Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: The Thomas Flair
AUTHOR: E J Russell
PUBLISHER: Reality Optional Press
RELEASE DATE: July 27, 2020
LENGTH: 185 Pages
BLURB:
It’ll take more than medals to mend their relationship.
Diabetic gymnast and team alternate Sol Ashvili had one thing on his agenda when the 2016 Rio Olympics wrapped up—confess to his teammate and best friend Tony Thomas that he’d been in love with him for years. But Tony took a major deduction in Sol’s heart when he jetted out of Rio and turned his back on an almost-finished college degree, international gymnastics meets… and Sol. The first two Sol could forgive—barely. The last? Not a chance.
Tony’s crowd-pleasing, no-holds-barred, high-octane gymnastics style stole its nickname from a legendary gymnastics move—the Thomas Flair. After the 2016 Games, he vaulted into a career as an internet celebrity, specializing in extreme sports and risky stunts. When Tony decides to battle his way into competition shape to earn a spot on the 2020 Olympic team, he has to survive the most extreme risk of all: facing Sol again.
For the sake of the team and the reputation of US men’s gymnastics, Sol and Tony must leave the past behind and get a grip on working together. And as the Games draw closer, they realize that being more than teammates might be the only way they can truly fly high and stick the landing.
The Thomas Flair is a 64,000-word friends to enemies to lovers second-chance rom-com set around the Tokyo Olympics that might have been, featuring a thrill-seeker who needs reining in, a perfectionist who needs to let go, redemption, rowdy teammates, and a few risky moves that will never make it into the Code of Points.
REVIEW:
Sol was a reserve in the 2016 Rio Olympic USA gymnastics team. With the competition over he intended to tell his best friend and teammate, Tony, that he was in love with him. Unfortunately, Sol never got his chance. Without returning to collect his gear, Tony disappeared into a life of Xtreme thrill-seeking events, leaving a heartbroken Sol behind.
Having medaled at the games, Tony was busy doing the press rounds, when he learned a few secrets that influenced his decision to leave the gymnastics world and Sol behind. A few years later, and independently wealthy, he returns to the sport, hoping his best friend will forgive him.
What follows is a story of hurt, comfort and a journey to the Tokyo Olympics, where, by the end of it, Sol and Tony hope to have something more precious than medals.
The Thomas Flair is an Olympic Gymnastics story told in the third person from the viewpoints of Sol and Tony. After the split between Sol and Tony, the story concentrates on them meeting up again, their relationship, and the journey to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. There is a lot of gymnastic technical terminology, which has the potential to be confusing. I recognized many of the references, but I couldn’t say what the actual moves were. Therefore, I would say that while it isn’t necessary to be intimately familiar with what a Tsukahara is – it helps with the visualization.
The extended cast includes several rowdy teammates—a shoutout to Danny who became a favorite of mine. There is a pushy father who has no concept of the term, team, and a mix of coaches.
From the start, we hear from Tony and Sol. I couldn’t help thinking that the impact of Tony leaving would have been more dramatic if we hadn’t heard from him until the two met up again at National Squad Training. Sol is such a lovely character that I think his heartbreak deserved more airtime. While reading, I also got the impression that maybe the author didn’t want Tony to receive any negative vibes. Then again, I could be wrong.
Sol is steadfast and methodical and must be due to manage his diabetic condition. The way his diabetes is laced into the story was informative and inspirational. Tony is a risk-taker who must learn patience.
As the story unfolds, as well as the way the relationship between Tony and Sol develops other factors come into play. We encounter training camp, the selection process, doubt, fear, and the dynamics of team vs individual success. I very much enjoyed the way the author uses gymnastic moves to describe internal emotions. There are the effects of positive influence, standing up to bully’s, and the anxiety of competition. My heart was in my mouth with the rest of the men’s team when they walked out into the Olympic stadium to compete. I got their nerves and insecurities. The closing scenes, too, are adrenaline-fueled.
I am positive that, if you are a gymnastics fan, this story will have a gold position in your library. If not, it is still a good yarn.
RATING: 
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