Playing the Game by T.A. Chase
Dec. 2nd, 2009 09:00 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
reviews_and_ramblings
Out of Bounds (Love of Sports 1) by T.A. ChaseOne thing you could say of T.A. Chase's books is that they are all very different. This one is a sexual romp (from Merriam Webster Online romp = a: high-spirited, carefree, and boisterous play b: something suggestive of such play: as (1): a light fast-paced narrative, dramatic, or musical work usually in a comic mood (2): an episode of lovemaking).
Kasey is a 23 years old pro basketball player. He is only in his second year as professional player and he has no courage to openly admit that he is gay. He is out with his family and friends, but not with the public opinion. Plus his twin brother Garrett, a famous actor, has made coming out some years ago and now all media are only waiting for him to make the same claim.
But Kasey till now has never had a boyfriend to care and he doesn't see the reason to suffer all the harrassment he will receive in the locker room if he makes that claim. That is, but now in Kasey's life enters Gram, a night club owner and an openly gay man who had bad experiences in the past with closeted lovers.
Kasey must decide if he is willing to risk his career to keep his lover by his side.
The story is not very long, less than 90 pages, but it's very erotic. From the first time Kasey and Gram have a very intense relationship and they are driven by lust most of the time. Since Kasey is a 23 years old guy that for sometime was deprived of a sexual partner, I think it's not strange that now that he can have someone near him, he is in frenzy to make up for the lost time. Plus it was a true discovery that Kasey is a totally bottom. I'm used to sports characters to be always very manly, even if gay, and usually they are totally top. Instead Kasey wants to be mastered, even if he is a pushy bottom.
The main characters don't interact a lot with the supporting characters, but there are some interesting figures: Garrett, Kasey's brother, Paul, Kasey's teammate, but also Bo, Gram's employee and Colville, another pro basketball player. Since this is the first book in a series, I think we will have the chance to read something on one or plus of these characters.
http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/out-of-bounds
Amazon Kindle: Out of Bounds: Love of Sports book 1
High Line (Love of Sports 2) by T.A. ChaseI always liked T.A. Chase's work, I believe he is one of the first authors I read, but this last book probably is one of my favorite; the first impression I have soon after ending it, is of a very easy and well plotted book, once that despite being almost 200 pages long took me only a night to read since I was eager to know what was happening.
The second impression is the play of contrast, that the author uses in two different way: once between the two main characters, Garrett, an Hollywood actor, and C.J., a race driver; from their jobs and from the fact that C.J. was apparently straight and also older than Garrett (even if only for 4 years), you will expected C.J. to be the MAN in the relationship. Yes I know, I'm letting old habit and idea to lead me on, but well, I'm not the only one! Even if you are reading a male on male romance, if you are strong, older, and with a more manly job, you are the MAN. And instead in the relationship, Garrett takes the upper hand: he is the one who shelters and offers a friendly shoulder to C.J. when no one else apparently is willing to do it; and when C.J. is ready to admit that he is gay and wants to come out of the closet, Garrett is more than willing to be his training ship and to teach him everything a good and healthy gay man should know ; and here is when the naughty part of the book is coming, but strangely enough, is not the main aspect of the story, and it's not even so soon in the book, you have to savor it.
The second contrast I notice was in C.J.'s parents, and again my old fashioned idea kicked in to make me having the wrong mind. Usually mothers are more accepting and supporting, they are the ones who try to mediate with their husbands and sons when the truth comes out (pun intended). And even more in this case, where C.J.'s parents are old southern people and his father is a mechanic, not usually a job that allows people to be very open minded (why on earth when we are speaking of car and motor, it seems that women and gays are not enough clever to be involved?). Anyway, I was in for a big surprise when it was C.J.'s father who stood for his son when on the other side his mother kicked him out of house.
This are only two example to prove you that the story, as I said, is very well plotted and carefully crafted in every details. Plus the characters have a good development, enough for the reader to identify himself and try to imagine how it would be for him of he was in their shoes.
Last but not least, I really like as T.A. Chase seems to have done his homework right: the car racing world, even if only hinted, is enough vivid to give the reader the impression to be not only a nice cover for the main character: this is something I noticed before in this author's books, there is often a sport setting (baseball, rodeo, horse jumping and now car racing) and they are always rendered with nice details to help the reader building the world in his mind. So, two are the things, or T.A. Chase is an huge sport fan, or he does well his research work.Only one regret: I would have liked to read about the Academy Awards night, hope to see it in a third book?
http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/high-line
Amazon Kindle: High Line: The Love of Sports Series, Book 2
http://samhainpublishing.com/print/playing-the-game-print (print book)
Amazon: Playing the Game (Love of Sports)
Reading List:
http://www.librarything.com/catalog_bott
Cover Art by Anne Cain
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2009-12-03 03:16 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-03 08:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 04:23 pm (UTC)Haven't read it yet, but am looking forward to it :)
Janna
no subject
Date: 2009-12-04 05:16 pm (UTC)