Reviewed by Taylin
TITLE: Tomorrow’s Hero
SERIES: Success #2
AUTHOR: Thom Collins
PUBLISHER: Pride Publishing
LENGTH: 127 pages
RELEASE DATE: August 31, 2021
BLURB:
A professional footballer with a secret. Can love conquer a lifetime of fear?
On the surface, international football star Fernando Inglesias has the perfect life—his dream career, fame, wealth and a beautiful girlfriend on his arm. At twenty-nine, Fernando has it all, but success is fragile, and one mistake could destroy everything. Fernando has a secret he will never share, something that could destroy everything he’s worked hard to achieve. There are no openly gay male footballers in the professional league, and he has no intention of becoming the first.
Ibiza…the party playground of Europe—a hedonistic island where anything is possible. On a weekend trip with the boys, love is the last thing Fernando expects to find. A chance meeting with Joshua, a handsome English visitor, changes it all. For the first time, he finds himself interested in more than sex from another guy. As Fernando and Joshua grow closer, the stakes are high on both sides as they struggle to overcome their personal differences.
Can Fernando risk his career for the sake of loving another man?
REVIEW:
At a stag party in Ibiza, Fernando, a world-class soccer striker, philosophizes over life. He’s old enough to remember when being gay in sport was taboo. As a result, he lives in the closet and takes extreme measures when the need to be himself takes over. He gets by with one-night stands for the most part, but when curiosity gets the best of him, and he goes to a club on the outskirts of town, he meets Joshua.
Tomorrow’s Hero is a short novel at just over 32k, written in the present tense from the viewpoints of Fernando and Joshua. Given its length, worldbuilding isn’t extensive, but it was just enough for me to form a picture.
Throughout the story, there are reflections regarding the differences between being a gay man in society and a gay man in the sporting arena – also, the trials of being the son of a famous person. These ruminations highlighted some aspects that I hadn’t deliberated about before, which made the story both entertaining and thought-provoking.
Another area I enjoyed was how Fernando’s social media-obsessed girlfriend is portrayed alongside an Ibiza stag party. The phrase – spot on – came to mind. Fernando is very much the outsider looking in at behavior. Joshua, too, has his issues and triggers, but you’re just going to have to read the story to find out all about his life.
The extended cast is small yet varied in personality. The people range from some I’d love to slap to those I’d happily want as a friend.
Tomorrow’s Hero isn’t simply a story of a man who goes to Ibiza and finds someone special. It’s about two men’s outlook on life, their experiences, facing issues, and deciding what is worth coming out of the closet for – all in one little package.
RATING: 
BUY LINKS: