len ❀'s Reviews > Power Plays & Straight A's

💘 re-read: 10.7.23

By technical terms, the first MM romance book I read was Red, White & Royal Blue. However, I didn’t read it as an MM romance but instead as an LGBTQ+ romance.

You could say I didn’t know MM romance was a genre itself. Yes, I knew gay romances were a thing, I just didn’t know there were different categories. I didn’t know MM romance was a separate genre from LGBT, even if MM is LGBTQ. And honestly, RW&RB isn’t really marketed as an MM romance but instead as a queer romcom. And in June 2020, during lockdown, because 19-year-old me just wanted to read a queer romance, and RW&RB was everywhere, I figured: Why not?

And while I did love it, it didn’t mark the beginning of my MM reading journey. I kept mixing up genres, reading this and that, more LGBT novels here and there, still exploring different books and finding my likes. Then, in May 2021, I read King of the Dark, which was my first (intentional) MM romance. A former mutual had read it the year before and got me somewhat curious. I wanted to read something different, and because I had never really read gay romances and that was on my TBR, it was the safest choice. In can be considered my first MM romance that was labeled (when I say labeled I mean labeled here on GR under the genres/tags) as such and not queer or LGBTQ+ fiction/romance. It can be considered to have made me interested in more. Yet, I don’t consider it to be The One That Started It All. I consider this to be it. I consider this book to mark the beginning of my MM reading journey, with it being the most memorable and essentially introducing me to what I still love and read.

It’s weird how the world works. My first MM/gay romance was read in June 2020, and THIS was released in June 2020. This is just a dumb and coincidental point I connected. If only I had continued reading books also released in June 2020, I would’ve been introduced to this genre a year before. But, with all that being said, better later than never.

Through my journey, I’ve learned a lot of things, both about people and even about myself. There are things I didn’t find weirdly problematic before that I now understand why are wrong, things I used to say that could have been said better. Regardless, there’s always something new to learn about people and the community. I decided to re-read this for the sake of comfort. The Sadenverse is not one I’ve completed, and sadly I have no huge interest in this duo’s books, solo-work and collabs. Still, this remains my favorite of the series and overall universe, and it brings a smile to my face that is now full of nostalgia. I’m not sure if next year I’ll end up catching up on the Sadenverse universe (at this point I don’t care about keeping track of characters and trying to understand who is who and why they are where they are), but I can thank this duo for spiking my curiosity into this genre more. Because Foster and Zach are who I consider to have ran so the rest could walk. I read their story, and then I wanted more.

—🏒

“Will it make you think of me?”
His eyes soften. “You’re assuming I don’t already.”

Man, this was cheesy and fluffy. It was exactly what I needed.

In Power Plays & Straight A's, Zach is off-limits for Foster. Or at least, that's what Foster's brother, Seth, tells him when he asks him to keep an eye out for him. Zach is transferring to CU's campus to get his Master's degree, and since he's new to the campus, Seth asks his brother to try and help him make friends. Although he doesn't want to, Foster accepts, but trying to help Zach is like asking an introvert to go to a party with him (which actually happens). Zach isn't asking for Foster's help, but when he ends up being the TA in one of Foster's courses, he realizes he needs more help than he's come to accept. It then hits both of them that the two enjoy each other's company more than they thought they would. Zach may be Foster's TA, and Foster is trying to get signed to join the NHL, but neither of those two things will stop the two from being together.

Hockey used to be the only thing in my life that mattered. Now it’s a juggling act between the ice and my man, but I’m willing to do it. Because I’ve never met anyone like Zach.

This book put a smile on my face on many occasions. I’m a firm believer in stating this book won’t be enjoyed by everyone. Some will find it too cheesy and maybe even weird. Some may not feel the chemistry because of the two main characters. But that’s okay, because I needed this. I was smiling so much, I laughed throughout almost the entire book, and I rooted for both main characters throughout the entire novel. It was sweet, funny, bizarre in some ways, and overall, joyful.

I originally didn't plan to write a full review. I opened the notes app on my phone and started typing my thoughts, but then I ended up writing all my thoughts and opinions, and not just some.

First, I loved both characters, Zach and Foster, so much. I also really admired Foster's passion for Hockey. I generally love to read about characters who have passion for something specific and love reading about how hard they work to achieve that dream. I also appreciated how he didn’t make his entire personality based on it. He tried his best to spend time with Zach, and I was so glad Zach didn’t make it easy at first to get to him. I also admired his leadership in the sport and how optimistic he was with himself and the team. He had a goal for himself, but he also placed a big part of his heart in the team. It was important to him, and even though he didn’t want to lose, losing was not something he would drown in. I liked his resilience.

I loved Zach’s nerdy personality and was able to sympathize with his social anxiety (which, although it isn’t exactly stated, I’m sure he had some, coming from personal experience). He’s isolated, lonely, and a full-on introvert. Really, he has no friends, especially after transferring to a new school. He’s become the TA of a sports psychology course, and the fact that Foster is in that class doesn’t make it easier for him. He tries his best to step out of his comfort zone, and I think I found so much comfort in him because he reminded me so much of me, especially since I'm also a college student.

Being new on a big campus with so many different students is such a scary experience, and luckily for Zach and me, we at least knew someone on our first day. Nonetheless, it's still an anxious feeling going out and approaching people, so I really couldn't blame Zach for preferring to stay a little isolated and away from people, reading or being at the library, and not bothering to pay attention to parties, people, and overall everything else about the "college experience."

There are more people around campus than I’m used to, though that’s probably because I hid away in the library whenever there were largely anticipated sporting events going on.

With that aside, I loved how flirtatious yet serious he was with Foster. I found him to be entertaining but also super adorable and cute. I laughed and smiled so wide whenever he got shy around Foster, and I found his confidence to grow around him the more time he spent with him admirable and overall precious. I also enjoyed his virgin humor, even though I can picture him trying not to be funny. Maybe it’s because I’m also a virgin and in the asexual spectrum, but I found it funny. I was also just overall thankful he was a virgin character. I’m honestly tired of romance authors writing about horny and very experienced characters. Zach was very inexperienced, but he became needy with Foster as his sexual drive and desire for him grew. I found it hilarious how he tried going out of his way to learn how gay sex works, as well as being honest about it all. I don’t know, I just really needed something like this, so I found his character super lovable. I also found his blushes towards Foster and stutters to be sincere but also amusing.

In general, I found their entire banter to be witty. I liked how Zach was not super easy to get to with Foster. Foster clearly chased him more, and while both were attracted to each other, they weren’t aware of it. Foster was first assigned to help Zach, show him around, and take care of him, but he started getting attached and enjoyed spending time with him. I guess part of it is because Zach was a little anti-social, and again, while it isn’t exactly stated, he did say he preferred the library or being somewhere alone instead of making conversation with people.

“Oh, so you’re being rude on purpose? Isn’t it polite to invite a person in when they come over?”
“Isn’t it polite to give someone a heads up before you show up unannounced?”
“Touché.” I take out my phone and send off a text.
His phone beeps in the room behind him.
“You better get that. It sounds important.”

I mentioned above how I was really happy about how Zach tried to step out of his comfort zone, but some of it was thanks to Foster. I connected with their friendship, mostly because I'm also an introvert, and I had an extrovert friend in college who would pull me out of the dorm to hang out with her and her friends. Foster was a good friend, and I appreciated how he didn't force Zach for anything. I liked his protectiveness of Zach as it slowly grew, especially after finding out some of his past with Morris.

And that locker room scene? Nothing but delight.

He’s the one who closes the gap this time. His mouth crashes into mine, maybe a little overeager.
His lithe body pushes closer, pressing against my hockey pads. My hand wraps around his back, and I curse my hockey gear right now.
I want to be closer. I want to feel him against me.

One of the things I found to be a huge plus in the book was how there was no unnecessary drama. Zach and Foster get their HEA, but there was no conflict in their relationship. There was no drama anywhere, nothing from Foster’s friends and family to Zach’s family. Their family was supportive of their sexual orientation, which I was delighted for because I’m honestly tired of LGBTQ+ characters always being some of the ones who suffer the most, such as experiencing homophobia constantly, getting killed off, or not being a lead role. Yes, homophobia was present in the book, but it was never directly stated. There were moments where Zach’s bisexuality was ignored and taken for gayness, and he’d usually shrug it off or make a joke about it. Zach and Foster got stares and looks from people when they were out and together (because people can’t mind their own business), but it didn’t add conflict. They didn't get bullied, called out, or overall, hated on.

If there were drama in this, I’d say it was how Foster was not fully out, but I also didn't consider it drama because that’s something so many LGBTQ+ individuals struggle with. Foster struggled to figure out his sexuality, from claiming he was gay to realizing he was bi and then hiding it for so many years from his parents, which shows the reality of many people. Some don’t come out, ever, so reading about a supportive family on both sides, supportive friends, and no direct hate against the two characters made me feel at ease.

On the ice, the only important things in my life are my team and getting the W. That doesn’t mean when I’m off the ice I can’t glance around at the stands looking for a certain dark-haired, green-eyed nerd whose sex noises are ingrained in my mind.

I haven’t really read m/m romance, so I also think that’s another reason I really liked this. I’d say it’s a good place to start for someone new in the genre like me, simply because it’s not heavy on plot, it’s very quick to breeze through, the characters can be enjoyable enough, there’s no drama, and it has enough cute dialogue. There was also sex, and I enjoyed reading it, although I was laughing at it most of the time (in a good way). It felt real and realistic, and I really do think they had chemistry. I rooted for their relationship from the beginning, and I adored the patience, and easiness Foster had on Zach. Since he was experienced, he was worried about either taking things too quickly or hurting him, but Foster, who became needy and clingy, made sure not to let him worry. Honestly, it was a joy to read about their sexual relationship.

“Think about it.” I lean in and whisper, “Just know I’ll make it good for you.”

One of the things that I noticed after reading was something I softly commented on in my head as I was reading was the protectiveness of Seth. Seth is obviously not straight, and I say this because book 3 (Goal Lines & First Times) of this series is about him. By instinct, I would say it was because he had a crush on Zach himself but was afraid to tell him, maybe because they’re best friends and he didn’t want to ruin the friendship, or maybe because he was still unsure of his sexuality? I don’t know. I can’t say and tell because there wasn’t enough information and dialogue to make that statement true. He’d confirm he was straight, would get grossed out when his brother and best friend were making out (I would too if I were him), and he mentioned how he’d brought girls over to the house. He also mentioned he was seeing a girl, which I know doesn’t prove or show evidence that he’s straight, but it’s all mentioned to “assume” he was straight. Overall, I first liked how he cared a lot about Zach. He asked his brother to keep an eye out on him because he knew he was new and didn’t have friends, but it got to the point where he was very protective of him as if Zach was a child and couldn’t take care of himself. I understood how Zach was trying to help and look out for him, but it was a little too much after a certain point.

“Do you know how nice it’s been to feel wanted? He doesn’t treat me with kid gloves or try to tone things down for me. And if he hurts me … I want that. I want to know what it’s like to have experienced that high even if it’s followed by a crushing low. Leaving you was the hardest choice I’ve ever made, but it was the right one.”

Overall, this was definitely a cute, sweet, and quick story. I’ve already decided to start the next book because it’s about Jacobs, who I had suspected was in the closet. Both he and Foster mentioned he was straight, but there were moments where small hints were thrown, implying another scenario. I also really enjoyed his character in this book, and I’ve heard from others that the second book is the best in the series, so I’m really looking forward to it.

“Can I kiss you again?”
“Whenever you want.”