Review ~ Him ~ Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy
Him #1
Release Date: July 28, 2015
Genre: Adult, M/M Contemporary Romance
Source: Purchased on Kindle
Rating: 5 Bookworms
Challenges: #COYER, #ShelfLove
Goodreads

Synopsis
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 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, skinnydipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition.

Wowza! Him was a delicious read. The story was well crafted, flowed perfectly, alternated between POVs seamlessly (and I'm assuming authors as well), and gave me all the feels. Fabulous!

Ryan Wesley, "Wes", is finishing his last semester of college with a Frozen Four championship before heading off to the NHL. He's also about to be faced with seeing his best friend, whom he hasn't spoken to in four years. 

Jamie Canning is also finishing his college career with a Frozen Four Championship. He's also headed to the NHL but first will spend the summer coaching kids at Elites - the hockey camp where he and Wes met...where he'd been fired as a best friend four years ago and never found out why.

I loved these two guys! Wes is such a player - he's intense, cocky and seemingly self-assured but also very vulnerable. That makes sense considering his family barely has anything to do with him because of his sexuality. Jamie's so opposite of Wes. He's laid back, carefree, and has a big loving family. They balanced one another well - as friends and eventually more.

I appreciated how Bowen and Kennedy had the story unfold - how the guys put aside the past and began making a future for themselves. I liked how they conveyed the prejudices Wes and Jamie were exposed to as well. These two were heading for professional hockey careers and not everyone is accepting of differences. What I really admired was how Wes and Ryan took the foundation of their friendship, accepted the past and moved on, and built this genuine relationship despite a few hiccups due to insecurities. It was beautiful.

I'd had Him for awhile but moved it up in the queue after reading Grace's review (Rebel Mommy Book Blog). Thanks, Grace, for ensuring I read this amazing book sooner than later. I'll be picking up the sequel, His, soon!