I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. Good read from a much longer series, though since it is a novella everything was too rushed.

I was approved for an arc of Safe, but missed the download date. I still plan on reading it, as the blurb looks awesome, and will review then.

Though, I do love a good sports book I didn't think this was a Novella. I thought is was a full book, which was my only complain.

When I picked this book to review I didn't realize that it was a #1.5 as part of a ongoing series. I was able to read this story without being distracted of not reading the first book. I'm a sucker for MM sports romances. I think part of the reason is because homosexuality has such a negative connotation in the sports world.

In this quick story it is about best friends Trevor Thorne and Rodrigo Cruz. Rodrigo is open and proud of being gay while Trevor is very closeted. They both try to deny their attraction and feelings for each other. One drunken night for Rodrigo pushes Trevor out of the closet.

I liked these two together. Even though this is a quick novella it never felt too rushed. You felt their connection and could understand the evolution of their relationship. Trevor had the most challenges between the two but I liked seeing him grow.

It was a sweet short story. After reading this it makes me want to read more from this series.

This was a cute m/m romance with a sports theme. I enjoyed it and thought the writing was good. Thank you to netgalley for the arc!

Trevor Thorne has always played it safe.

He’s a ballplayer. The game has had his heart and soul since he was just a kid. He learned early on that living in the testosterone-fueled world of baseball meant living a lie. He couldn’t afford to be openly gay, not when he had his whole career ahead of him. But his days behind the plate are numbered and he’s tired, so damn tired of hiding who he is, and it’s becoming more and more difficult to deny himself what, and who, he wants.

Rodrigo Cruz is the opposite of safe.

He’s young, ballsy, and bold. Out and proud, Cruz has never shied away from going after what he wants. He wants a career as a big-league ballplayer, and he wants it on his own terms. No hiding his sexuality or his past but also no throwing himself at his beautiful, blue-eyed bunkmate. Not even if he suspects Trevor isn’t quite as straight as he claims.

Crossing that line, testing that theory, it could put his entire career at risk. If he swings for the fences and strikes out, he’ll always be that guy in the locker room who can’t keep it in his pants. But what if he’s right and they’re more than just teammates?

What if they’re soulmates?

I had no idea this was a novella to a larger series, but I feel like it was easy to read on its own. It wasn't bad, though the entire plot is in the synopsis and first five pages.

*Book received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

Rounding up from 3.5 stars. Jess Bryant delivers another fun novella. Trevor and Cruz seem to have a natural chemistry and there is always something really hot about MM sports romances. Like previous novellas in this series, the story comes off as insta-love but these are characters with an existing relationship when the novella begins so it's a bit more plausible than some of the books in this series.

Safe is a novella in a longer series, so I'm giving the story the benefit of the doubt that it makes more sense after reading book one, but as a stand-alone, it was very rushed.

The story read like one long sex scene with some VERY fast instalove. I know, based on the context of the story, that the two have been friends for a long time, but the feelings on page felt forced and out of nowhere. I never got a good feeling for these two as a couple, aside from how they are in bed, and I don't like when we get heavy emotions right off the bat.

Novellas are extremely tricky to write and execute, and perhaps if I had read the first in the series I would have enjoyed it more. As it stands... meh.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

Awh, this was so good! I loved Trevor and Rodrigo, they were so cute together and fit well. That they also both played baseball was just icing on the cake lol. I wish this were longer! I would love a full length novel of the two of them and their relationship. It definitely made me want to read the first book and I hope there are more!

This was a quick and sweet read that was unexpected and warm. I love baseball and there is a serious lack of baseball romance out there, at least that I can find. Anyway, this was a quick and cute read!

I was looking for a quick MM story and Safe fit the bill. Jess Bryant is a new to me author and I found her writing to be quite average. Im not sure I would continue with the series or go back and read the previous book but I thought this was a good palate cleanser between other full length novels.

Friends to lovers is probably my favorite romance trope and even though this one is done in a quick novella it still gives a believable story of two friends giving into their true desires. A fun M/M sports romance! Sexy, sweet and vulnerable.


Thank you Netgalley for a free copy to read and review.

another short story set in fate, texas, safe follows trevor thorne, a closeted baseball player who is close to the end of his minor league career. his roommate, and up-and-coming, out-and-proud player rodrigo cruz is on the verge of a big league contract. and the tension between them has reached astronomical levels. there's no more hiding what they want, what they need from each other.

this is short and sweet, with minimal angst and a happy ending. a quick read for a pick-me up.

**safe will publish on august 26, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/ninestar press in exchange for my honest review.

I love novella and short reads and this was right up my alley. It also has a few of my favorite things in it, MM , but sports guys, coming out because of you etc. But it missed the mark for me. Overall, I liked what I read but it seemed like I was starting in the middle of a book. As soon as I started this I was reading the epilogue. I wanted more from these characters and the book.
There wasn't any character or story development. With a little more to this book it could be a great read.

Safe is a short companion novella to the earlier romance Stay a Little Longer. It’s not necessary to have read the first book (I didn’t), but I think it would make the story more meaningful.

As the story begins, baseball teammates and friends Trevor and Rodrigo are both interested in taking their relationship to another level, but each man hesitates to be the first to make a move. When Rodrigo drunkenly breaks the ice, it frees them up to admit their attraction to each other. However, while Rodrigo is out as bi, Trevor is buried deep in the closet. To be with Rodrigo, Trevor needs to overcome his fear of coming out after hiding his sexuality for years so he could have a career in baseball.

Normally when I read a romantic story, I like to see the development of the relationship, how it evolves to the point where the lovers are ready to admit their feelings for each other. Since Rodrigo and Trevor are pretty much already there at the start of the novella, I didn’t get that emotional buildup to the “I love you’s” that really makes a book work for me. However, the book still has romance and plenty of heat, so I did enjoy it overall.

Recommended for readers looking for a hot quick read.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

A novella that was a combination of sweet and spicy. Loved this m/m romance and did not want it to end. Loved Trevor and Cruz and wished this story were longer!! Their connection was hot and they definitely steamed up the pages. I cannot wait for more from this author.

Safe was a quick and spicy read.

Trevor's days in professional baseball are numbered. He's older and his body isn't what it used to be. Rodrigo Cruz has everything to look froward to. Major league potential, part of a new generation of baseball players, and openly bisexual. He's everything that Trevor wants but is afraid to go after.
A drunk confession by Rodrigo makes Trevor wonder if its possible to have what he wants.

The chemistry between the two men was off the charts. The only thing I wished for was more! These two definitely have a much larger story that what we were given in this novella.

German review on the books is following, review will be published on the pub date.

Intensive m/m-romance

Bei dem Buch handelt es sich um eine schöne, intensive Novella (m/m romance). Die Hauptcharaktere Trevor und Rodrigo sind zwei Baseball-Spieler. Einer von ihnen lebt offen schwul und fühlt sich von zu Teamkameraden hingezogen, will aber nicht den ersten Schritt wagen, da dass nach hinten losgehen könnte.

Das Buch spielt primär an zwei Tagen und da es sich um einen Liebesroman handelt, sollte jedem klar sein, was als nächstes passieren wird. Mir hat diese kurze Novella sehr gut gefallen, da sie intensiv ist und die Beziehung zwischen Trevor und Rodrigo mich emotional positiv mitgenommen hat. Mir hat außerdem gut gefallen, dass die Autorin nicht zu viel in die Geschichte gepackt hat, sondern sich auf das wesentliche, die Beziehung der beiden, fokussiert hat.

Von mir gibt es für diese Novella vier Sterne. Von der Autorin habe ich zuvor übrigens noch nichts gelesen, dieses Buch hat mir aber Lust auf mehr gemacht.

I absolutely loved this book. Having never read anything by Jess Bryant, I wasn’t sure what to expect but was pleasantly surprised. This is such a great love story. I absolutely fell in love with Trevor and Cruz from the get go and continued to fall head over heals over them. This book is not only a sweet love story but also a glimpse at the internal struggle of an athlete forced to remain hidden. It was a hard book to put down. I highly recommend this short novella, read it, trust me you won’t regret it.

I really need to start paying attention when I pick up or request a book for review. But then, surprises are fun too 😉

It’s been a while since I read Stay a Little Longer, the first book in Jess Bryant’s Fate, Texas series. I loved Trent and Lance’s story, so imagine my surprise when I realized that Trevor was Trent’s twin brother. I was really hoping that this series would continue. Now I hope we get even more… greedy, I know, but isn’t that the way most of us are when we “meet” characters that we want to get to know better?

Safe was short and sweet, but just long enough for Trevor and Cruz to finally realize that they were both on the same page and find a way to make it work for both of them.