Crossing the Touchline

Not this man threatening that Reuben only gets one chance at him AFTER having given him three chances before AND in the midst of giving him a fourth. Horrendously down bad.

I love when someone's conscience won't let them rest.

'I’d never pass up the chance to have Cameron Wano in my arms or under my lips. Unless it’s in public, something deep inside mocked.'

Whack him for me!

There's this thing Reuben does. Where he fucks up in a colossal fashion but acts more broken up about it than Cam, so that Cam ends up feeling bad because Reuben feels bad and cuts him slack. I can't emphasize how manipulative I find it.

'I hate that I'm hurting you.'

Then don't. The fuck?

Yeah so, I don't think I like this pairing. When they met, Cam was this confident man who knew what he wanted and was uncompromising about it. 63% in and he's filled with self doubt, bitterness and he's rationalizing away all the compromises he's having to make just to make this work. And they've only been together a few weeks 😩I hate this for him, honestly. But I hate Reuben more because he knows what he's doing to him and continues to do it anyway.

Sure, in true romance novel form, he does eventually get his head out of his arse but maybe I'm just hard to please because there was just no saving it for me. Majority of this was because he kept hurting Cam in the sane way, and giving the same bullshit excuses and apologies. At least mix it up, because now I just have to assume that you hate me and are trying to kill me because the same crime? Repeatedly? Say it ain't so!

If I were a less bitter reader I'd say his actions in the last 20% of the book redeemed him. He did try. He did. But without spoiling, all I'll say is that he wasn't proactive and mostly made the best of a bad situation. And I guess I just wanted more of an effort. More of him making a choice. Offense not defense.

That said, the story was gripping, if not heartbreaking. Well written and I'd be open to reading more from this author.