Reviewed by Lady Macbeth
TITLE: Catching Kyle
SERIES: Football Hearttrobs #1
AUTHOR: Cliff J. Cavender
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 351 Pages
RELEASE DATE: September 4, 2025
BLURB:
What if your celebrity crush wasn’t just gay—but he liked you back?
Michael Cunningham—Adult Content Creator Extraordinaire
Corporate writer by day, adult content creator by night.
But what I really want is to be a gay romance author. I just don’t have an agent yet. If I can stop pining for unavailable men, maybe I’ll finally be able to write a romance good enough to land one. So that means no more daydreaming about star linebacker Kyle Weaver.
Until fate lands me on Kyle’s doorstep when he’s shirtless and rock-hard.
Kyle Weaver—Best Linebacker of the 21st Century
Sexiest Man Alive, philanthropist, Southern heartthrob.
But I’m single, and gossip is only getting worse. Unless I can find a girlfriend by signing day, my team won’t re-sign me. Which means no Championship Game, and no way to honor my dead dad. Yet there’s only one person who gets me off: a certain gay adult content creator named Michael.
And he just happens to show up at my door right as I’m pleasuring myself to one of his videos.
Somehow, we keep it civil. And we get to talking. Turns out we’re both in a bind. So, we agree to help each other out.
What could go wrong?
REVIEW:
This was a really nice debut romance: two men who have to face their own personal journeys to make their relationship work.
Kyle is a 34 years old football player. He’s the best linebacker in the League and he’s also known for being one of the sexiest men alive. He’s single, he’s a very nice man and, according to the press, the only thing missing in his life it’s a girlfriend.
Michael is a 31 years old aspiring writer, he just finished the first draft of his romance book and in the meantime he has a daily job and also a side job as an adult content creator.
Kyle and Michael never met before the start of the story but they have been each other’s fan for a long time. A very unusual meet cute will finally give them the opportunity to get to know one another.
The book is quite long, so there are a lot of events that happen and I don’t want to leave spoilers, but I want to highlight two things I loved the most.
First, Kyle’s personal journey through self acceptance that will lead him to embrace his own sexuality. It wasn’t an easy growth and actually, several times, he made me frustrated with his back and forth. But all his emotions and conflicting feelings quite well his internalised homophobia, the lack of support by a person he adores and the loneliness he felt his whole life.
Second, Michael’s recognition to put himself first regardless of whether he has a man at his side or not. For years Michael thought to be unlovable, that everyone, at some point, would betray him or abandon him until he becomes aware that he has to be the one who loves himself, that his own valorisation is not something to seek in a relationship, that he deserve to be happy just the way he is.
That last part is actually both of them have in common: for too many years they sought validation from unavailable men (Michael) and football achievements (Kyle).
What prevented me from giving a higher rate:
The tension around 70% of the book was unavoidable and I believe it was a necessary step in Kyle and Michael’s relationship. But I also believe that part of that drama was not very credible, especially Timmy and Jessica’s involvement in that.
Kyle’s dirty talk in bed made me cringe a little.
Lastly, there were a few plot holes I needed to be addressed and also minor inconsistencies in the story.
I liked their group of friends very much and I’m surely going to read Tanner’s story.
Recommended.
RATING: 
BUY LINK:
