two man advantageRating: 4 stars
Buy Links: 
 Amazon | All Romance
Length: Novella


Dumped via text while waiting for his boyfriend at the airport so they could leave for a vacation celebrating their two-year anniversary, Nathan Troy heads alone to South Lake Tahoe for a week of quiet and healing in a private cabin. What he finds is a naked, drunk, albeit sexy, man in the bed of his cabin. After a confrontation with the inebriated man, Nate finds out from the lodge that the cabin has been double booked, but Nate won’t back down this time; he’s done that his entire life, and this time he will get what he wants. And he wants the cabin.

Jock weekAfter a shattered ankle ended his NHL career, forcing him into early retirement, Kyle Harper has been flying blind. He came to Lake Tahoe to relax, get away from his life, and forget all that he’s lost. Being torn from his sleep to find that the cabin he’s rented has been double booked by a beautiful, uptight man is not his idea of relaxing. The urge to needle the gorgeous stranger only to see him get worked up brings Kyle a strange sort of enjoyment. So refusing to move from the cabin was his only option really. Offering to share the cabin with Nathan seems to be something to keep Kyle’s mind off of his woes at least.

Even as Nate and Kyle butt heads the first day, the sexual tension is palpable and can’t be ignored for long. Nate doesn’t do one-night stands and Kyle, though not averse to relationships, he’s never really had time for one. As they get to know each other and learn trust one another over the course of the week, a tentative bond between them slowly grows stronger. But they must each face their pasts in order to focus on their present if they plan on having any kind of future.

This is a cute story of a relationship created out of happenstance. As with several stories you’ll see this week, this is another charming geek meets jock story. This time, both are pushed together due to unforeseen circumstances. Both have suffered hurt are trying to find healing while on vacation. It really is an adorable story.

The characters are immediately likable. Nate, bless his heart, has been taken for granted for most of the two year relationship he’s now free of. He’s learning to stand on his own two feet without being pushed around or manipulated. Kyle is my favorite in this story, probably because of his sarcasm and need to push Nathan’s proverbial buttons. It’s mostly a defense mechanism to keep Nate at bay. He’s lost the thing most important to him and is trying to figure out who he is without hockey in his life and what he’s supposed to do from here on out. They are definitely a classic case of opposites attract. They balance each other. And once they learn to trust one another, they begin to heal each other.

I have to say, I really enjoyed the beginning of Nate and Kyle’s relationship. It’s not really an enemy-to-lovers story because they didn’t know really each other well enough to truly be enemies, but something like that. Thorns in one another’s sides is more like it. But once they acted on the building attraction, there was no turning back – commitments were made, histories were shared, relationship status was defined. Next thing I knew, at chapter break, a few days had passed and the vacation was almost over. I would have liked to see more of the relationship building, outside of sex – not that it isn’t sexy because it is, very much so. I just wanted more depth.

Two-Man Advantage is a charming story without the angst and a neat and, dare I say, perfect ending for this couple. It’s a very short and easy read with relatable, interesting characters and a good storyline. I would have liked the story to be longer with more definition to the relationship, but it was still a good book and I look forward to reading more of this series in the future.

Two-Man Advantage is the first book in Riley Shane’s Seattle Marauders series.

P.S. Loose Id has generously donated a copy of Two-Man Advantage to our Jock Week giveaway so be sure to stop by and check it out.

crissy sig