Love and Other Indoor Sports (Cupids Conquests #2) by Seleste deLaney

Love and Other Indoor Sports (Cupids Conquests #2) Reviews

• 
  Arthur

  
  This is perhaps the first m/m story I read that not only tolerates bullying of gay characters but also rewards it.
  
  The story is like what the blurb said. It would have gotten 4 stars (would never reach 5 stars for reason below), but at the end it dropped like stone because the author chosen the easy, coward way to end the conflict.
  
  In a frat house initiation, Colby and Griffin shared a 1-minute kiss. Since then, they were basically separated and lived in different circles, only to meet again after 12 years. Colby was now a proud out gay man, and also a soccer team coach in the same school. Griffin played in NFL for a while but now a sport agent, living in Chicago. He was still in the closet, but was ready to come out if he met the right guy. When the school had a reunion for the football team, they met and hit it off. Griffin was even ready to relocate when the melodrama took place.
  
  One of Colby students, Desiree, was having crush on him. She's a star freshman which Colby himself recruited for the school's soccer team. From the beginning, she set her eyes on Colby and would crush anything in her way. She believed that she could get him, even though she knew he's gay. She simply wanted him in her bed, even if later he left her. When she wanted something, she would get it. So she gave open sexual innuendos, joining the coach's table when they met in the restaurant, etc., that made Colby and others in the team uncomfortable. She even threatened and manipulated the situation to get Colby's assistant coach (Deanna) and her physical therapist girlfriend in trouble. Many pleas from the assistant coach to Colby were brushed off. He just didn't think the girl could do much harm. Not to mention she was a good goalie that was difficult to find. So, to avoid trouble he decided to ignore the problem and not to do anything at all--not even sit with her and talked.
  
  Now, knowing that Griffin was her main barrier, Desiree arranged the school's newspaper to out him with a big headline picture with Colby and Griffin together. This freaked out Griffin a bit. While he was ready to come out, he hadn't talked yet with his family or workmates, and he wanted it in his terms. So, he asked Colby for more time, which of course, was seen by Colby as trying to get back to the closet and ran away from him. He told Griffin to leave him alone and didn't expect him to wait unless he came out openly. Griffin asked Colby to do something about the student, but he declined. So, Griffin left. On the way out, Desiree told him explicitly to stay away from her coach.
  
  Desiree then stayed and did not even get a sit down and talk from her coach Colby. Some months passed, and after one game a journalist asked Colby for his comment regarding the news that Desiree was offered a place in a professional team. Something he never heard. But Desiree readily confirmed the news. It's her dream to be professional player, bigger dream than having Colby in her bed. So, she was leaving the school at the end of the semester. How did it happen? Remember, Griffin was a sport agent, so he arranged that. (I don't know if such thing can happen in professional sport, her being a college freshman).
  
  Since Desiree wouldn't be there anymore, now Griffin could be with Colby.
  
  The end.
  
  Ugh... Don't know where to start. Let's see.
  
  - Bullying. Desiree is a female version of a bullying jock who sexually harassed people and get away from it because people are in awe of her athletic ability. The lives of those four adults (Colby, Griffin, Deanna, and Prudence--her girlfriend) were put upside down by her. She bullied Deanna openly. She manipulated the situation and people. With no repercussions at all, despite the authority knowing and experiencing them first hand. The chapter jumps several weeks, but from what Desiree said to Griff, there's no reason to believe that while Griff was away she stopped coming on to Colby and harassing him. If she did that to adults, how do you think she treated her fellow students? So, it's okay to bully assistant coach in college--and be rewarded!
  
  I understand the need to inject a dose of realism that in life bad guys sometimes 'win'. However, in other m/m books, the situation usually doesn't allow any action toward the bully because the main characters are not in the position to do so. Not here. Desiree was a freshman student, and Colby was her head coach, so he was in the position to stop her action--or at least talked to her. Yet, because he was afraid to lose his star player, he refused to do so and allowed her to do whatever she wanted without any consequence from anybody.
  
  - Easy way to end conflict. Things with Desiree could easily be handled with sexual harassment report, as she repeatedly came on to Colby. Cowardly, he didn't do anything even after his assistant (which also his best friend) and his boyfriend were hurt. In fact, he seemed to think they blew up her issue out of proportion.
  
  I don't like appeasement. Not only the student got away with everything, she's being rewarded for that. Her last scene was she being interviewed by reporters, proud of her achievements.
  
  - Colby came off as a weak and jerk character who didn't mind to sacrifice his best friend/assistant and boyfriend to reach his goal. All to avoid conflict and to make sure his goalie happy.
  
  - Blame the victims. The author makes Colby blaming both Deanna (his assistant) and Griffin for the problem. Even when the book ends, Colby never realized that his cowardice hurt everyone but himself and his star student. Yet, it was Griffin who later came and asked for forgiveness.
  
  - Every gay had to come out immediately. Colby thought Griffin was backing off and hid in the closet (he wasn't. Only needed time to regroup, but Colby didn't see it that way). I never sympathetic to gay character who demands his lover to come out immediately . While it's not exactly happening here (in a sense Griff did not exactly refuse to come out), Colby gave ultimatum and never changed his position. Coming out is deeply personal issue. Allowing ultimatum like that in my book is a no-no.
  
  
  - Instant love. I usually don't mind this, but here it doesn't work. This is the reason this book wouldn't have gotten 5 stars in the first place as the nature of Colby & Griff's relation 12 years ago was very iffy, at best. Beside the one-time kiss, they didn't really interact much with each other; since soon after the hazing Colby withdrew from the fraternity and Griffin was busy with football, etc. But, from the reunion as if they were already a couple then.
  
  - I also don't think the cupids add anything to the story.
• 
  Mouse

  Interesting read. I probably would have given it a 3 if the dumb god thing in the prologue and epilogue had been cut, and the author had taken time to build the plot and round out the characters a bit more. I'd try this author again, though.
• 
  Julie-anne

  Griff and Colby had to kiss each other for one minute while being hazed for a fraternity at school. For Colby, it made him think he couldn't possibly hide his sexuality since he'd always had a crush on Griff. For Griff, it made him feel something he's never felt before and made him realise he wanted Colby. They never acted on those feelings as they both thought each other was straight, until they met up 12 years later at a reunion ... and man, did the sparks fly. Of course they still think each other is straight but then they finally click and then they "click" (wink, wink).
  
  I liked both Griff and Colby but I think I liked Colby better. May have been the fact that he was out and proud or the fact that he was a bit more laid back than Griff ... or it may have been the tattoos, I'll always like the character with tattoos, LOL.
  
  The sex was brief but hot and the story was fun and a bit Single White Female feeling. Stalker, crazy student that tries to make life difficult 'cos she wants to sleep with her gay coach ... bitch needs to get a clue!
  
  Still liking this series and I think the fact that it's a different author for each one keeps it fresh. There's less chance of repetition with more authors, although this is deLaney's 2nd book in the series and I'm sure since she's the founder of the series, she'll probably have more. I like that idea.
• 
  Danielle Paglia

  This was my first M/M read and I have to say I truly enjoyed it. I'm a sucker for a good love story and this had two characters that I cared about and was cheering for from the beginning. I do wish the antagonist had gotten what she really deserved, but sometimes there is grace in getting someone out of the picture and allowing karma to takes its time. I know this is a novella and I usually love the short format, but I did want to spend a little more time with each of the guys exploring their loss and how they handled it before they got their happy ever after. Ms. deLaney left me wanting more of the story and that's always a good thing.
• 
  James Cox

  Unique title, really good characters and some really sexy moments. I enjoyed this.