Olympic gold is within their grasp, if they can stay afloat in the sea of feels.Jacob is drowning.Nineteen and a first-time Olympian, he’s in over his head.And the water’s only rising as he crushes harder on his tattooed teammate.Sebastian cost his team the medley relay gold four years ago.He won’t make the same mistakes at this summer’s Olympics.Mistakes like falling for another swimmer at the … Olympics.
Mistakes like falling for another swimmer at the Games.
Jacob needs all the help he can get.
His mentor Sebastian can provide it.
But when the irresistible rookie asks for his heart, Sebastian is the one left treading water.
He wants the gold. He wants Jacob.
If he can’t find a way to win both, he’ll sink.
And take Jacob and the rest of the team with him.
Take a tattooed bad boy and an adorkable rookie, put them on the same Olympic medley relay team, and watch the heart-eyes fly in this friends to lovers MM sports romance.
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This is such a great M/M romance from Layla Reyne. She writes with so much heart, and Nick J. Russo narrates with so much emotion and depth. I really loved this listen.
Jacob is a fresh-faced Olympic rookie, and Bas is a veteran with a past that haunts him. But they are so drawn to each other, and the help each other face the games. I loved how their relationship was based in friendship and caring, and the romance had such a strong foundation to build upon.
Great writing, great narration, emotional and heartwarming.
I loved Bas and Jacob! Loved the Olympic and swimmer angle. My only “problem” is Jacob’s whining about wanting to get laid. Really got old hearing him go on about that one.
Medley is the story of Bas and Jacob. Sweet and naive Jacob is the newest member of the Relay Team. Bas has taken Jacob under his wing, and though both are attracted to each other, Bas continues to put the breaks on any relationship as he does not want to ruin their chance at Olympic gold as he’s still reeling from the failure of their last show at the games. He’s also concerned as Jacob is the youngest member of the team.
I really enjoyed that the story didn’t have unnecessary angst. Narration by Nick is fantastic; once again, he brings a unique sound to each character.
It’s been a while since I’ve been so frustrated with a romantic couple and still wanted to see them together. But that was the case with Bas and Jacob. Both of these guys have pasts that affect how they look at relationships as well as how they look at themselves. Jacob is only 19, so his insecurities are right there at the surface while Bas has buried his deep enough that he doesn’t have to look too closely. As these two tiptoe around each other with an almost constant push and pull, they nearly drove me to distraction. I kind of wished for someone to just lock them in a room together and refuse to let them out until they figured it out. Needless to say, that didn’t happen, and the result is drama, drama, drama for this pair. Oddly enough, even when these guys irritated me, I liked them. I certainly didn’t always like their decisions or actions, but I liked them, and I liked the chemistry between them. Of course, I liked them as secondary characters in the first book in the series, so it was easy to start this one with those feelings. This book does pick up where book 1 left off, and while the focus is one a different couple, the story continues. Nick J Russo is also back to voice the characters for this second book, and as expected, he does it wonderfully. From 19-year-old Jacob’s insecurities to the more jaded Bas and his gruff attitude about relationships, Russo gives us all the emotion of the story. What it comes down to is this couple may have driven me crazy, but it was so worth it in the end.
4 Stars!
After reaching the end of the Relay audiobook I instantly started looking forward to this second audiobook! I picked this one up as soon as i finished the first one and got right back into this world! I finished listening to it in one sitting and I enjoyed it!
Having first listened to Nick J. Russo’s narration in Relay I was so glad to be able to listen to him once again in this second installment! His narration was so great! I truly enjoyed him as Sebastian and Jacob! I was pulled into this story right away. I felt so much with Sebastian and Jacob from beginning to end! I so enjoyed digging deeper with Bas and Jacob and their chemistry.
I liked the fact that I wasn’t sure what all was going to happen with these characters. I was so glad that i got back into the Changing Lanes world as well!
With Medley, Ms.Reyne has created such a good story that’ll make you feel so much! I can’t wait to pick up more of her work and listen to more of Nick’s narration in the near future!
*I volunteered to listen and review a copy of this audiobook from Valentine PR / the author*
This was my first Layla Reyne’s book. This is the second book in the Changing Lanes Series, a Sports M/M Romance. Sebastian and Jacob’s friends to lovers, and slow burn romance is beautifully written, filled with drama. They have a push and pull relationship, and they share a sizzling chemistry. The supporting characters are great. I liked the brotherhood in this story. Nick J. Russo did a great job with the narration.
Entertaining story, Jacob is an interesting character, Bas well, he survived my wrath at times, their chemistry is there, I loved the secondary characters, the pacing was good the storyline was interesting enough, wished it was longer. The Olympic theme when we are actually watching the Olympics was what dragged me in, and I would’ve wanted to read more about the sport part of the story, the audiobook was well narrated, it’s a 3rd person POV by Nick j Russo and was good enough for me to have a good time.
With the summer Olympics going on right now I was really excited to dive into this story. I’ve always loved reading books like this so when the opportunity to listen to this one came up, I jumped on it.
I liked Bas and Jacob for the most part. I think I liked Bas a bit more because he was more interesting and he had a very intriguing backstory. I could understand why he felt like he needed to push Jacob away and also why he had the stance he did on not having a relationship, particularly during the Olympics and with a teammate no less. My issues with him came from him flip flopping with Jacob and just basically leading him on. He was very hot and cold with him and I could see why Jacob was a mess because of it.
My problem with Jacob’s story line is that his stress and pressure didn’t really seem to stem from the Olympics itself, but from Bas. When he thought things were good with them, he swam really well, but as soon as he had doubt from Bas, he swam like garbage. We’re told he had issues swimming during practices, but we’re never actually shown those moments so it’s hard to believe his swimming was affected by anything pressure or media related. I also felt like all of the characters handled him with kid gloves so it made him seem much younger than 19. In turn, it made his and Bas’ relationship a little hard to believe.
One of the scenarios that I cannot get out of my head is the whole situation with Leah. She is such a bigot and I feel like that whole situation was just calmly accepted by everyone and then promptly forgiven and forgotten. Her reaction was unjustified and cruel and no one on her team especially seemed to look down on her for it. Bas “handled” it, but I don’t know. It just rubbed me the wrong way. I don’t know why I can’t get over it…
Nick J Russo did a really great job, as usual. His voices weren’t as unique for each character as they usually are, which actually surprised me. He’s one of my favorite narrators because you can always tell who is talking because everyone gets their own voice, but in this one that wasn’t always the case. It could also be because it was narrated in the 3rd person POV and sometimes that’s more difficult to translate, especially with LGBTQ+ books.
Overall, this was a good book. I think it would have benefited from being a bit longer so some of the story lines could be more developed, but it was interesting and entertaining.
3.5 STARS This book picks up pretty much exactly where Relay ended but this time we follow the new team mate Jacob and the tattooed baddie Bas on their journey to the Olympics and to each other. There’s A LOT of back and forth here and there’s even some mind games between rival and Bas’ ex Julio. I liked this series and the quick paced writing style. I’ll read more by this author for sure. I volunteered to listen and review a complimentary copy of this. All opinions are my own.
Medley by Layla Reyne is the second in her Changing Lanes series, about some members of the Olympic men’s swimming team. Sebastian Stewart is a veteran swimmer, and helps mentor some of the younger members. Jacob Burrows is a nineteen-year-old who has made the team for the first time.
Bas has the weight of regret hanging over him and determines to keep his distance. Jacob juggles his need to make things right for everyone else and puts his own needs last.
Layla Reyne’s characters are captivating and I couldn’t stop reading. Definitely worth the lack of sleep!
Audio Review:
Performance – 5
Story – 4
Overall – 5
A great sequel to Relay.
Medley is the sequel to Relay and it might be OK as a standalone, but I think you’d enjoy it more if you read Relay first. I loved Relay when I listened to it back in August and I really enjoyed Medley.
Nick J. Russo did a great job with his performance of Medley, nothing unusual about that. The various voices he uses makes it easy to distinguish the different characters.
Medley didn’t seem to grab me emotionally as much as Relay did but I still thought it was a great story. Seb wasn’t too nice to Jacob at times but he eventually got his head out of his a$$. Jacob is such a sweet character. He worries so much about his father, a veteran with PTSD.
It took some time and a bit of drama for these two to find their HEA but when they finally did it was worth the wait.
A complimentary copy of this audiobook was provided to me by Gay Romance Reviews but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author and/or narrator.
Olympic Glory and a love story (an audio review)
Sebastian is a senior member of the USA men’s Olympic swimming team. He was there four years ago when the medley relay team earned a silver medal. Respectable to just about everyone except he and his teammates. He blames himself for the ‘loss’ and has sworn he’ll do everything to make sure this time they get the gold. He takes Jacob under his wings, planning simply to shepherd the young man through to victory.
Jacob is under a lot of stress. He’s the youngest member of the team, and desperately wants to prove he won’t buckle under the pressure. But he has personal issues including his father’s health to fill his mind. He’s known as the quirky one on the team with his pirate quips. He’s also unabashedly bisexual – something that has been more of a burden than a blessing. There is a lot of stigma around people who are bisexual and this was portrayed with honesty and deftness.
Bas is also a tattoo artist when he’s not in the pool, and he inks Jacob – a welcome to the team. For Jacob, this act of intimacy solidifies his romantic feelings for Bas. Bas reciprocates the sexual attraction, but he’s been burned before and isn’t willing to risk the gold on another love affair that might go bad. But a night of sex before they head to Spain for the Olympics? Yeah, it’ll get it out of their systems, right? Life is rarely that simple, and the two men discover they have real feelings for each other. But Bas pushes Jacob away. Then Bas’ past comes barrelling into his life and Jacob faces a crisis of his own. The question is whether they can get their stuff together to win the gold or will things fall apart yet again?
I enjoy watching the Olympics and have perceived the pressure on the athletes, but the media spotlight is intense and carrying the expectations of a nation is tiring. I held out hope for the team, to be sure. Alex and Dane, the couple from the last book, have come out as a couple and although that pulls some of the spotlight, Jacob and Bas are still caught up in the mayhem of the games.
This duology was enjoyable, and I’m so glad the two books came out on audio with Nick J. Russo narrating them. Nick is an enjoyable and dependable narrator who always delivers a solid performance. Great books.
3 stars. This was just an OK read. I was never tempted to put it down, but I wasn’t all that impressed by it either.
Like the last book, there was an overall “immaturity” that felt like NA instead of being about seasoned athletes. Yes, Jacob was 19 ~ but 80% of the time he was the most mature of the bunch. Bas’s issues didn’t really seem to have much of a foundation and maybe if he’d come around after the chat with his mom it would have been better, but he pulled his emotional walls on Jacob *again* and it felt tedious.
Also, like the last book, the sports competition/action was minimal and superficial. Making it weak on the Sport-Romance scale.
Glad we got a several-months-later epilogue so it felt more like HEA than HFN. Honestly the finals at the Olympics and the epilogue rescued this from being 2.5.
Read it on KU, it was OK, but not a book I’d buy to read again.
Bas and Jacob is a great book 2 in the series, where we also get to see more of Dane and Alex. Bas has guilt and it takes a wbile for the story to be told but this is a great series that I found hidden on my kindle and I’d love to see a book
It’s good.
Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team
Veronica –
Bas is a veteran of the US Olympic swim team and has taken Jacob, affectionately known as Pup, under his wing. Jacob is selfless, always helping others and while he is young, he is wise beyond his years. Bas just wants to take care of him but after messing up at the last Olympics, he won’t let himself get involved in a relationship with Jacob.
I found this to be an emotionally charged story and with plenty of drama, something I don’t always want in an m/m story but it works well here given the characters’ ages and the high-pressure world they inhabit. I loved Jacob’s vulnerable side and his willingness to give to others. On the other side, I loved Bas’ protective nature and there was never any question that he and Jacob are a perfect fit.
The only thing I would have liked more of in this story is the actual swimming but that is just the sports fan in me. I loved the emotional whirlwind of Medley and I hope the author plans to write more in this series because I want to spend more time with these characters.
Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free copy of Medley (Changing Lanes #2) by Layla Reyne to read and review.
I liked Relay a good deal, but Medley was even better. When I finished Relay, I lamented the missing spark and easy connection I’ve come to associate with this author’s couples. I cannot begin to explain how excited I was when that chemistry popped and sizzled immediately between Bas and Jacob. The banter was quick, fun, and telling, making for an easy, enjoyable read that was hard to step away from. Medley slightly overlaps Relay’s timeline, providing some additional perspectives on the reinstatement of Alex as captain. Although it features a different couple and details some of the main plot points and resolutions from Relay, I think this is one that while it can read as a standalone, it’s better in order. I enjoyed the continued story as these characters completed their Olympic training and traveled to Madrid to compete in the Games. I also liked how many little peeks we got into Alex and Dane’s relationship, making this series feel a little more complete.
When we first met Jacob in Relay, it was clear there was more to him than an eager, happy rookie. Medley flushed out those details and it made for a really interesting story that highlighted just how strong Jacob is. Bas showed a little less development in some ways, but he had a good amount of depth as well. I really liked these two together and was pleased their chemistry continued throughout the book. Where Medley lost some traction for me was the “I’m not good enough for him, so I’ll push him away” plot point. I see it so much, and it always frustrates me, particularly when I like a character and/or couple as much as I enjoyed Bas and Jacob. That said, I was happy to see Bas address his weaknesses by the end of the book, and I loved the ending. If you are looking for an Olympic or swimming series, or just a good sports romance, I’d definitely recommend the Changing Lanes series.