Simeon Boudreaux had spent a few miserable years with the New Jersey Predators; he was terrified his homophobe teammates would find out he was gay and it would ruin his football career. Only Adrián Bravo made his stint bearable, but when Simeon was traded to the New York Barons, Adrián began taunting him in the social media. Simeon's coming out was only a few months ago, and to everyone's astonishment, the Cajun golden boy's image wasn't tarnished, which still didn't stop Adrián's vicious attacks, and both men eventually come to blows during a game. They're both harshly punished and must coach together a kids' football team to show their goodwill.

Oh the ecstasy of seeing a beloved character get the literary treatment he deserves! I had succumbed to Simeon's lethal appeal in ILLEGAL CONTACT, but dear me, did Santino Hassell put our Louisiana charmer through the wringer! Adrián had never looked at a man "that way"; he has always considered himself 100% heterosexual, and his harsh reaction towards Simeon is one of shame, and self-hate redirected towards the unwanted object of his lust. DOWN BY CONTACT is a story that deals low blows and hits hard: it's thought-provoking in the extreme as it forces us to have a good look at ourselves and our society and ask: why should love bring about so much hate?

Mr. Hassell deals realistically with Adrián's sexuality, and how he got along in bed with Simeon was not made-to-measure, as Simeon's preferences were already known from the previous book. The sex scenes are crucial to character development, and they are intense, raw, and Adrián had me worried a bit at the beginning when the sex was angry, and dare I say vengeful on his part. The writing is also very in-your-face, and again told from both protagonists' points of view, but I felt their voices were a bit too similar in tone; sometimes I wasn't quite sure whose chapter I was reading. I also had to look up a few words of slang, which I didn't mind.

The football sequences are spectacular, the love story very emotional, and there were a few explosive plot twists that broke my heart. I call DOWN BY CONTACT a love story and not a romance because it goes so much deeper than the latter: lives were changed, and irrevocable choices were made. Can my book boyfriend be gay? Because Santino Hassell sure knows how to write great heroes and timeless love stories.