Reviewed by Kat

TITLE: False Start

SERIES: Big Bend Bears (Book 3)

AUTHOR: Nicole Dykes

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 206 pages

RELEASE DATE: April 14, 2025

BLURB:

Vaughn Montgomery
High school is almost over, and I’m more than ready.
Not because I don’t love Big Bend and everything here. Actually, I’m going to miss it quite a bit, but I’ll have my best friend by my side.
With Austin, I’ll always be okay.

Austin Pierce
I’m keeping some pretty big secrets from my best friend.
Secrets I’m not sure how much longer I can hold onto. Secrets that’ll likely destroy our friendship.
Because he thinks we’re going to college together—but I just can’t do it. I can’t spend any more time with this lie.
Big Bend may have been my beginning, but it never felt quite right. Something was always off—truly, I think it was my false start.
Now it’s time to live my life with nothing but the truth.

REVIEW:

I am a big fan of Nicole Dykes and her high school football giants that are learning about themselves and whom they fall in love with in Rural Kansas.

Vaughn Montgomery is ready for these last weeks of high school to be over with and getting to move on to what’s next in his life. He has a scholarship to play football at State and his best friend Austin and his long time girlfriend Vanessa are coming with him. The only down side is that Van wants them to live together on campus but he’s not ready for something like that at 18. He just wants life to continue as it is with his bestie Austin by his side and their nightly snuggles and sleep overs. But Austin Pierce has secrets that even Vaughn doesn’t know. And when he is finally brave enough to share them with him that he fears will shatter everything.

I don’t think there is anything cuter to read than very best friends where one is totally clueless. And this book has that in spades. Vaughn is so clueless about Austin. But in his defense, even Vanessa didn’t see this one coming. I don’t know if Vaughn is actually gay. And he is the first to say that putting a label on it isn’t necessary. But there is absolutely no question in this reader’s mind that those two were so attached to each other that literally no one measured up to their bestie. They were literally made for each other. And yes, they are extremely codependent to the max. I think that Vaughn was the most needy in that sense. He literally could hardly function if Austin wasn’t right where he could see him. I know part of that was fear on Vaughn’s part. He has been protecting his dear, that some call nerdy, friend since they met on the playground in kindergarten. He is Vaughn’s Austin and everyone knows that they come as a package deal in Big Bend. Even his girlfriend Vanessa knows that Austin is always there. I am kinda shocked that no one ever really caught on. I know a few of the guys on the football team, in the previous book, used to tease Vaughn about them but no one messes with Austin, or even jokes about it, when Vaughn can hear it. Vaughn is not only a big guy but is a college-bound football player and can take you down. He’s all muscle and he knows how to use it.

This has been a fun but serious series to read. I particularly loved what the author put in the foreword “Life can be so confusing sometimes, and we all play these roles we think we’re supposed to. But it’s also short, so I say go for what you want. Be who you are, freely and happily. Don’t let anything hold you back.” Living in such a small, alpha male community in rural farm country Kansas where Men are Men and football is the game in town those poor boys have ever right to be scared. But they have all finally went for and got who they truly wanted and needed to be happy finally.

Can’t wait for the new coach’s younger brother’s story next. That should be really interesting!

RATING:

BUY LINKS:

Amazon