Genre: Sports Romance

This review is based on a complimentary Advanced Reader Copy provided by Berkley Publishing Group. In the wrestling ring, the Dragon faces off against the Ice Prince in a no holds match for the championship belt on live entertainment. Featuring a scrappy up and coming wrestler paired opposite the ruthlessly cold history-making champion, the path to glory and success seems so straightforward until feelings get involved, pun intended. Celine Ong’s debut novel Hold Me Like a Grudge is an entertaining and witty queer sports romance story full of the expected adrenaline-fueled fights, choreographed training arcs, and entertainment industry shenanigans one would expect in a wrestling focused rivals to lovers narrative. Yet beyond the spotlight and headlining matches, this book is so much more. Backed up by strong platonic and romantic chemistry, excellent character writing, and earnest themes of acceptance and found family, this book is equally punchy as it is endearingly wholesome, a well-rounded and amazing read! In the world of sports and live entertainment, professional wrestling is perhaps one of the most homoerotic sports out there and it’s slightly surprising there aren’t very many well-known MM romance books that are themed to the sport. Anyway, for those that are not…

Mixing the popular tropes including sports romance, British-American culture clashing, and sports vs academic prowess, See You at the Finish Line is a M/M romance book that simultaneously feels familiar while also quite different from other similar books. Besides revolving around a less popular sport within the sports romance book genre (somewhat shocking considering two of the rowing positions are called the cox and stroke, the pun opportunities are endless), this is a romance book that prioritizes its main characters’ individual journeys and growth inspired by each other, rather than straightforward romantic coupling. Full of university-set drama and effective plotting, this book seamlessly blends romance and queer literature, telling a story with far more substance and intention than meets the eye. Endearingly sweet, well-intentioned, with just a little bit of light-hearted cringe for comedic purposes, See You at the Finish Line by Zac Hammett is a wonderful debut novel that’s a great sports novel for non-sports enthusiast as well as those looking for British university shenanigans. Before I get into the book’s strongest elements, there are a few notable elements that are worth mentioning that can be potential deal-breakers for some. While Hammett has utilized it as a very effective…