Reviewed by Donna
TITLE: Canning the Center
SERIES: Long Pass Chronicles #2
AUTHOR: Tara Lain
PUBLISHER: Dreamspinner Press
LENGTH: 250 Pages
BLURB:
Six foot seven inch, 300 pound Jamal Jones loves football, so when he finds out the ultra-conservative owner of his new pro football team fired their current center because he’s gay, bisexual Jamal decides to stay in the closet and hang with the females. Then, at a small drag show, he comes face-to-face with his sexual fantasy in the form of Trixie LaRue, a drag queen so exquisitely convincing she scrambles Jamal’s hormones—and his resolve to nurse his straight side.
Trevor Landry, aka Trixie LaRue, hides more than his genitals. A mathematician so brilliant he can’t be measured, Trevor disguises his astronomical IQ and his quirk for women’s clothes behind his act as a gay activist undergrad at Southern California University.
To Trevor, Jamal is the answer to a dream—a man who can love and accept both his personas. When he discovers Jamal’s future is threatened if he’s seen with a guy, Trevor becomes Trixie to let Jamal pass as straight. But Trevor risks his position every time he puts on a dress. Is there a closet big enough to hold a football pro and a drag queen?
REVIEW:
Jamal Jones doesn’t want to spend his entire pro football career in the closet. He sees the love between his best friends and he wants the chance to have what they have – a relationship where they’re free to love each other out in the open. However, the night that he finally works up the courage to come out to his coach turns into a disaster when he discovers that he’s been drafted to the Diablos to replace another gay center who the bigoted team owner wants gone. If they’re willing to dump a star player for being gay, what chance does Jamal have? Jamal isn’t gay, he’s bisexual, and he was hoping he could survive under the constant scrutiny by simply dating women, but when he meets drag queen Trixie LaRue, he’s so instantly smitten he’s willing to risk it all.
This was one of those books that are simply a pleasure to read. Every element was well written and seemed to work perfectly together. While I wouldn’t call the story angsty, there was always a sense of anticipation, and not the warm and fuzzy sort, as I waited for the major shit storm to erupt over the main characters. As the story goes on the two MCs lives entwine in more than the romantic sense and you just know than when it all comes to a head the fallout is going to be rather impressive. And the author delivers on that promise. The resolution of their “problems” was also a favourite scene of mine and it kind of reminded me of a Scooby Doo episode. No, no one started pulling off masks , but in the sense that people would pop up and add a new twist to the outcome.
Both of the main characters were interesting and the chemistry between them was amazing. Beyond the sex (which was damn hot btw) the connection between them was evident right from the beginning. I loved the obvious fascination they held for each other, which didn’t diminish as they got to know each other as the story went on. The author did a great job of showing how Jamal saw and treated Trixie as a woman and Trevor as a man. I should also add that pet names are something I usually loathe with a fiery passion. Kudos to Tara Lain for making me sigh at the absolute cuteness each time Trevor/Trixie called Jamal “Bunny” rather than causing me to tear at my hair and curse the pet name gods.
If I had one complaint, it was that I wanted to know more about Trevor. This book is written with a joint point of view but focuses a lot more on Jamal and his football career than Trevor. Which makes sense, as this is a football series. But Trevor is such an interesting, complex character I desperately wanted to explore his life a little more.
You may have noticed that this is book two in a series. I can assure you that it definitely reads as a standalone. Although, I enjoyed this one so much that I went straight to Amazon and bought the first book too.
RATING: 
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