Off Season

“I'm terrified of dying alone. Even though I was young when they died, one of the things I always remember is how in love my parents were. I've been so blessed to be surrounded by so much love because I know not everyone gets that, so my biggest fear is never experiencing that for myself. Never being someone's favorite person.”

This sequel follows the quiet, serious team captain of the Chicago Thunder, Ethan Parkes, and Alex’s sweet, shy, hardworking big brother, Jacob. Ethan is dreading attending a wedding where he’ll have to face his ex-fiancé for the first time in a decade. Thanks to Blaine’s brilliant idea, 😉😉 Ethan asks Jacob to be his fake boyfriend for the weekend. The problem? Jacob has a huge crush on Ethan and doesn’t quite know how to keep his heart under control 😅😅

I adored both of these characters. They felt so real — their struggles, their insecurities, and the way they processed them tugged at my heart 😍😍 Ethan carries a deeply rooted trauma; he’s convinced that letting people in only leads to heartbreak, so he hides behind his walls 😔😔 But despite that distance, Jacob slowly and quietly finds his way in. And in the end, Jacob heals Ethan… while Ethan heals Jacob right back.

Jacob was such a sweetheart 💖💖 On the outside, he tries to seem strong, but inside he’s been carrying the heavy weight of responsibility. Life hasn’t been easy for him and Alex, and as the older brother, he felt like he wasn’t allowed to be weak 💔💔 His grief and fear of being alone made him vulnerable, but Ethan saw that and supported him in the most beautiful way.

“I know I need to be better, and after listening to Jacob, I need to apply the same logic to my life. Because what if something happened to one of the guys and they didn’t know how much I care for them? How much I genuinely love them? It would wreck me. I know it’s going to take some time to rewire my brain away from self-preservation mode, but I need to. Jacob’s right. You can’t take things for granted. What if tomorrow never comes?”

This paragraph was one of the most beautiful parts of the book for me, because it perfectly shows how having the right person in your life can change you — make you want to change for the better 💯💯 The Blaine and Alex crumbs sprinkled in were so sweet, and now I can’t wait to read Zach’s and Elliot’s books. I truly love this series — the characters feel mature, the pacing is perfect, and the relationships and romances are absolutely swoon-worthy. Highly recommended 👍👍