Reviewed by Kat
TITLE: Rushing Closer
SERIES: Desert Football (Book 4)
AUTHOR: Christie Gordon
PUBLISHER: Self Published
LENGTH: 311 pages
RELEASE DATE: February 24, 2026
BLURB:
Moving in with my best friend should’ve been simple. Instead, it’s the beginning of something I never saw coming.
Malik
Grey’s been my ride-or-die since football camp.
Then he moves in—flustered, jealous, staring at my mouth like he forgets we’re “just friends.”
He watches me like he’s starving. He blushes when I touch him.
One drunken night wrecks us both.
And then he panics because wanting me might cost him everything.
But when Grey reaches for me, shaking, desperate, honest, I know this isn’t one-sided.
I’m already all in.
I just need him to choose us.
Greyson
Football is my escape. My future. My chance to finally break free from my father’s grip.
But living with Malik changes everything.
We’ve always been close. Too close.
Sharing beds after long nights, clinging to each other when life hit hard, acting like we were something more without ever naming it.
Something in me cracks open.
I’m not supposed to want him.
Not when my father is arranging my life, my future, and my girlfriend.
But every night in that house pushes me closer to Malik, and every touch makes it harder to lie to both of us.
I’m falling for my best friend, and I don’t know how to stop.
Rushing Closer is book 4 of the Desert Football series, featuring a happy-go-lucky running back and the wealthy transfer student discovering he’s not as straight as he thought. Expect friends-to-lovers, bi awakening, roommates with too much chemistry, jealous pining, meddling families, and steam that hits like a fourth-quarter comeback.
Buy now and fall for the boys who keep getting closer until falling in love is inevitable.
REVIEW:
I can’t believe how fast this series has flown by. We are down to the last two and Malik graduates this year!
Malik Thompson can’t believe his ears. His best friend Greyson “Grey” Moore, since his sophomore year of high school football camp, is transferring to ASU, is going to play football with him and needs a place to live. Since Casey and Ryker moved to Las Vegas so Casey could be quarterback for the Raiders, the primary was open and Grey could definitely afford it. He knows that this will be great and he can help build the confidence in his buddy to make it to the NFL. Their other roommate Tex immediately questions the closeness that these two show. They literally are all over each other but Malik assures him that Grey is just super touchy and very straight. But Tex continues to question it. When a “drunken” night leads to more are these two best friends going to be okay? Or did they cross a line that could completely destroy their friendship or lives?
I can’t believe I’m going to say this but this book might have had too many sex scenes. Think Energizer Bunny busy! Yes, we got to know Malik better and got introduced to his best friend from all those football camps, Grey. But I wanted to know more about them besides their, well especially Grey’s, enormous sex drive. It was like discovering that it was okay to want your bestie and being bisexual had broke open a damn of sexual desire. I will say that they brought out the best in each other both in and out of bed. I just wanted to see them interact with others more. I was thankful that Tex was there, especially when Malik needed his friend to bounce things off of. It was very confusing and he needed Tex to help keep him sane.
Malik is such a giving and wonderful friend and football player. And I was thrilled that the coaches saw this trait and kept mentioning it. It would be a plus in the draft for a team to get such a star player that was humble and wanted what was best for all, not just himself and his stats. Malik showed that he had great leadership qualities that would make him even more desirable in the draft to his new team in the NFL. He considered what was best for his team.
I can’t believe that the Desert Dogs house is down to just Tex. I know he has been spending a lot of time with his tutor and am eager to get his story next. But I will miss these Desert Dogs.
RATING: 
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