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.
Two rival football players begin a game with higher
stakes than the Super Bowl in this steamy romance from the
author of Illegal Contact.
Simeon Boudreaux, the New York Barons’ golden-armed
quarterback, is blessed with irresistible New Orleans charm
and a face to melt your mama’s heart. He’s universally
adored by fans and the media. Coming out as gay in
solidarity with his teammate hasn’t harmed his reputation in
the least—except for some social media taunting from rival
linebacker Adrián Bravo.
Though they were once teammates, Adrián views Simeon as a
traitor and the number-one name on the New Jersey Predators’
shit list. When animosity between the two NFL players
reaches a boiling point on the field, culminating in a dirty
fist fight, they’re both benched for six games and sentenced
to joint community service teaching sullen, Brooklyn teens
how to play ball.
At first, they can barely stand to be in the same room, but
running the camp forces them to shape up. With no choice but
to work together, Simeon realizes Adrián is more than his
alpha-jerk persona, and Adrián begins to question why he’s
always had such strong feelings for the gorgeous QB…
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