They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?
Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.
Ryan … died.
Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.
Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend…and a big one to learn about himself.
Warning: contains sexual situations, hotties on hockey skates, skinnydipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition.
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I have heard SO much about this book and after reading am definitely glad that I did! It was HOT!
Jaime and Ryan were friends turned lovers in this romance and it checked all the boxes. Ryan is out with his sexuality and after one fateful night loses touch with his best friend Jaime. They reconnect years later and things heat up between them. As Jaime comes to terms with his sexual status and this new turn in their relationship I fell in love them both. Looking forward to reading more about this couple in the next book. Excellent read!
I stumbled across this audio Book because I actually started listening to Good Boy by the same authors. Wes and Jamie had a part in that book. The female narrator was irritating, and really turned me off from listening, so I decided that I would read Good Boy and I discovered Him in the process.
I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I was pleasantly surprised. The narration was good. I appreciated both Wes’ acceptance of himself, and Jamie’s journey of discovery.
I was also impressed with Holly’s response. She didn’t get angry and unpleasant. I get so sick of woman agreeing with guys up front, who tell them that the situation is only casual, or sexual, and when the guy moves on, she wants to be upset with him because she expected more. If a guy tells you up front that you are friends with bennies, why get upset at him when he wants nothing more serious than that?
Wes’ parents were trash, and I felt sorry for him. I also thought it was interesting how the writers were able to convey the shift in the characters from college students to professionals. Not sure if it was the writing, the narration, or a combination of both.
You could read this book and stop here, but I will move on to “Us”, and continue Wes and Jamie’s story.
A beautiful M/M book that shows the emotions gay individuals feel and struggle to feel accepted in their surroundings. This book was perfect for pride month. Strong characters with great story building. I am looking forward to read more of this world.
I love everything about this book! #Obsessed!
Two of my favorite authors teamed up for an absolutely amazing story with HIM. Jamie and Wes are sexy, sweet, and make you fall in love with them. I immediately had to pick up US just to get more!! I couldn’t put this book down and I highly recommend!!!
I don’t know who I loved more… Jamie… no Wes….. no Jamie. I hate to admit this was my first Elle Kennedy read so I can’t compare it to anything but Sarina Bowen was at the top of her game with this one. I loved everything about it. And the Epilogue, nope I didn’t cry, not at all.
3.5 stars
Jamie Canning lost his best friend four years ago and he doesn’t know what he did. Ryan Wesley has regretted his actions that cost him his best friend. He never should have pushed the boundaries of his relationship with Jamie, especially since he knows Jamie is straight. Four years later he finally gets the chance to set things right, but will it be enough.
Jamie and Ryan were an interesting couple. While I wasn’t loving the story to start with I quickly changed my mind once they started coaching together. Ryan has known he was gay since he was a teenager and always loved Jamie. I liked that we see Jamie questioning his sexuality and working through his thoughts on it. A lot of the LGBTQ romance I have read they are already past this so I have rarely got to see it. I liked Jamie and Ryan though. They both work hard for what they love. I did have a hard time telling their ‘voices’ apart sometimes, especially when i would have to stop reading for a little bit.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I don’t know if I will read the second one, which is a continuation of their story, anytime soon but I think I want to at least try to read it.
Loved this sweet romance between childhood (teenage) best friends who lost contact with each other. Second chance tropes are not typically my thing, and neither are sports players – especially hockey – but MM is quickly becoming a favorite! It was a bit of an interesting twist to see the guy who was straight being the one most at ease with the situation being public rather than the one who was mostly openly gay, as it’s usually the other way around. This book, which I did the audio for, was a first for me by both authors, and I can’t wait to read more from them.
Oh, my heart!
I’ve had this book thrown at me I don’t know how many times and I finally got a big chunk of time to experience the audiobook! I finished it and immediately wanted to read it again. Savor it. Wallow in it. I adored this book so much! Jamie and Ryan are two of the best heroes out there, they were so vivid to me, so emotional and true. The narration brought this book to a whole new level of sweet sexiness!
Holy male/male romance hotness!!!!!! This book had so much going for it. Sports…. sexy athletes…. best friends…. secret feelings…. experimental sexual scenarios…. LOVE. A whole lot of it! I was instantly hooked with this book after the first chapter. I fell hard for Wes and Jamie!
This is a great story of two friends who’ve grown up together and years later discover another facet to their long friendship. Both of these characters are so damn likeable – and the reader learns so much about them as the story moves along. Sometimes using flashbacks in a story can be very distracting but not in this case. I loved learning about what has made the characters who they are and watching their relationship evolve. There’s lots of humor, witty banter, angst, hot and sweaty playtime and of course – hockey. One of the better books of this genre that I’ve read and I’m looking to read more from these authors. Highly recommend 🙂
Him is the first book in the Him series and I absolutely loved this collaboration between Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen. Despite not considering myself a “sports romance” fan, I really enjoyed this friends-to-lovers story. This is a terrific mix of serious, sweet, sexy, and funny. I also generally don’t like flashbacks, but it really worked well here. I enjoyed Wes & Jamie as teens and then reuniting again at the end of their senior year in college. While this could probably be listed under New Adult, somehow it didn’t really have that feeling to it. Perhaps because this really seems to be focused on their hopes and plans for after college and spans a decade of friendship.
Wes and Jamie are so different and yet perfect for each other. While there are definitely several sexy scenes, this is more than just attraction. These guys love each other as friends and lovers, it’s a wonderful and beautiful relationship. Not without some shenanigans and pranks as well as witty dialogue.
While this story continues, it’s not a cliffhanger. It’s a full and complete story that ends with an HFN for Jamie & Wes. But you’ll definitely want to listen to Us.
Narration:
Teddy Hamilton & Jacob Morgan are a wonderful match here. While either talented narrator could have handled this production on their own – combining the two brings this to another level. Have listened multiple times.
Have you ever avoided a book because everyone talked so much about it that you were afraid you would be disappointed and then a few years go by and you meet a few new friends who go on and on about it and finally you just break down and buy it? And have you ever then purchased the Audible whispersync because you absolutely cannot put it down but have drive to work and don’t want any interruptions in the story? Well HIM is that book for me.
This is a story about best friends and lovers and exploration and authenticity. It’s about real struggles and selfish behavior and miscommunication. Most of all is it a study of the human mind and how it processes and grows from living experiences.
Read this, listen to it, just get this book – you won’t be disappointed.
I have read and re-read many romance stories and this book was superb. HIM had leaded me to a shocking wind whirling love story so good. Jamie Canning and Ryan Wesley were the alpha males.. oozing sexiness… melting hotness.. and hockey players..
The interaction between them were overwhelming.. OMG these twho were the good-worst kinda relationship. It was a hot hot young couple with high intense hormone! Everything were new and curiosity. I love on how they have explored their feelings.. The Author had captured the love with intensity and raw. HIM is a must read and I cant stop my heart to feel for this loving couple! So so good
What can I say about Wes and Jamie but I love them!! They meet at hockey camp as kids and become fast friends. Over the years they stay in touch by sending this box back and fourth with birthday, Christmas, and gag gifts in it.
On one of the last days of camp while in high school, they decide to place a bet while practicing on the ice. The bet is made thinking the looser would bow out and not hold up his end of the bargan. To both Wes and Jamie’s surprise, neither backs out and it changes both of their lives.
They meet up years later at the college hockey championships. They realize that feelings are still there and now is the time to act on those feelings. Wes follows Jamie back to the camp they met at years ago. This time they are coaches not campers. As roommates, they decide to spend alone time exploring eachother’s bodies. They find that it is time to do what feels right and that’s really be together.
This book is a great read. I laughed I cried but most of all you can really see and feel the love that Wes and Jamie have for eachother.
4.5 Very entertaining read! I love Jamie and Wes! I loved getting to learn about their lives and the struggles they have to overcome. Very good book, excited to read Us =)
Jamie and Wes are on fire!
Jamie and Wes have played hockey together every summer for five years before their last shootout match.
Wes has avoided everything regarding Jamie Canning for four years because he feels guilty. When Wes and Jamie meet back up on opposing teams for the final four in university hockey the feelings come roaring back to life. When he gets the opportunity for one more summer of hockey at the Elites camp he jumps at it.
Jamie is incredibly angry when Wes meets him at camp and apologizes for manipulating him four years earlier. How could Wes think he was ignorant bigot, and why spend years avoiding him?
At the same time Jamie is trying to figure out his feelings for Wes, Wes’s dad is trying to lock Wes into an interview with Sports Illustrated and continues to treat Wes like dirt for his orientation.
A wonderful MM sports romance that takes care to avoid fetishizing Wes and Jamie’s relationship, as well as addressing issues that most LGBTQIA couples face. Even readers not heavily invested in hockey will love this book!
UUUGGHHHHHHHHH GODDDD I loveddddd thiissssss boooookkkkkkkkk.
You know how sometimes there are books that everyone recommends to you, and they never stop talking about them, RAVING endlessly about how Gdamn INCREDIBLE they are?!? And you’re like, yea ok. I mean, I’ll read it.
And then you do, and you’re like… SPEECHLESS.
Well, that’s exactly what happened here.
This book was so good, I can barely even process it. I don’t even really know what to say other than oh my God, what the hell, and can I make my entire life about this?!
Jamie and Wes are my new favorite book couple. They’re so freaking hot together. And sweet, and damn adorable. I love the connection between them, and I loved each of their POV’s in different ways.
Ryan Wesley is a wondrous angel of gay perfection. The fact that he was always head-over-heels for Jamie and convinced himself that he would never have him gave me all the satisfaction in the world, because I knew he would get his guy, and it just made me that much more ecstatic when he did.
And Jamie Canning is such a sweet, grounded, caring hottie. I loved that once he discovered his feelings for Wes, he identified as bisexual. It would’ve felt forced if the authors made him all of a sudden start disliking women just because he was fooling around with a guy. It was all the more real and honest, the way they did it. And the two of them together… FIREworks.
The sex in this book is HOT HOT HOT. It wasn’t like my previous read from these authors where the sex got cut short or skimped on a little. This book was CHOCK FULL of hot MM romps, and I was loving every minute of it. Just like Jamie and Wes were 😉
Lastly, I will say that this book is written SPECTACULARLY. Honestly, this is the exact way that I want every book I read to be written. It was funny in all the right ways. Nothing was ever forced or disingenuous. There was drama, but it was always resolved. The characters’ inner monologues were whitty and original. And the dialogue was perfect. Everything about the writing in this book was purely magical. Stupendous. And every other good adjective in the book.
I probably don’t need to recommend this book to anyone, because I think anyone who loves MM has either already read it or knows they should. But seriously, if you haven’t read this book yet, I have no earthly clue what’s taking you so long.
I bought Book 2 – Us – immediately after finishing this one, and I plan to binge read it tomorrow because I can’t get enough of my hot hockey boys. Gazillions of hands applauding Sarina and Elle on this purple Skittle masterpiece!
Hockey Hotness
Oh my the hotness in this book was off the charts. Chapter 40 had me giggling through the entire scene as did other parts of this book. The story also had me sighing and falling in love with Jamie and Wes. Amazing storyline, really well developed characters for two men in their early twenties and great secondary characters in the Canning family!
I don’t care for sports. Not even a bit. But the fact that the two main characters are hockey players doesn’t deter me at all, quite the opposite. The idea of a love story between two super fit athletes is nothing but really hot. But apart from fabulous physiques, the most appealing with a gay love story in such a macho environment is that it’s a perfect setting for some juicy drama.
Him begins with two friends, Wes and Jamie, reconnecting after a few years apart. After being really tight during adolescense, an incident involving a BJ had them loosing contact for several years. When they finally meet up again and Wes admits to being gay, Jamie starts to questions his own sexuality and the result is some seriously racy experimentation. Only, it gets complicated when that exploration is accompanied by real infatuation.
Him is a story about love and societal expectations. It’s steamy and naughty but at the same time really funny. I fell in love with the characters and couldn’t have been more pleased when I realized that there was a sequel.
It’s equal parts hilarious and sexy. Bowen and Kennedy have truly managed to create the perfect combo of quirky characters and witty dialogue. I laughed out loud a lot. Also, there’s sooo much sex. There are dicks and cum and asses galore. It’s super hot and it’s great!
So, if you enjoy love and dicks, read it!
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