Reviewed by Valerie
TITLE: All in With Him
SERIES: Men of Summer #3
AUTHOR: Lauren Blakely
PUBLISHER: Hot Men Press
LENGTH: 310 pages
RELEASE DATE: August 27, 2021
BLURB:
Once upon a time all I needed was baseball, friends and extracurricular activities. Then everything changed when Declan Steele stormed into my life and upended all my priorities with his heart, his love, his passion.
So my next five-year plan will include this new ground rule—Love big.
Only, that’s easier said than done when my man and I come face to face with hard truths and new troubles about what it means to be all in.
That’s when I learn that finding love isn’t the hardest part.
Keeping it is.
REVIEW:
What does Lauren Blakely do right? Well, just about everything, but the very best (other than the sexy times) are her epilogues. Plural. There’s the Epilogue, Another Epilogue, and The Final Epilogue spanning quite a few years. *squee* But more than that, the entirety of All in With Him is like one long, scrumptious epilogue to crown the Men of Summer series. This is a heartwarming ode to Grant and Declan’s love.
That’s not to say the book is without substance. There’s a clear storyline with conflict, but no heavy drama, thank goodness. I was a little nervous to delve into the book because Winning With Him ended happily, and while I knew this book would too, I didn’t want the path to get there marred by battle scars. I’m relieved to report my blood pressure didn’t rise (although my breathing got heavy at times), and while our boys did experience some angst, as a reader I did not.
Grant and Declan began their journey five years ago in Scoring With Him when they met at spring training for the San Francisco Cougars in Grant’s rookie year. When Declan was traded to an east coast team, he called things off – in a text, no less – because he didn’t want Grant to begin his baseball career with distractions. They spent the next five years apart before finally reuniting at the end of Winning With Him.
All in With Him picks up shortly thereafter with the door left wide open for a continuation of their story. This book is the commencement of the rest of their lives together, but it’s not all smooth sailing. Grant has added onto his mantra: live well, play hard, and now, love big. Life is going so well he’s beginning to worry it’s too good to be true. His career is flying high, his work mentoring LGBTQ+ teen athletes is fulfilling, and life – and the sex – with Declan is splendid. (There’s a new aspect added to their intimate times that is très sexy.) Grant’s just waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Declan, meanwhile, wants a quiet life. He shies away from the spotlight because of past humiliation of his father’s doing. He wants Grant all to himself, but Grant is driven to use his platform as an out, gay, professional athlete to help shape the lives of others. He needs high visibility and Declan fears he won’t be enough for his man.
“If one game can throw you off in baseball, if one moment can end your season, how little would it take to derail a relationship?”
Both men ruminate – how do you plan for a relationship to last forever when you’re still in the honeymoon phase? What does it need for success? Do they have what it takes, because that’s what they both desperately want. There are insecurities, neediness, and communication issues they have to contend with first.
But love rules all (and sex – did I mention the off-the-charts, steamy Lauren Blakely Sex Scenes™ ?) There’s nothing not to love in All in With Him. I promise, you’ll be all in with it, too. And those three perfect epilogues? Stupendous! They cover everything. Ms. Blakely knows how to conclude a series perfectly.
RATING: 
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