Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  Roughing the Kicker

SERIES:  The Package Deal

AUTHOR:  Rheland Richmond and Emerson Beckett

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  332 pages

RELEASE DATE:  June 15, 2023

BLURB:  

Do you believe in fate? Yeah, me neither until the sexy Navy SEAL I hooked up with three years ago suddenly reappears back in my life in the form of one of my best friend’s older brother. And now, they want me to share a room with him in the Keys.

“Can you share a room with Jesse tonight?”

How could I say no?

What Greg and Cooper didn’t know was Jesse and I met three years ago in Madrid. And when I finally hooked up with the handsome Navy SEAL, our night turned into a weekend of the best sex of my life. Jesse made me see stars twenty-four hours a day. We had a connection, but our timing wasn’t right. He was going back to America, and I was headed back to Italy to play soccer.

It was all for the best, because I didn’t do relationships. Especially with a man nine-years-older and the total opposite of me. But I never forgot him, even though I tried.

Fast forward three years later, and we find ourselves thrown back together again in Portland. I’m the new kicker for the Portland Pirates and Jesse Evans has reappeared in my life. And just as fate would have it, my dream hookup is Cooper’s older brother, and he’s moving his security firm to Portland.

Would he remember me? Did that weekend three years ago affect him as much as it did me?

I guess time would tell when we shared that room in the Florida Keys.

Roughing the Kicker is a bisexual age gap and opposites attract MM Sports Romance and Book 6 in The Package Deal Series.

REVIEW:

Note:  This is the sixth book in this series and as such contains major spoilers for the first five books especially as it runs parallel to part of the fifth book’s timeline.  I think it’s better read in order to understand the found family that these guys have formed and how/why they support each other.

Dominick Rossi has found new life as the kicker for the Portland Pirates football team.  He also loves his job working with kids at the local Equine therapy center.  When he’s invited along to the vow renewal for one of his Portland teammates and his husband – who also happens to work at the Equine therapy center, he’s excited at the prospect.  Then there is a room “mixup” and he has to spend the trip sharing a room with the hot AF former Navy Seal Jesse, brother of one of the grooms, Cooper Evans.  His reaction?  FML  Because this is NOT the first time that Dom and Jesse have shared a hotel room.  Turns out there was a scorching hot weekend in Madrid three years previously when they met at a club there.

The chemistry between them was so hot, but they had no way to keep in touch.  So when they are in the same city (somewhat engineered by Jesse once his brother needs him and he knows Dom is there), Jesse is determined to spend time with Dom again.  Dom has kept his sexuality on the DL. Being bi in the Italian professional soccer league was a non-starter.  He had played for several years there, but returned home and kept a lot profile after some threats to out him.  Jesse is also bi and he’s not kept that a secret.  But he’s also got scars from the past.

When they hookup in Key West on the wedding trip, their chemistry is just a explosive.  They literally can’t keep their hands off each other.  Dom has some insecurities though as a young guy without relationships experience.  Jesse gets that so they agree to a fling  – a “nomance” while on this trip.  Of course you know how that’s going to end 😉

When the get back to Portland, things progress pretty quickly  They are out to their friends and while there is some chatter on insta, between Jesse’s security team and the Pirates team watchful eye, it doesn’t come to anything.  Jesse and Dom move forward, despite a few missed signals between them.  They end up talking things through and their life swiftly becomes the stuff of fairytales.

While there is a bit of instalove in this one, I just couldn’t help loving these guys.  They built a solid foundation pretty quickly.  It’s relatively low angst and the supporting cast of friends and family provide the background of a lovely found family.  There are plenty of sexy times and also some sweet and tender moments.  Both of these guys aren’t afraid of their emotions and they process things in a mature way – once Jesse breaks down some of Dom’s walls.  All in all just a lovely fitting ending to this series that is all about found family, finding your true passion and living your best life.  The entire series is fun to read.   Highly recommended – especially for fans of sports romances.

RATING: 

BUY LINK:

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