Reviewed by: Sue Eaton
TITLE: The Winger
SERIES: Lincoln Knights #4
AUTHOR: Charlie Novak
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 291 pages
RELEASE DATE: October 16, 2025
BLURB:
Wanted: An Experienced Player To Teach Me The Rules
When I finally admit my attraction to men might be more than just curiosity, I start questioning everything about myself. I’d always been told I couldn’t be gay and play rugby, but my teammates are proof that isn’t true.
Now I’m fixated on all the filthy things Ezra, the Knights’ hot, older Head of Marketing, might do to me. Maybe I shouldn’t be flirting with him, but I’m too intrigued to stop. Ezra’s life is as messy as mine, however when he offers me a safe way to explore my feelings without judgement I can’t resist.
Neither of us is here for a relationship, and neither of us is ready for one… So why does Ezra make me feel things I’ve never experienced before?
Would it be wrong for me to fall for the man with the shattered heart?
REVIEW:
The Winger by Charlie Novak is a heartfelt MM romance that follows Danny, a young rugby player questioning his sexuality, and Ezra, the emotionally guarded Head of Marketing for the Lincoln Knights. When Danny begins to explore his attraction to men, he finds himself drawn to Ezra, whose flirtation and emotional depth offer a safe space for discovery. Though neither is looking for love, their connection deepens into something real, forcing them to confront past wounds, fears, and the vulnerability that comes with opening up to each other.
Set against the backdrop of a supportive rugby team, the story blends emotional growth, steamy chemistry, and tender romance into a compelling journey of self-acceptance and unexpected love.
Danny is curious, conflicted, and emotionally vulnerable. He’s a member of the Lincoln Knights rugby team and has long suppressed his attraction to men due to internalized beliefs that being gay and playing rugby were incompatible. He spent his youth listening to his homophobic father rant on about the evils of being gay and that only real men play rugby. Danny is a bit of a loudmouth which has landed him in trouble before, saying inappropriate things to his team and their partners. This didn’t come from being homophobic, it came from his conflicted feelings about his own sexuality and looking for information. However, his teammates’ openness begins to challenge those assumptions, prompting Danny to question everything he thought he knew about himself and who he is attracted to.
Ezra is a complex, emotionally guarded man who offers Danny a safe space to explore his identity, despite carrying his own emotional baggage. He is going through a contentious divorce from a cheating ex-husband, for which he feels responsible and guilty, which is misplaced but he can’t shake the feelings it was his fault. Full of condemnation, he loses himself in vodka in his pitiful flat, a million miles from his beautiful home with his ex.
Ezra becomes the person Danny fixates on as he begins to question his sexuality. Their flirtation is electric, but it’s Ezra’s emotional availability and patience that make the relationship meaningful. He’s not just a romantic interest, he’s a guide, a confidant, and a mirror for Danny’s own emotional journey. Ezra’s character adds emotional depth and maturity balancing Danny’s youthful curiosity with his own guarded vulnerability.
Neither Danny nor Ezra are looking for a relationship. They enter their connection under the assumption that it’s just a casual exploration, but feelings quickly complicate that. Danny is hesitant to tell his teammates about his new sexuality, feeling he might be one too many in a team that isn’t supposed to be gay. Cue all the sneaking around and sexy times in Ezra’s office.
Ezra as Marketing Manager had long accepted that rugby players were basically toddlers in cleats, if you give them sugar, they’d do anything. When his latest marketing campaign needed enthusiastic player participation, he didn’t bother with pep talks or PowerPoint slides. No, Ezra showed up to practice with a tote bag full of sweets like a benevolent snack wizard. Jelly babies for social media posts, chocolate bars for video interviews, and the sacred Haribo for anyone willing to wear the branded merch without whining. By the end of the week, the Knights were practically begging to be featured, sugar-high and selfie-ready, while Ezra smugly updated his campaign metrics with one hand and tossed gummy bears with the other. This made me laugh and conjured up these big burly rugby players literally doing anything for sweets, it also showed how much Ezra cared for them all, when they let slip things they didn’t want in the public domain, Ezra was more than happy to delete and record something more innocuous. The team really is one big happy family.
Once Danny and Ezra finally gave in to their feelings, their relationship blossomed in unexpected ways. What began as a tentative exploration quickly deepened into something more intimate and affirming. Danny, once unsure and guarded, found comfort in Ezra’s steady presence, while Ezra long used to keeping people at arm’s length, discovered that Danny’s openness chipped away at his emotional walls. They learned to communicate, to trust, and to lean on each other, building a connection that was both passionate and profoundly healing. Through shared vulnerability, late-night talks, and plenty of teasing, their bond grew stronger, proving that love doesn’t always arrive when you’re ready, but it does when you’re brave enough to embrace it.
RATING: 
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