Blog Tour: Winning with Him: Lauren Blakely
Winning with Him
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Release Date August 3, 2021
Resisting the shortstop has never been my strong suit. I failed at it during my first spring training. It sure as hell looks like I'm about to fail at it again.
The sport I love playing with my very soul hangs in the balance. But everything my heart craves lies with the guy I've got to resist.
A guy who's asking me to make the toughest choice ever.
But how do I become the man I want to be...with him or without him?
Trouble is, I can't seem to get Declan out of my head, even if I stand to lose everything I've worked for my entire life...
Winning with Him is book two in the utterly addictive Men of Summer series, and should be read following Scoring With Him. This romance between two professional athletes spans five epic years.
I have been waiting to get back to Grant and Declan since the cliffhanger in Scoring With Him. These two clearly already won over my heart and I loved them together in spring training. But it was also obvious that they would have plenty of challenges to overcome. Then everything changed anyway.
It is a time for them to rededicate themselves to the sport they love and their teammates. But there is still the indelible impression left on both of their hearts and the trust issues, regrets, pain, and guilt that came from it.
But eventually, their paths will cross again bringing back the tension, sparks, and unresolved feelings that cannot be erased. But problems do not just miraculously disappear and the repercussions of being hurt just make guarding their hearts safer. They are two men in a high-profile sport in different stages of their careers. They each have baggage of their own in addition to what they collected in the past.
These two both have work to do on themselves, healing that needs to occur, and personal goals to reach. Are they meant to be the one that got away or will there eventually come a time that their timing is right so that they can really try for something more?
Grant and Declan are just so wonderful together. I abso-freaking-lutely adore them both so much. I felt all of their feelings as they did. From the fragility of their first connection to the longing of what-could-have-been, and being so afraid to take a chance and risk their hearts and careers. The raw emotion and vulnerability that these two eventually begin to show really touched me. Along the way, they both have opportunities for growth and change and work to overcome obstacles. I was cheering them on from behind my kindle.
This is an epic, intense, emotional, scorching hot, M/M sports romance that spans time, distance, and painful situations. But despite the more emotional undertones, there is also humor, wit, and camaraderie too. It is about healing, honesty, sacrifice, and overcoming fears. Their relationship is complicated, deep, challenging, and passionate. Their connection is one that could not easily be forgotten, but there are no easy fixes. Their personal journeys are as intrinsic to the story as their emergence as a couple. And they have steps to take both individually and together in order to build a solid foundation.
The side characters and their relationships just add to the depth of the story, as well as providing support and comic relief. I love seeing their dynamic relationships and how this story parallels with some others in the series, but now we know that there was so much more going on under the surface with these two.
I cannot believe I am saying this but Grant and Declan have just surpassed my other favorite LB couple Fitz and Dean as my number one. Maybe it is the fact that they have kept me completely enthralled and invested for two amazing books and I still do not want to let them go. These guys have burrowed themselves into my heart and I feel like they are real. They are so well developed, have evolved so much, and all of their issues have been exposed and unraveled, and they have been rebuilt and healed through the course of this series.
Declan and Grant started their story in Scoring With Him. This is the second half of their duet and I was so ready to find out what happened after the cliff we were left with. As we were left with them taking a step back from their relationship, I was curious about how they would handle the things holding them back from commitment and how they would handle the challenges of their careers and self-healing without the other to lean on.
They each have things they need to work on and working on personal issues takes time. Even as I understood why they were working on themselves individually, I couldn’t help but wish they could heal together! I was crushed when they left things as they did, and so the prospect of them not making a speedy reconciliation was tough to take. But, there are a lot of layers to peel back with these 2 guys, and each has hurts he has to heal before he can give his all to anyone else. Once I got over the initial shock and moved into this book, I really enjoyed the process they took over their years apart.
This book spans quite the timeline, but each decision and each year that passes heals and helps Grant and Declan so they can have a chance to try again, if they can find a way to have a relationship across the country.
This was the perfect follow up for their story and left me feeling very good about what they had overcome! It was full of heart and emotion, as well as plenty of fun and wit. I loved the side characters - both men have fantastic friends and teammates supporting them (I wish we could live in the world that has been crafted here!). The story has a perfect blend of drama and emotion to keep things moving and tie up Declan and Grant’s story nicely!
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Release Date July 9, 2021
Falling for the rookie wasn't part of the plan.
As a pro athlete, I have one unbreakable rule when it comes to men -- Don't date another baseball player.
Good thing I haven't been tempted once in four years in the majors.
Until the day a rising star walks into my locker room. Outgoing, affable, and sexy-as-sin, Grant has confidence and talent for miles. He seems to get me too, maybe because we each have our fair share of secrets and scars -- ones we'll both fight to protect.
But, I've got far too much trouble in my past to want to bring any into my present.
All the more reason to resist the kind of dirty deeds his lips and eyes promise.
Even after I plant a scorching, hot kiss on the rookie one night after a game.
Even after he sends me the world's sexiest selfie.
But when Grant reveals his biggest secret, I'm so damn ready to rip up the rulebook.
Turns out he's a virgin and he wants me to help him get around all the bases.
The only rule? Don't fall in love with him as we go.
Scoring with Him is book one in a two-book duet. This romance between two professional athletes spans five epic years and continues in Winning With Him.
All in with Him
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Expected August 27, 2021
Once upon a time all I needed was baseball, friends and extracurricular activities. Then everything changed when Declan Steele stormed into my life and upended all my priorities with his heart, his love, his passion.
So my next five-year plan will include this new ground rule—Love big.
Only, that’s easier said than done when my man and I come face to face with hard truths and new troubles about what it means to be all in.
That’s when I learn that finding love isn’t the hardest part.
Keeping it is.
All In with Him is the final novel in the Men of Summer series, and should be read following Winning With Him.
A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s sweet, sexy and witty. She also writes red-hot, sexy romance and USA Today bestselling LGBTQ romance.
With fourteen New York Times bestsellers, her titles have appeared on the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal Bestseller Lists more than 100 times, with more than 50 titles on the USA Today Bestsellers list alone. She’s sold more than 4 million books. She likes dogs, cake and show tunes.
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