Hi there! Now that school is wrapping up, I’ve got more time to start posting reviews again. Today I’m sharing a review for a brand new contemporary M/M romance from Lane Hayes. FOLLOWING THE RULES is the first book in her new The Script Club series, that spun off a little from the Starting From series–beginning with a literal rocket scientist who’s looking for a little extra cash and begins tutoring his roomie’s older brother in humanities. And man-love…

Drop down to catch my review and enter for a chance to win a $25 GC.

About the book:

The geek, the jock, and a new set of rules…

Topher:

My friend’s brother needs an academic assistant and I need a job. Problem…jocks are my weakness. Seriously. I lose my ability to speak coherently around muscle-bound hotties. Oh yeah, I lose my inhibitions too—not a good look for a guy with a genius IQ. So what am I going to do about Simon?

Simon:

Finishing college isn’t high on my list of priorities, but my future in professional football is looking bleak. I need a plan B or C, and I could use some help navigating life as an undergrad. Topher is perfect. He’s also a little strange…but in a good way. And I like the way I feel when I’m around him—as though anything is possible. Maybe if we follow our hearts, we’ll find what we’re looking for. But that means changing the rules…

Following the Rules is a MM, bisexual awakening romance starring a lovable nerd, a cool jock, and some extracurricular fun.

My Review:
Topher is an aeronautical engineer with one year to go in his master’s program. His paid internship just dried up and he has a month to go before school starts. With time on his hands and money on his mind, Topher is almost happy his new roommate, George, suggests Topher tutor his older brother, Simon, a man returning to college while on hiatus from the NFL. Simon had played several seasons for the LA Rams, but he’s been sidelined with a concussion, again. He was cut from the team, after a looong recovery, and is in limbo, training and taking classes, awaiting whatever magic his agent can work to get him signed to a new team.

Topher has a mini-mega-crush on Simon, and he’s a whole lotta awkward about it. Thing is, Simon is an uninhibited man, and he’s very lonely. The wait for his return to the NFL is messing with his head and he’s desperate for some company to fill his home and head with distraction. They meet in an unconventional way–and Simon’s cool with it, even as it unsettles Topher, because, well, sexy naked men tend to unsettle him. But they have some silly banter, with Simon intrigued by Topher’s dedication to research, schooling and sexytimes. And, they connect in banter over “scripts” like sexy role-playing that has Simon’s flagging libido taking notice in ways it never has before.

This audiobook is totally fun and a treat to enjoy. I really loved the efforts the narrator took to help differentiate the voices, including Topher’s whiskey-totting gran, and Simon’s goth-dracula brother George. Topher’s voice sounds geeky-sexy with a sweetness and lightness that belies his eagerness to please. Simon’s deeper timbre easily had me mentally-conjuring an athletic professional, who is always down for an adventure.

The casual-to-more romance was low-angst and easily followed, with the fun of first-times and all the excitement surrounding exploring one not only a new lover, but one who is shaping up to be a soul mate. I really enjoyed it, and look forward to watching other sexy geeks in Topher’s inner circle find love. This series is a spin off from the Starting From series, so we get a few cameos of Topher’s former roomie, Cody, who found love with a rock guitarist in Starting From Somewhere.

Interested? You can find FOLLOWING THE RULES on Goodreads, Amazon and Audible.

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Good luck and keep reading my friends!

About the Author:
Lane Hayes loves a good romance! An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and were winners in the 2016, 2017, and 2018-2019 Rainbow Awards.

She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a not quite empty nest.

You can reach out to Lane on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Amazon.