Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Rivaled
SERIES: Kensley Panthers (Book 4)
AUTHOR: Nicole Dykes
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 196 pages
RELEASE DATE: August 29, 2023
BLURB:
Noah Asher
Coach. That’s who I am. The strong, levelheaded, always-dependable coach.
But then my wife left me. And my daughter—well, according to the town—she ran off and left me too. Now I’m branded with scandal.
My reputation is at stake, and I have to play by the rules if I want to keep my job.
But then . . . Along comes Chance Leighton—a rule breaker with a scandal of his own. And worse, he’s not from here. He’s a Big Bend Bear.
I need to keep my head down and follow the rules of this town. This town that’s kept me in their perfect package since day one.
But he makes me want to rebel. To break free and live my life how I want.
So I have a choice to make. A choice that rivals all others. One that’ll change everything.
Chance Leighton
He’s the coach. I’m an outsider.
There’s no bigger rivalry than the one between the Big Bend Bears and the Kensley Panthers. But here I am, forced to work alongside Kensley’s stubborn, grumpy coach.
There’s no way he’ll give me a shot. He sees me how they all do—wrapped up in scandal and exiled from the only place I’ve ever called home.
Just for being who I truly am.
He follows the rules. He believes in a strict structure. It’s worked for him. But I want to chip away at this town’s idea of him and see the real man.
Can rivals become friends? Can they become even more?
I don’t know the answer to that, but we’re about to find out. Because he’s so much more than who this town makes him out to be.
It’s up to him, but I’m ready for the challenge if he’ll just reach out and take it.
REVIEW:
This was a particularly poignant and heart-touching trip back to Kensley.
What is Anthony thinking? I know there’s talk of me being on the “outs” and I had better step it up but bringing in a Bear to help coach. They’re our freaking rivals for goodness sake. And I can do my job just fine without some young guy messing it up! But when I get to know him and then hear the rumor mill in the teacher’s lounge I’m just pissed! And the guy is really trying plus he’s drop dead gorgeous. But do I give him a chance and finally give them the ammo to take me out once and for all? Or do I follow my instincts a possibly get more than I could ever hope for?
The moment I read the blurb about the Panther’s Coach I knew I needed this book. Trust me, I was definitely not disappointed! Author Nicole Dykes captures the true essence of small town life and mentality. Especially a town that’s life is centered around the local football team and are invested in its success. This town took it a step further though in trying to dictate not only how you live you life but tried and convicted it’s residents that didn’t fit into their perfect mold of how that should be seen and lived. True friendships didn’t mean that a person had your back or best interest at heart if you crossed those invisible boundaries like Coach was perceived to have done. Those strikes included:
- they believed that he ran his wife off and divorced her
- allowing your teenage daughter to chase after her teacher in an illicit affair and the run off and marry the man
- befriending the enemy and becoming too chummy with a gay pedophile
Of course all these accusations were completely false but the gossips, including fellow teachers and supposedly close friends, took it all as the gospel. They didn’t want to hear that his wife (that got pregnant and married way too young) was tired of small-town life and yearned for the big city. They wouldn’t listen to the fact that his sweet daughter’s crush was just that until well after she graduated and was legal to pursue her love. And they definitely, just like Chance’s former town, didn’t want to hear the story of a coach/teacher/mentor realizing that his student was extremely lonely and isolated and was doing some very dangerous things to seek the connection he needed. They absolutely tried and convicted him without ever listening to the facts. Sure the boy had a crush on the beautiful man that he discover was also gay and had befriended him to attempt to keep him safe.
As for befriending the enemy. Chance wasn’t the enemy. I know that everyone felt like that at first but he proved to be a loyal and trusted coach to the team and a loving partner to Noah. He actually was looking out for Noah more, at his own personal expense, than Noah was. Noah was just done with it. Done with the judgmental people and their constant gossiping.
The one that truly rose up, in my humble opinion, was the principal, Anthony Gates. He first looked out for his old friend’s son in hiring him. But he promoted the idea of not judging someone based on what you’ve heard but to give people a chance and the benefit of the doubt. I know he has baggage that has led to his change in beliefs but he was a hero to me, as was Oakley Easton’s father. These are men that were able to change and help promote acceptance in a small town that was homophobic and judgmental.
I have heard we have one more book in the series. We are finally going to get Jameson’s younger brother Adam and his BFF Zachary’s story. I am hoping we might also get Principal Gate’s son Brandon’s story too someday soon.
RATING: 
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