Book Review: Defensive Play

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
Thank you Jamie Deacon! I really loved this one!

5 sweet 'get out there and own it!' stars

A short sweet read with deep emotional impact that I simply couldn't set down! This is my first book by Jamie Deacon and will certainly not be the last!

To all of you who have ever felt the need to hide away, afraid of revealing the person you are inside, this one's for you.

True to the dedication the author sets at the beginning of his novella this story is one that deals with the fear and anxiety that plague a teenager who knows he is different. Being outside the "normal" society norms is usually not easy, especially when you see how others like you are treated. In such a case, the obscenities and profanity thrown your way for no other reason then that of not fitting into the standard may be more than enough to cause crippling anxiety attacks. Teammates, friends and even family... what would they think if they knew? What would they say? Would they still like you if they saw the real you? Would they still respect or love you? And this is exactly what our MC here fears.

Seventeen-year-old Davey has never made friends easily. Shy, geeky, crippled with social anxiety, he feels isolated from his peers, and only his position as defender for the school football team fills the void of loneliness. On the pitch, his deft footwork has earned him the respect and acceptance of his squad, though at a price. Desperate to hold onto this camaraderie, Davey conceals the truth from everyone, even his own family.

But things get complicated during the annual Brookshire football tournament, when Davey meets a rival player across the field and one look is enough to make him fall hard. Adam!

Adam is everything Davey longs to be - handsome, confident, popular, and most of all, comfortable with his sexuality.
Sparks flare between the two, and neither boy can deny them. Davey aches to explore that connection and discover where it might lead, but if he follows his heart he risks rejection by his teammates, the closest thing to friends he has ever known, and perhaps even the love of his family.

These doubts would be enough to drive anyone crazy and still, sometimes it may be worth to take a leap of faith and chance it. After all... what use are friendship, love and respect when they are not given to the real you?!

In a nice, simple and easy prose that makes reading a pleasure, the author describes two characters that are practically leaping off the page. You can easily see them in our day to day life. Neither too much sweetness, nor too much angst, neither too much weakness, nor too much strength. Neither too perfect nor too flawed. Both Davey and Adam will make the reader get invested in their story and root for them.

The side characters are nothing less either. Written in just enough detail to make them real, they are a nice addition to the story, beautifully complementing it.

All in all, a well-written, gentle and lovely, wholesome romance with fully formed characters and strong emotional impact! I highly recommend it to all those in search of a quick and endearing as well as realistic read.

Grab a copy of the book HERE.