Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: End Game
SERIES: Brooklyn Kings
AUTHOR: Felice Stevens
NARRATOR: Kale Williams
PUBLISHER: Good Man Press
LENGTH: 7 hours and 28 minutes
RELEASE DATE: May 5, 2025
BLURB:
In a world where winning is everything, without each other, it means nothing.
The first time I see Brody “Blink” Martin in the locker room, I fall hard.
Big blue eyes, ripped abs…let’s just say there’s a reason the position is called tight end.
But I’m Devlin “Devil” Summers—star quarterback, ladies’ man…and closeted.
So I look but don’t touch.
With the National Championship ours, I take a chance and kiss him.
And when he kisses me back, I’m winning for the second time that night.
From that moment on, we know we’re meant to be together.
Different teams and schedules can’t keep us apart.
Ten years later, we’re both playing for the Brooklyn Kings.
Super Bowl champions.
More in love than ever.
Still hiding who we are.
Then I’m forced to make the decision of a lifetime:
Football or love.
My end game is both.
End Game is a they fall together MM romance that proves when you love someone, nothing and no one can keep you apart. It’s a big city/small town, hurt comfort, football romance with two big alpha men who are beasts against their opponents, but total mushes when it comes to each other.
REVIEW:
Note: This is the second book in this series and as such there are spoilers for the first book 🙂
Brody and Dev are college football teammates. The night they win the national championship, Dev decides to shoot his shot. He’s pretty sure Brody plays for his team, so he’d really like his tight end to really be his 😉 And turns out they have been pining a bit for each other for years. Once the decide to be together, they are.
Both are drafted to the pros. But they aren’t in the same city 🙁 Dev is in NYC playing for the Brooklyn Kings – his hometown team. Brody is drafted to another team in Austin. He moves his mama to be near him and they spend their off-seasons together in a remote place that Brody has bought. Brody and his mom are tight. His dad died when he was young and has remarried. His stepdad tries, but Brody isn’t looking for another father.
Dev’s parents are wealthy academics and they have ZERO use for football. Or their son apparently. They trot him out once in a while to show off at one event or another. But when Brody becomes the franchise player, everyone asks about him and his season which irritates his parents. So he decides that’s it. He cuts them out of his life. He’s happy with Brody and he loves Brody’s mama too.
Years go by and Dev is really frustrated not being able to be with Brody for so much of the year. Their rookie contracts are up and Dev gets the idea to get Brody traded to Brooklyn. They can’t live together, but they can be together on the DL. This amazingly works out. They are loving playing and being together. Their kicker however is a real jerk and intimates that they are more than friends. He’s a nasty piece of work and Dev nearly gets physical with him. Luckily the rest of the guys on the team have his back. And he and Brody can still be together even if it’s not out in the open.
The team is successful even though they miss winning the superbowl 🙁 They have years of success and Dev’s offered a huge contract from another team. But he doesn’t want to take it if it means being separated from Brody. Then Dev takes a hard hit and his backup takes over and wins a playoff game. From then on, Dev feels like he’s got a target on his back. He’s pulled from games earlier and earlier if they are ahead. He’s not content and then he gets injured badly with a concussion and misses the post season.
Then trade rumors start. Dev doesn’t want to live this way so he throws a hail Mary 😉 And it connects!
Oh my heart. These two! Living a closeted life for soooooo long. So sad that people still feel the have to do this – but honestly totally understandable given the state of the world. I did like that they did have some people they could be honest with at some point – but it was a long time getting even to that point. Their best friend cover story worked for a long time, but at some point they were risking outing themselves. Some very astute friends figured it out and then when Dev can’t take being separated from Brody during the season, he figures out a way for them to be together. Too bad they have one a$$hole teammate who wants to make life difficult for them. That guy! I really wanted him to get a beatdown if I’m honest. I loved seeing Ezra and Monroe and of course Armi and Hayden 🙂 Dev’s parents need to be dropkicked. Showing back up and then trying to railroad him into what THEY want? Uh, no. The way he described them as only wanting him to pad their resume and “continue their legacy” despite him being the best at his game was very true to life for too many children. Children shouldn’t be born having a job! Dev and Brody truly were made for each other. They figure out a way to be together for years and years and years with only their nearest and dearest any the wiser. Friends and family are there for them and they in turn are there for their friends as well. Both are generous souls and use their wealth for good. And the epilogue is seriously *chef’s kiss”. These two deserve a full life of love and happiness out in the open. They shouldn’t have to wait for the end of the playing days, but sadly this seems to be the world we still live in. Here’s to a future where this won’t be the case!
Kale Williams does another fantastic job of performing this very heartfelt story. Brody and Dev come from opposite worlds. Their accents, personalities and perspectives are set up very nicely by the voice choices for each characters. There is a through line from the previous book and with characters making a cameo from other Felice Stevens stories which I loved. Again – continuity at it’s finest. The emotional depth of the feelings of these men for each other, for their family and friends really pulled me into the story. There is plenty of spice and sweetness to keep the storying flowing s well. When Dev is hurt and Brody is frantic to know how he is, but can only act like a “team mate and friend” I so felt for him. And wanted to whack Dev’s mother with a 2×4. LOL! Her behavior was reprehensible and those scenes popped in this audio! The HEA was well deserved and I loved it. Great story and fabulous performance = Highly Recommended!
RATING: 
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