On the other hand, this book also features a fascinating dose of mystery and small-town drama for a dash of excellent depth.

The only flaw in the plan is that Sam is only visiting Aster Valley, away from his family and career in Houston.

It’s basically a match made in heaven, especially given their delicious sexual chemistry. Sam is a genuine caretaker but doesn’t treat Truman like a child, and Truman realizes that the care Sam gives him can help with his own self-confidence. True to its title, the romance featured in this book is pretty dang adorable. These characters more than deserve the happily ever after they’ve worked toward, and I look forward to seeing them pop up in future installments of this sweet series. While I predicted some of the book’s eventual outcome, I did not expect the road Lennox took to get the reader there. I fell in love with Aster Valley as much as Mikey and Raine do. It’s terrible that an injury is what gives Raine and Mikey the freedom to finally explore what each man means to the other, but that’s pretty much the nature of the game (pun intended). Lennox excellently portrays the double-standard of supporting a person regardless of their sexual orientation while also pressuring the person not to act on that portion of their life (i.e., it’s okay to be gay, but don’t go out and date anyone and BE gay). Mikey and Raine have quietly developed a relationship neither of them dared acknowledge even to themselves as long as they’re so much under the thumb of Mikey’s father and Raine’s coach, who happens to be the same man. She even made me care about the games in the book, which I have to applaud. Not only does Lennox do a great job in having her characters acknowledge that concern, but she also makes the book completely accessible to those who do not understand or care about the game. Spouse used to watch the game, but he stopped supporting the game based on reports of the long-term health effects of players.

Right as Raine by Lucy Lennox