4 STARS!!!
Summary
Xander Karcek has only wanted two things in his life: Christian Edwards and basketball—the man he loves and the game that let him escape a childhood he’d rather forget. His two obsessions have served him well. He and Chris beat the odds and stayed together through high school, college, and right on to the NBA.
But life under fame’s microscope isn’t easy, especially when two men are pretending to be frat-buddies so the world doesn’t know they’re the next best thing to married. Their relationship survives the sacrifices they make and the lies they tell to stay together, but when their secret is exposed, the fallout might destroy them when nothing else could.
Chris and basketball are the two things holding Xander together. Now the world is asking Xander to make a choice. Is there an option that includes a future with the man he loves?
Denise’s Review
The Locker Room centers around Xander Kareck, a man with a brutal childhood and Christian Edwards, his childhood friend who rescued him. Chris and Xan meet at fourteen playing basketball in the courtyard. You can feel their connection almost instantly.
As the story develops, Xander has a constant mantra, he only needs two things – Christian and basketball, the man he loves and the game that allows him to escape his childhood.
The Locker Room tells the story of how these two boys become men, how they mature, how their relationship evolves through high school, through college and into the NBA.
Watching this relationship develop is heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time. Although Xander and Christian’s love for each other is not in question throughout the story, your heart will break for them as they hide and battle society.
The world sees what it wants in these two rising superstars and you bear witness to their struggle to keep appearances up, i.e. hide their love for each other. The gestures the men have with each other, the subtle way they interact without words transcends gender and the readers truly feel two people in love.
Ms. Lane does a nice job with secondary characters, the use of Christian’s family was really well done, his parents and his sister truly add to the story and their sports agent, Leo makes for some laugh out loud moments.
As these boys become men their relationship faces sacrifices and lies and as we all know trust always finds a way.
I read some reviews that mentioned cheating and after reading this book I have to say there was no betrayal. Yes, they were with women but it was agreed upon to keep their secret (they created a very detailed plan for this), to keep them together on the same team and to make their coach happy
(yes they hated him). This is used to highlight all the men scarified to stay together. I mention
this because for those who don’t like books with cheating; don’t let this mention in other reviews scare you away. It has its place in the story.
If you enjoy Male/Male stories or maybe even if you just enjoy watching true love triumph, you will enjoy watching Xander and Christian deal with the fall out that occurs when they can no longer hide who they are.
This was a wonderful book. The love that these two have for each other is heartwarming. In the end, love did conquer all the lies, the separation, even the girls they agreed to be with because they truly were soul mates – completing each other.
Ms. Lane crafted two very respectful men who truly just wanted to be together and be allowed their own happiness.
Toward the end of the book Ms Lane used an interview with the men and the media to encapsulate the love and sacrifice in this story. I really enjoyed that part, it was really well done.
The author provided an interesting ending, it was one I was satisfied with, because in the end you knew Xander figured out all he really needed was Christian.
About the Author
Amy Lane dodges an EDJ, mothers four children, and writes the occasional book. She, her brood, and her beloved mate, Mack, live in a crumbling mortgage in Citrus Heights, California, which is riddled with spiders, cats, and more than its share of fancy and weirdness. Feel free to visit her at www.greenshill.com orwww.writerslane.blogspot.com, where she will ride the buzz of receiving your e-mail until her head swells and she can no longer leave the house.
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