DOUBLE UP is a contemporary m/m sports romance by Vanessa North featuring two very different heroes who are brought together by a sport many of you may have never heard of. This wonderful, sexy little novella was my introduction to not only this author, but the extreme sport of wakeboarding as well.

Ben Warren is a wakeboarding legend brought down by a career ending injury. Now he spends his time running a sporting goods store and giving the occasional lesson. He's lonely, bored and living his life in limbo, watching others succeed in a sport that he used to dominate. Then Davis Fox walks into his shop asking for private lessons and everything changes.

Davis Fox has never stepped foot on a wakeboard, but he desperately wants a relationship with the kid brother he hasn't seen since announcing his sexuality to their family. He'll do pretty much anything to reconnect, including taking up a dangerous sport in order to enter the upcoming Double Up tournament in which his sibling is a contestant. Ben is supposed to his teacher, but it's not long before they give in to temptation and embark on a relationship.

Wow, for such a small amount of page time I have to say DOUBLE UP packs quite the emotional, adventurous, sexy punch. Ben and Davis are each likable characters on their own, but together they grab readers from the get-go and never release their hold until the happily ever after. While I'm not usually a huge fan of instant lust and love in my romance, I thought this author used a skillful hand by allowing just enough angst and conflict to interfere with the building relationship to keep readers engaged. There is also the added struggle of how Ben and Davis look at relationships differently and how two men who are naturally dominate define their roles when becoming intimate with a new partner.

I thoroughly enjoyed this love story. The romance and sex scenes were perfectly balanced with action scenes and the pacing kept me hooked right up until the last word. DOUBLE UP might have been my first Vanessa North read, but it most definitely won't be my last.