Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE: Out in Spring

AUTHOR: Lane Hayes

SERIES: Out in College #6

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 111 pages

RELEASE DATE: May 8, 2020

BLURB:

The jock, the nerd, and a little spring fever…

Ned-

I don’t understand hockey at all. Or any sport. Attending a team party with my best friend might be a mistake. As an out and proud geek, I admit that hanging out with a bunch of jocks and their admirers isn’t my idea of fun, but getting kidnapped by a sexy hockey player who claims to have a crush on me is definitely a highlight. And finding out that Logan St. James is bisexual makes everything more interesting.

Logan-

Keeping my big bi secret hasn’t been easy. I have a couple of months of college left and one more game to play. I’m determined to make the most of it and spend as much time as possible with the sexy guy I’ve had a crush on since freshman year. I don’t want this to be over. There must be a way to come out in spring.

REVIEW:

Lane Hayes has an affinity for writing feel-good, low angst romances with new adult characters. She writes them without all the drama and doesn’t have her stars play games, other than the sports she writes about. In this sixth installment of the Out in College series, collegiate hockey player, Logan, is pursuing geeky engineering student, Ned, whom he’s had a secret crush on for four years. When Ned’s friend Kendra drags him to a hockey party, Logan and Ned bump into each other – literally – and thus the romance begins (with Logan “kidnapping” Ned, no less). 

Logan and Ned are both very likable characters and absolutely adorable together. Ned says Logan has joie de vivre, which is the perfect way to describe him. He’s sweet and very caring toward Ned. Ned is a pretty special guy, too. The jock and the nerd: society is rife with stereotypes of both these types of men and I’m so glad Hayes didn’t resort to either. This book does not contain insta-love, thank goodness (a common occurrence in short stories and novellas), but there definitely is an instant connection which is when the feels begin. 

He didn’t wave or even smile, he just…met my gaze and held it. And somehow, we had an entire conversation without saying a single word. It was something like, “How are you? I’ve been thinking about you. I can’t wait to see you again.” 

Speaking of feels, you’ll never feel the same way in a library again! The boys get down and dirty in the stacks and it’s H.O.T. 

I wish this book was longer, simply because I would enjoy reading much more about Logan and Ned. I don’t feel the story suffered from the short length, however. Many short stories and novellas are  superficial because there’s not enough space to adequately develop the characters, create a sense of place, and provide a satisfying plot line with conflict and resolution. Lane manages to do all of that and create a lovely romance without sacrificing the integrity of the story.  

Side characters don’t play a big part in the book – this is the Logan and Ned show – but those that do have “speaking parts” serve to drive the plot forward. There are a few previous characters here, but none whose past bears any significance in this book. This is a standalone. 

Out in Spring is short and sweet and scrumptious, and has a realistic happy ending that feels like it could be a happily ever after. I highly recommend it. 

RATING: 

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