Andrea Dalling

I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review

What is it with guys and their miscommunication!!! As much as I want to yell in a frustrated manner, the fact that the MC's were just barely in their 20's takes me back to Calmville to remember that they are young and learning. We met Lamar and Ty in the first book of the series ([b:Romeo and Julian|29333499|Romeo and Julian|Celia Stratford|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1456365114s/29333499.jpg|49566613]) when Ty's brother Julian started dating Lamar's roommate Nick. We learned about Ty and Lamar's past and we saw them come back together and start dating again.

I was glad this book was not simultaneous to that first book, but rather focused on their new relationship after they have been together for a while. Ty and Lamar have gotten engaged, but they are still trying to figure out how to be themselves in a world where not everyone is supportive. Lamar is struggling with not receiving his father's blessing, and he worries about how their interracial relationship would affect Ty's life. Ty has anxiety challenges, and Lamar struggles with not adding more stress to Ty. He ends up not communicating his feelings and problems. His lack of communications and then his frustration when he doesn't feel Ty is communicating with him causes them challenges.

In the end, I think these two guys got it right. They finally figured out how to talk with each other and how to work through their problems together. It was nice to see a love like theirs starting strong, go through some bumps, and still be strong. I enjoyed this book very much.… (más)

I read these books when they originally came out back in 2016 and 2017. It is great that they are being reissued in a bundle. They were an overall great set of books, and I enjoyed them a lot. Here are the individual reviews that I originally posted for each book. I feel like they work really well together as a set.

[b:Up and Coming|36109837|Up and Coming (Coastal College Football, #1)|Andrea Dalling|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1503491288i/36109837._SY75_.jpg|53393178]
So I have to be honest here, but Emmett and Jake annoyed me quite a bit throughout this book. I love the author's writing, and the overall story concept was interesting, but the wishy-washy back and forth of "I want to be with you" and "I can't be with you" got old. Luckily the characters got their HEA, but I was pretty frustrated with them by the time they got there. I'm glad they finally did though.

[b:Coming Attraction|36108207|Coming Attraction (Coastal College Football, #2)|Felix Brooks|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1503465768i/36108207._SY75_.jpg|57696148]
Waseem was one of the good friends from Up and Coming, and I was glad to see him get his happily ever after. He had a crush on his straight friend, Brent, but never considered acting on it. When Brent and his longtime girlfriend break up, it leaves Brent an opportunity to finally discover why he has never felt romantically or sexually interested in anyone except for (all of a sudden) Waseem.

One of the things I really loved about this book was the exploration of gender and sexual preference. Asexuality and demisexuality were discussed and explored throughout this book, and it was lovely to see it generally accepted rather than made into a negative discussion or plot point strictly for drama and angst. I loved seeing Brent look deep within himself to understand how he felt and who he loves.

I continue to enjoy Andrea's books, and the collaboration with Felix has been amazing. I look forward to seeing what each of them bring forth in the future.

I'm voluntarily reviewing an ARC provided by the author.… (más)