Paul is a graduate student who works as a tutor for undergraduates and has a strict "no jocks" policy. But when the new softball coach specifically requests Paul to tutor his players, it looks like that policy might be out the window. To make matters worse, the new coach is Trevor, the guy who broke Paul's heart in high school, the one he has been trying to get over ever since. But Trevor isn't just interested in Paul's services for his players--he's interested in a second chance. And that's something Paul is just not sure he can give.

Well, this was a bit of a roller coaster ride, and I mean that in the best way possible. I really enjoyed reading this. The characters are complex and real, and the pacing of the story kept me simply gripped to every page. It's not overly angsty (though, clearly it's not all bright and shiny happiness, either), but it's honestly a lighter story than one might initially expect.

This is the second in a series, but it can definitely be read as a stand-alone. I wasn't huge fan of the first book, so I'm glad that this one was more enjoyable. It has me considering picking up the third installment... ( )

4.5 stars. Deliciously funny, flawed but realistic characters and some seriously hot sex are a winning combination in Love, Hypothetically. To read my review in its entirety, please click
HERE. ( )

Much like the first book in the 'Theta Alpha Gamma' series, this is a story about an emotionally repressed geek, Paul, who discovers that feelings may have their place in life after all. While he was a difficult character for me to like, since he is extremely emotionally immature, his struggle to understand himself and figure out how to be a better man was realistic, and he got points, so to speak, for trying so hard. While nothing about Paul's struggle is funny, some of his thoughts and realizations did make me laugh, maybe because things were far more obvious to me than they were to him and watching him catch up with events was entertaining. The underlying message about the importance of forgiveness and how hard it can be to attain rounded off the proceedings very nicely.

Paul is pretty self-sufficient, very convinced of himself, and not interested in emotional entanglements. The disappointment he went through when his boyfriend Trevor in high school outed Paul to protect himself has a lot to do with it. But that was years ago and Paul has not been able to get over it. So, when he runs into Trevor again, and the man apologizes and wants another chance, Paul has a meltdown. Not that he would call it that, but it sure looked like it to me! On one hand, he has no intention of ever forgiving Trevor, on the other hand he keeps listening to him and is sorely tempted to try for more since the attraction is as strong as ever. But while his heart is engaged, his brain will not let it happen.

Trevor has now come out and left baseball to become a college coach, and he has clearly never forgotten Paul. He regrets his actions deeply, and the way he tries to make amends are very touching. While we never hear from hi directly, since Paul tells the story, it is clear that the way Paul treats Trevor after he opens up completely is deeply hurtful. Yes, it is the same kind of hurt Paul went through, but the whole idea of "revenge" against Trevor, who so clearly wants to do anything for a second chance, is just wrong and shows how immature Paul really is.

Luckily, at that point, even Paul sees that he is wrong, and from then on he struggles to change. It isn’t easy for him, and Sebastian and Brad from book one have to help, but it is a well-written process with interesting results! If you are looking for an intense romance with significant internal obstacles, and if the emotionally open jock versus emotionally repressed geek plotline interests you, this is a somewhat entertaining and realistic look at what might happen once the geek realizes he has some catching up to do. In its own way, this sequel made me smile as much as book one.


NOTE: This book was provided by Riptide Publishing for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews.
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If the love of your teenage life outs you to save himself from being outed and ostracized, would you ever be able to forgive him—even if he apologized over and over again, but never owned up publicly to what he did? That’s the question at the heart of Tenino’s second in the Theta Alpha Gamma series after Frat Boy and Toppy.

Caught in a high school locker room together, just as his baseball player boyfriend Trevor was about to give him a blow job, Paul is horrified to find Trevor turning on him and saying that Paul’s gay and has been pursuing him.

Consequently, even though afterward Trevor explains that he can’t be tagged gay and fulfill his life’s dream of playing professional baseball and apologizes to Paul, Paul is heartbroken, resentful, and plagued for the last month of their senior year by his homophobic classmates.

Nine years later, as a college humanities tutor Paul is given the assignment of tutoring the new women’s baseball coach’s players. The new coach? Trevor.

Trevor apologizes over and over, saying he outed himself and quit professional baseball because he missed Paul so much. Paul, however, having lived with his anger and resentment for so long, can’t believe in Trevor’s sincerity. When Trevor takes him on a romantic boat ride, Paul erupts like a lanced boil and spews hateful untruths.

Read the rest of my review at AAR: http://www.likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookReview.pl?BookReviewId=9568 ( )

3.5 stars

I felt it was a bit too short, although I loved the characters. Very entertaining, but I guess I wanted more. ( )