Review: Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle kennedy

Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy

Series: Him #1

Genres: New Adult, M/M, Contemporary

Release Date: July 28, 2015

Format: Kindle

Source: Purchased

Find it here: GoodReads | Amazon

Synopsis

They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions - can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend...and a big one to learn about himself.

My Thoughts

When you finish a book and all you can think is "why did I wait so long" you know it's a good one. And Him was just that book for me. My friend Brittany at This is the Story of My (Reading) Life had been pushing me to read Him until I started to fear she would show up on my doorstep with a copy (actually that would have been pretty cool). So I ignored my scary TBR, downloaded Him, and instantly fell in love.

Jamie Canning and Ryan (Wes) Wesley are college seniors and gifted hockey players who intend on going pro. They are also old friends who have not seen each other in four years. They'd spent every summer together at hockey camp for years - roommates and best friends. An encounter that last summer when they were 18 changed everything and Jamie didn't hear from Wes again... until their respective teams are facing off at the college championship and they're reunited. When Jamie returns to the summer camp as a coach he finds a surprise: Wes has returned as well and the summer just got very interesting.

I really loved this take on a friends-to-lovers story. Jamie and Wes were so thoroughly likable and it was impossible not to want the best for these two. Seeing them slip right back into their best friend banter was so much fun but there was also the underlying current of something more. For Jamie it was exploring new feelings and opening himself up to new possibilities; for Wes it was allowing himself to act upon his feelings for the one man he had always loved but knew he couldn't have. While Jamie's acceptance of himself as a bisexual man seemed to come very quickly and easily, I did enjoy the evolution of their relationship. Overall it felt realistic and while there were bumps in the road they usually managed to handle things with maturity and understanding. Their devotion to one another, both as friends and lovers, was completely heartwarming.

The chemistry between Jamie and Wes is right off the charts and the sexy times are scorching HOT. Seriously. Like, fan-yourself-to-cool-down hot. But their relationship was every bit as emotional as it was physical and that made it all the more engaging.

I loved these guys. I loved their banter, their friendship, their passion, their devotion, their honesty, their humor, and their tenderness. I just fell completely in love with Jamie and Wes and when the book ended all I could think was that I wanted more. Thankfully, their story continues in Us and I can't wait to get more of these two amazing men.

4.5/5 Stars 

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