Dominic Ramos is a Premiership football player with a secret. There are no trophies for being gay in his game. Locked into his rep as the meanest defender on the pitch, keeping his secret is soul-crushing, but love has no place in his sport, even if his soft heart craves it.Lucky Coleman is on his knees when he meets a man with more money than sense. It’s a Grindr hook-up for cash, not a love … a love match, but dreaming of his desperate, kind eyes earns a place amongst his numerous bad habits.
Meeting once was risky, twice pushes Dom’s courage to the limit. Losing Lucky seems inevitable, but his tight grip on his image counts for nothing when Lucky starts to fall.
Catching him could cost Dom everything, but if he can set his heart free, getting Lucky long term might be a risk worth taking.
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4.5 stars- Powerfully honest
As a fan of the author and sport romances in general, I started this title with fairly high expectations and was happily not let down. Lucky tells the story of a closeted Premier football player unexpectedly falling for a not-so-lucky young man who’s trying to make it in London any way he can. The book contains plenty of that gritty honesty Miss Leigh is so well known for, which always packs a punch, and was especially nice to see in a sports romance. This is definitely not a case of “all you need is love” for either hero, but a seemingly honest examination of living as a closeted professional sports player in today’s world, as well as the adversity faced by someone trying to make it in a big city with little to no support system.
Miss Leigh always manages to create complex characters, and Lucky and Dominic were no exception. I loved how Lucky came across as the strong one in this romance. It was unexpected and made the story that much more compelling. I also really enjoyed seeing Lucky and Dom significantly develop over the course of this book, and was incredibly happy that readers got to see the work and sacrifices they put in to create their happily-ever-after. That raw honesty never gets old, and it’s why I continue to eagerly pick up every new release by the author. As a couple, these two had a good dose of physical and emotional chemistry palpable from the outset which steadily grew into something more over time, making it easy to root for them to defy the odds and creating a believable relationship. Although the emotional moments gave me all the feels and were certainly memorable, Lucky felt a little less angsty than many of the author’s other works- or at least the angst and conflicts were less drawn out. I’d say that makes Lucky a good option for readers who want a raw quality to their romance without a heaping dose of heartbreak, but either way I’d definitely recommend this title to anyone looking for a good tug at the heartstrings.
*Reviewed for Alpha Book Club*
I was given a free arc copy from the author and the GRR arc team for review.
M/M
Football (UK soccer)
Drug use
Forbidden romance
3.5 stars
I didn’t love it but I didn’t hate it. The characters were likeable and they had great chemistry. The plot kept my interest the whole time even though it wasn’t a page turner that I couldn’t put down. It was well written with mild angst and lots of medium level heat. Although one of the characters is an athlete the entire book takes place off the clock, so there really isn’t any sports talk (that may be a blessing or not depending on your interests). The emphasis is more on the relationship and the fact that it’s forbidden within the sport so there’s lots of sneaking around. I did think that certain aspects in that were a little unrealistic. I loved how it ended though. Overall, it was an ok read and there was great world building so I am really looking forward to reading Cash’s story.
This was a beautiful and painful book to read. Lucky and Dom were opposites in so many ways. Lucky was out as pansexual, homeless and a bit too dependent on drugs to help him through the hard times. Dom was a wealthy professional athlete who lived in the closet, disliked almost everyone in his life, and paid Grindr hookups for quick, emotionless hookups. Thankfully, the Grindr thing brings them together and changes both their lives.
The two men begin to very slowly, over time, become important to each other. Lucky is poor but proud, and he has a hard time letting anyone help him. Dom, though he hates almost everything about his life as it is, is terrified of letting his secrets out and finding out how to start anew. I absolutely loved them and grew frustrated with them in equal measure. This story kept me near tears for a long time, but then it just made me happy. I’m going to remember this one for a long time.
Dom is so far in the closet that he can’t see the door, the only time he lets his sexuality out of that closet is for on the sly hookups. Hookups that normally cost money, but for Dom’s reputation paying to get off is better than someone knowing who he is. Lucky went to a Grindr hook up to get off and get cash, he did not expect to have Dom’s sad eyes haunting him days after. He didn’t expect to act like a teenage girl checking his phone and thinking of him at all times. The two are at complete opposites as far as economic standings go. Dom is a rich football player, while Lucky is lucky when he can crash at his friends house, other wise he is on the street. Can the two who are in completely different life standings make something work? Will Dom ever find the courage to come out of the closet?
So this book started out really good, and about half way through just fell a bit flat and then had a rushed ending. I ended this book a bit disappointed, I wanted more from Dom and Lucky, just glossing over everything didn’t make an ending. I give this 3 stars.
Can I start review with a couple of lines of incoherent screaming? Nope? Okay then.
So first of all, this is a book with football and it actually calls it football and YAY I like that. But there’s not too much of actual football in it, it’s more focused on Dom’s battle with the world of football…and Lucky’s past is connected to football too.
I want to mention that the author tries to make the reader cry a few % into the book. Really not that far into it. But it wouldn’t be Leigh’s book if it didn’t do that.
The characters are very real (as always in the author’s books) and I loved them from the moment I met them. Lucky is homeless and struggling with addiction and Dom is struggling with his sexuality and how it would be if he actually came out, what the reaction to that would be.
From the moment they meet, there is a spark, one that doesn’t leave either of them to forget the other one. So one paid Grindr hookup becomes another one and another one. It’s obvious they care for each other, even though they do not know each other that well.
This is one of the hottest book I can remember reading from this author, but at the same time it tries to tear your heart out, stomp all over it, and make you want even more.
I could either make this review really spoilery or just a bunch of words gushing about this book, but the fact is that you need this book in your collection