What if you’ve worked your whole life for a dream, to play rugby for the most successful sports team on the planet, the New Zealand All Blacks?What if that dream is so close you can smell it?What if you meet someone?What if you fall in love?What if your dream will cost the man who’s stolen your heart?And what if the dream changes?Reuben Taylor has a choice to make.Cameron Wano is that choice.
I loved this!
I absolutely adored both MCs: Cam, the out and proud and loud gay man, and reubens, the deep in the closet, potential All-Blacks rugby player.
I suffered with Cam and Reubens in their struggles to be together with everything (sport, family, obligations and also self-esteem) fighting against them.
Jay Hogan has earned a sure spot in my one-click-authors folder!
This story kept me up late for a couple of nights as I was determined to finish it, as it sucked me in on page one, and even now as I write my review a few days later, I’m still thinking about Reuben and Cam, and their story. Crossing The Touchline is one of my favourite reads for this year, and not just because it’s set in New Zealand.
Despite loving the setting, and my delight in recognising so many Kiwi references, it was the characters who drew me to their story, and kept me reading. I felt for Reuben, his love for Cam, and his fear of losing not only his chance at the All Blacks, but to be a part of his nephew’s life. A frequent thought I had throughout reading this book was what an arsehole his father is. On the flip side, Cam’s family is great, and I particularly loved his mother. She’s a force to be reckoned with, and sensible and wise with it.
Angst aside, Reuben and Cam’s romance is very sweet. I love the way they’re both obviously smitten when they first meet, and I thought the author captured the emotion behind that very well. Cam is wonderful. I love how he comes across as so very sure of himself, yet still very much doubts he will get his man and their happy ending, but refuses to keep their relationship a secret forever. I enjoyed reading about their growing friendship, and loved the song lyric text contest. The way Cam connects with Cody says a lot about him as a person, and I loved the way Reuben accepts everything about who Cam is too.
This story is very much about family, with Reuben’s being dysfunctional and contrasting Cam’s, and also the family they make along the way. I loved the banter between Cam and his brother Mathew, and also with his cousin Jake. I loved the way the All Blacks were portrayed in this story too. It made me proud to be a Kiwi.
The way the story comes to a head had me on the edge of my seat, and I thought it showed both Cam and Reuben’s strengths. The ending made me very happy. I was left feeling ‘wow’ and that I need a hardcopy of this book as it’s one I will be reading again.
Independent reviewer for Archaeolibrarian, I was gifted my copy of this book.
*Edited to add the review for the AUDIO version.*
Gary Furlong narrates.
Now, I gotta say this. After listening to audio books for a good while now, I’ve noticed an influx of NON-American narrators. And I LOVE that, I really do. But Furlong narrates this book in the New Zealand accent, quite correctly, since that is where Reuben and Cam are from, and it just takes a little getting used to! This is the first I’ve listen to of his work, and I have to say, he NAILS this one!
Furlong gets over every single feeling, emotion, internal wrangling these guys have, and it’s painful listening, it really is. It was difficult reading, but hearing it?? Oh Lord I wanted to wrap them both up and look after them so bad! And Reuben’s dad?? He headed for another punching!
The emotions in the guy’s voices, especially since this is first person, is amazing, and I had to stop what I was doing a time or two, to just LISTEN, you know? To hear the heartbreak pouring out for them, the rage, the passion, and finally, all that love.
I did have a little chuckle though. Michael (from book one, First Impressions, pops up. Michael is American, and it took me a little while to figure out why he sounded all kinds of wrong. It’s because of that! His American accent, in the midst of all these New Zealand ones was odd, is all.
I loved this book when I read it, and listening to it?? Loved it more!
5 stars for the narration, my wish list just got a whole lot longer with Mr Furlong’s books on it!
*Original Review*
Stealing the tagline from the official blurb, because it is just the perfect tagline I have ever come across!
What if your dream will cost you the man who’s stolen your heart?
Reuben Taylor has a choice to make. Cameron Wano is that choice.
I’m struggling to say what I want to about this book, because I FREAKING loved it! So if this review runs away with the fairies, I apologise. I shall try to make a coherent sentence or two!
Reuben is so far in the closet, it’s pitch black in his life. His brother is an alcoholic, trying to look after a small child, and his father is (in my humble opinion) an utter douchbag of a man. One kiss with Cameron and Reuben is scared. Scared of what could be, but also, scared of what could NEVER be.
Cam is well aware of his status with the rugby team his brother plays for. He is out and PROUD and loud about it. But becoming Reuben’s friend is far more important than the possibility of losing Reuben altogether. When things spiral downwards, and passion between the two men spins out of control, Reuben has to make the one choice he never wanted to: his rugby career, or Cameron.
So, I make no bones that I am not a fan of first person books, especially if they are multi point of view. This book is written as such. But both Reuben and Cam have such distinct voices, it took me a while to actually figure out this was a first person book! So well done to Ms Hogan for that one.
I read this book in one sitting. It’s not a short book, some three hundred pages. But I started it at 7pm, and did not stop til I ran out of book.
And I went through the whole gamut of human emotion and then some! I tell ya, this book has funny spots, dark spots, scary spots, sexy bits (so much with the sexy bits!) and points along the way that garnered so much rage out of me, had Reuben’s father been around, that man would be flat on his back! You can’t blame Reuben’s brother for what he is doing to Reuben, because he really is not coping and not getting the correct help he and his son need, but I did want to punch him a time or two, too.
But it’s not just Reuben who has such extreme’s of emotions. Cam does too. He did all the “in the closet thing” and swore never to again. Which is why he decides Reuben needs him to be his friend. But Cam’s emotions run away with him, and he can’t stop the avalanche of feelings he gets every time he touches Reuben, even if it’s just a brush past, or something. He didn’t have the difficult upbringing Reuben did, his family love him just as he is, but he can understand why Reuben is hiding. It HURTS Cam, but he gets it.
But ultimately, it isn’t something Reuben or Cam does that outs them, someone else does that. And the fall out?? Well, let’s just say, I was very surprised about that! In a good way!
There is a wedding in this book, that Cam and Reuben attend (not together!): Michael and Josh work with Cam at the hospital. Cam says some things about these two guys that make me want to go back and read THEIR book, First Impressions. It’s a stand alone to this one, but my interest is piqued and I will go back, at some point, and read. THAT book is Ms Hogan’s first, that I can see. And THIS one, her second.
I’m a-gonna be following this one, I reckon!
5 emotional, gut wrenching stars!
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
Reuben and Cam
I don’t even know where to start this review. I was swept of my feet by this stunning story !!
Reuben was heavily impressed by Cam’s appearance. He was the most beautiful delicate person, stunning make-up, fem and out and proud. He looked fragile but Reuben was surprised by his strong demanding attitude.
Cam was concerned for Reuben who was a rugby player and far in the closet.
Reuben has the chance to play with the All Blacks rugby team. But with a lot of bigotry from family and friends he can’t risk this place by outing himself.
It’s a widely written story and not one second dull or repetitive. It had excellent developed characters and a more than fascinating plot. Many different emotions all over the place.
It was entertaining and engaging.
Cam oh boy my dear, beautiful extraordinary Cam I loved him hard!! At moments I wanted to strangle Reuben, he needed time, a lot, he was over his ears from the first second he laid eyes on Cam. And this hurt both of them hard. He lived in a split position and that was so awful. Cory his little nephew on the autism spectrum was just so wonderful in all his being. My heart swelled at moments for him. Reuben was the only one who cared for him. There are family members whose name I don’t want to speak, and members I want to hug hard. The best families and wurst families.
Even I knew where it came from, I got very very frustrated by Reuben’s state of mind. But dear goodness, once he freed himself from his cage and spread his wings freely, he was the best everrr.
An unbelievable heartbreaking story, beautifully written, captivating as hell and very emotional.
And the heartwarming beauty in this story…? Actually, beside Cam and Reuben as the main characters, dear Cory was the center of this journey and my goodness was that right!!
And the end.. best statement ever. I cried my eyes out and fainted of emotions, masterly done!!
Ruben’s goal has always been playing for the All Blacks, he has worked towards that goal forever it seems. His family are not really that supportive and in fact make things harder for him than they need to be. Ruben hides his true self from everyone, he is so far in the closet he needs a map to get out. The last thing Cam needs is to fall for a closet case, and he tries very hard not to get involved with Ruben but the heart wants what the heart wants. Can someone in the closet with everything to lose also be in a committed relationship? Will Ruben be able to have both or will he have to let Cam go in order to have his dream?
This was a good story, that really gave us the nitty gritty of being in the closet and all the work that goes into that type of relationship. There were some really deep moments in this story, with tons of drama and nice naughty bits, I give this 4 stars.
Crossing the Touchline snagged my attention for a few different reasons: a lovely cover, a relatively new author, and a sports romance that featured rugby, which is decidedly underrepresented in its genre. This novel marks the author’s second published work and I have to say I was impressed by the style and how polished the book was as a whole. Crossing the Touchline includes a slight overlap in characters from the author’s first book, but it’s a standalone and the start to an entirely new series. Overall, I enjoyed the story, really liked the characters, and definitely plan to continue following the series and author.
There’s no shortage of sports romances that feature closeted heroes facing coming out after meeting that special person. Initially, I thought Crossing the Touchline would follow the fairly standard and predictable path many other in this trope take. However, there were several contingent factors I hadn’t anticipated that set Reuben and Cam’s story apart and drew me in. I really loved both men and liked how well flushed out their characters were. I also liked the slow build in their romance and Reuben’s careful decision to come out. And I definitely hadn’t expected all the spicy moments and characteristics of this couple’s love life. All these aspects made Crossing the Touchline an interesting book that ensured I’d be back for more. Unfortunately, the slow build in Cam and Reuben’s romance spilled over to the general pace of the book and I found my attention flagging at times. The unhurried tempo wasn’t helped by the author repeatedly circling back to some descriptions and conflicts throughout the book. That said, my investment in the couple never waned and I generally thoroughly enjoyed reading their story. As for the sports aspect, this isn’t one that mentions an athlete and then doesn’t touch on the topic again. I know little about rugby, and therefore occasionally found myself slow to grasp the author’s references, but as a sports fan, I appreciated there were plenty of details about the matches and teams and I’m sure rugby fans will be thrilled. I’d definitely recommend Crossing the Touchline to those who like slow burn romances or anyone eager to see rugby represented in the sports romance genre.
*eARC received via Signal Boost.*