Title: Nice Catching You: A Holiday Love Story
Author: Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood
Publisher: Wainscott Press
Release Date: 10/30/2020
Length: 84,000 words
Genre: Romance, Gay Holiday Romance, Contemporary Gay Romance, Holiday Romance
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Synopsis
What happens when the No. 1 college hockey star in the country falls in love—with a man? Nick Johnson, a top prospect for a pro hockey team, has a secret: he’s gay. Tired of living in the closet for the sport he loves, he sees no way out.
Jacob Meyer’s string of bad boyfriends left him cynical about love. Instead, he focuses on his studies as a third-year law student. With a new job waiting for him, he’s eager to graduate and move on.
On a school-sponsored trip, Nick and Jacob meet in a most unexpected way. When Nick tells Jacob his secret, they decide to hang out, just as friends. But their attraction is too strong to ignore, and they soon begin dating.
Since Nick is a big man on campus, it doesn’t take long for people to notice his attachment to Jacob. All hell breaks loose when the relationship gets out. As the national media descends, university officials try to figure out how to solve their “problem.” Their efforts divide Nick’s team, inflame fans, and put Nick and Jacob’s futures in jeopardy. Will the men be able to survive a plot to destroy them without derailing both their careers?
Nice Catching You is an out-for-you romance featuring a lot of love, exciting hockey, and a beautiful holiday. There’s also plenty of steam and a very happy ending.
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Playlist for Nice Catching You: A Holiday Love Story
by Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood
Playlist Compiled by Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood
(We own no rights to the music or lyrics. All Copyrights, Trademarks,
and Other Rights are held by their respective owners.)
By Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood
We listen to music while we write. As we get further into the book, we find ourselves enjoying the same songs over and over. Certain songs help shape characters and plot, and some are associated with particular scenes or chapters. The music puts us in the moment with the characters, allowing us to tell their story as effectively as possible. When you’re reading Nice Catching You, see if you can figure out which song fits where and send us a message to let us know Here
Our playlist for Nice Catching You may be found Here on Spotify
As long as you’re a member of Spotify (you can create a free account), you can listen to it there. If not, you should be able to find the songs elsewhere without any trouble. The reflections below are based on the book.
- River, Joni Mitchell
Nick Johnson may be a hockey star, but he’s facing another lonely holiday. He wants to escape his situation but doesn’t see a way out. It’s impossible to describe the isolation and loneliness of being in the closet. Neither of us can imagine how much more challenging it would be when the gay person is a celebrity with a lot to lose. Coming out always takes courage, but it would probably be incredibly frightening for someone in Nick’s shoes. A public figure who has lied about who he is for years, he thinks he’s cemented the closet door shut.
- Santa Tell Me, Ariana Grande
Jacob Meyer has been out of the closet for a long time, but he’s facing a lonely holiday too. The third year of law school can be overwhelming enough without adding the loneliness and the stress of failed relationships into the mix. Jacob, who has had a trail of bad boyfriends, can hardly imagine meeting the right guy. If he does get together with someone, he wants it to last.
- Mistletoe, Justin Bieber
Can you imagine how Nick and Jacob must feel when they meet? Their heads probably spin as they’re wondering if what they feel could lead to something serious. Every encounter—every glance and fleeting touch—would carry its own special thrill. Could the holiday really turn out to be something incredible?
- Like It’s Christmas, Jonas Brothers
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, Sam Smith
Life gets tough sometimes, but even when you feel like the world is threatening you, all isn’t lost if you have the right man in your corner. Snuggle up, listen to some beautiful music while you drink some warm cider, and remember how good things might be once you make it past whatever is in your way.
- Sleigh Ride, The Ronettes
The holidays are an exciting time. Don’t get too busy to notice the good things, though. Enjoy being around kind people and seeing happy children. Get lost in watching a loved one do something that makes them happy—like playing a thrilling game of hockey. Have a lot of fun, no matter what you’re facing.
- Cozy Little Christmas, Katy Perry
The glittery things in life can be enticing, and there’s nothing wrong with lovely gifts and a happy celebration. But what we need most is love, a rock to hold on to. Are you the same way?
- Underneath the Tree, Kelly Clarkson
Nick and Jacob make it to Christmas Eve, and both remember how dark life was looking before they met. All the more reason to love each other and take some time sitting together to enjoy the good times.
- All I Want for Christmas Is You, Mariah Carey
There comes the moment when you know what is meant to be, and you have to tell the other person. It’s exciting and scary, but if you want more than something short-term, it has to be done.
Find all Ryan and Josh’s social media through their Linktree
JACOB
Sunday, December 4
I haven’t been on many buses, but I was starting to think I might die on this one. The snow began falling before we left Whiteface Mountain early in the afternoon, not unusual for one of the top ski resorts in the Northeast. We were due in Syracuse before six, and I hoped the weather didn’t delay us much. The last week of classes would start the next day, and I had work to do.
The snow was coming down hard, and by the time we reached I-87, I could see very little out the window. Many of the cars had pulled over to the side, and others were creeping along with their hazards flashing. Our bus joined the traffic and immediately began slipping all over the road.
With fifty-odd college students on the trip, there had been a lot of noise when we left the resort, but nerves had soon taken over, and people were mostly quiet now. I sat alone, three rows from the back of the bus, trying to read a case for Federal Courts. With only one more semester of law school to go, I needed to do well. A big firm in Boston offered me a job right before
Thanksgiving, contingent on my maintaining a 3.8 GPA. Pulling a C in Fed Courts would bring me slightly under the requirement. Although I had high hopes for a job in DC, I couldn’t risk losing the Boston offer.
Between the bus sliding in the snow and the constant chatter from the guys in the seat behind me, I couldn’t concentrate at all. They were hockey players, and they kept up a conversation about the game, other players, cars, and whatever else dumb undergrad jocks talk about. They were the only people behind me except for their friend, who was passed out on a seat in the back.
Whoa! The rear end of the bus lurched violently into the left lane. I tried to grab something to hold onto, but I was already airborne by the time I dropped the heavy casebook. Hands grabbed my shoulders but didn’t slow my momentum. Dreading the impact with the seat across the aisle, I screwed my eyes shut and held my breath. All at once, something stopped me. Rather, someone stopped me, and that someone had brawny arms and a hard body. He’d caught me in midair.
“You all right?”
“What?” On my back in the man’s arms, facing the top of the bus, I couldn’t see much. I turned my head, trying to find out who had hold of me.
“Everything okay?”
I craned my neck in the other direction just as he leaned over, and it was—shit!—one of the hockey guys who’d been sitting behind me. I’d seen him over the weekend with his buddies, at least one of whom had laughed at me the whole time. Now they’d laugh even harder, and I’d be known as the skinny little runt who couldn’t even stay in his seat—the twit who had to be rescued by a real man.
Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood met in law school and were married in 2017. They live in a suburb of Washington, DC, and share their home with a big, cuddly German shepherd. Ryan and Josh enjoy travel, friends, and advocating for causes dear to their hearts. Ryan also loves to swim, and Josh likes to putter in the garden whenever he can. The romance they were so lucky to find with each other inspires their stories about love between out and proud men.
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Love the article about Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood.