiful confused sad boy. And Rikker’s just adorable.
A HUGE recommendation to all m/m lovers. And if you’re not, but feel like giving a chance to m/m, you might as well start here – I for once didn’t regret it!
Sarina Bowen has quickly become one of my favorite authors and The Understatement of the Year is just one more reason why. This is book #3 in The Ivy Years series and all books can be read as standalones. This book was a bit of a different read for me because it was m/m (male/male if you’re wondering) and I just had yet to come across an m/m book that looked interesting enough for me to pick up. Not only was this a compelling story, but I was completely captivated from start to finish.
The Ivy Years series revolves around the men’s hockey team at fictional Harkness College. The Understatement of the Year focused on the team and its players, namely, Michael Graham and new transfer student Johnny Rikker. Graham and Rikker have a relationship from the past that no one is aware of, and Graham would prefer it stay that way. Rikker was just kicked off his previous hockey team. His crime? Being gay. The further Graham distances himself from his former best friend, the less chance he has that anyone will suspect the secret he has been carrying around for years.
My stomach was in knots for about 70% of this book. The angst and longing that Sarina shows through her words are over-the-top intense. My heart broke over a dozen different times, and that was all before Graham and Rikker even started speaking to each other. Time and denial did nothing to squash the intense feelings these two had for each other when they were teenagers. There were moments I found myself holding my breath (when Graham finally acknowledges Rikker for the first time in their hotel room, I swear I didn’t breathe for the ENTIRE scene!) Talk about sexual tension!! Every time Rikker and Graham were in the same vicinity, the electricity was off the charts. They didn’t even have to make eye contact for each other for you experience the intensity of their emotions. There were touching moments that had tears streaming down my face and then moments that had me laughing out loud. This book had everything. Most importantly, it had exceptional writing, a storyline that was believable and had you completely invested in these characters lives. It had my heart breaking and mending all on the same page
Rikker and Graham’s story is so much more than a story about being gay and what that means in a “manly” sport like hockey. It is about being true and honest to yourself and with your feelings. It’s about how one person, if it’s the right person, can change your life. I have praised Sarina Bowen each time I have read and reviewed one of her books, but I can honestly say that this is her best one yet.
Now I understand what all the fuss is over these boys.
So much love, and tears!
But Sarina, why you gonna do me like that with that ending??? I need more from Graham and Rikker!!!