Release Day Review ~ Volley Balls by Tara Lain

Release Day Review ~ Volley Balls by Tara Lain

Title: Volley Balls

Series: Balls to the Wall

Author: Tara Lain

Release Date: January 11, 2017

Category: Contemporary, M/M/M or More

Pages: 101 (Novella)

Dreamspinner   Amazon  Goodreads

A double dose of alpha male might be better than one.

Despite just getting out of an abusive relationship with an asshole alpha, David Underwood’s wandering glance lands on two hot members of the Australian volleyball team on Laguna Beach and gets him harassed again. Still, when the delicious Gareth Marshall proves his interest by coming out to his team, David succumbs to his attraction. But Gareth’s volleyball partner, Edge, who’s equally hot, makes the lovers’ lives miserable.

For Gareth, a lifetime of hiding his orientation—and his attraction—from his best friend, Edge, as well as everyone else around him, adds up to hurt and frustration. David’s the first man to ever compete with Edge for Gareth’s passion. But Edge has secrets of his own, and David’s ex-lover will never be happy without David under his fist. With everything stacked against him, can a gay Laguna man find happiness with an alpha male–or two?

A "pumped up" version of the Volley Balls story, twice as long as the original.

First Edition published by Etopia Press, 2011.

4 Stars!

I've been waiting quite a while to finally read this one. I'm pretty sure I've read every other Tara Lain book there is and I've definitely read and enjoyed the rest of this particular series. So I needed to see how David and his two Aussie hunks become the fantastic throuple we've seen throughout the rest of the books. It's definitely a fun sexy ride for David although there are some scary moments as well but in the end, we get the HEA that Tara Lain is so wonderful at.

David owns a well known and respected gallery in Laguna Beach. While eating his lunch on the beach one day he can't help but check out the beautiful Australian Volleyball team, specifically the two men playing directly in front of him. Unfortunately for David, one of the giant men seem to take offense to his perusal and begins a homophobic tirade aimed directly at him. Luckily, the dark haired teammate seems to be holding the man back. Unwilling to show any reaction David ignores the blonde God and goes back to his gallery thinking about the beautiful dark haired volleyball player and how he wished he could have a man like him.

Gareth is irritated at having to listen to Edge berate the beautiful man on the beach. If only he didn't need to keep his sexuality a secret. Of course, Edge's reaction to gay men was exactly why he didn't tell his best friend and Volleyball partner that he was gay. For some reason, though, he can't stop thinking about the man on the beach and when a sighting of him at a city event makes him want the man even more, he decides it time to take a chance. He's sick of hiding this part of himself.

Edge doesn't take the news well that Gareth, his best friend and Volleyball partner is gay. Not only gay but interested in the "fairy" from the beach. Angry at what this means for their relationship, he sets off on a mission to make Gareth see what he's doing is wrong. Unfortunately, the only thing it does is drive a wedge between him and Gareth and make it so Gareth begins to hate him. It also brings to light that Edge may be more upset at the feelings he has towards Gareth that he doesn't understand. Not to mention the weird fascination he has with David himself.

When these three men get together lets just say my Kindle started to smoke just a bit. They definitely make a very pretty picture. However, the downside is that we really don't get much of a look at the three of them together. This all happens at the end and it's pretty rushed. Not to mention a little too easy for Gareth and especially David to forgive Edge.

With that in mind, though, this is a fun and hot read. It's one of those books that's great for an afternoon read or a sexy vacation short. If you haven't read the Balls to the Wall series yet, start with this one. It will definitely get you in the mood for the rest, which are all great reads.

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*

*Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie by Dreamspinner Press for my reading pleasure in hopes of an unbiased opinion, a review was not a requirement.*

Volley Balls is Book 1 in the Balls to the Walls series and is being released with additional content. David owns an art gallery and is very involved in the art world in Laguna Beach. He's come out of an abusive relationship and has made himself stronger. While eating lunch on the beach and enjoying the view of the hot guys playing volleyball, one of the participants doesn't like his attention and verbally attacks him calling him names. David's experienced that type of hate, but not usually in his very accepting neighborhood. He refuses to let the bully see that he's afraid and instead takes his time leaving, making sure they notice him on the way out. David is shaken, and even more so when later he looks out the gallery window and sees the loud homophobe and his friends, who are the Australian Volleyball team. He locks eyes with one of the other players, who seems to make an effort to get his friends away without them seeing David again.

Australian volleyball player, Gareth, is uncomfortable with the homophobic attack by his best friend. He's known since he was young that he was gay, but his best friend and volley ball-partner has never kept his homophobic ways a secret. Between him and Gareth's father, he's never been close to stepping out of the closet. But, being in the U.S. with his supportive mother and stepfather and with his attraction to David, Gareth finds himself willing to come out. He doesn't pick the best way to come out to his team members and it doesn't go well. Thanks to Edge, his partner's reaction, they're no longer in the tournament which gives Gareth time to spend with David. David and Gareth's relationship heats up quickly and is instalove but things change when Edge keeps showing up.

Edge has never allowed himself to even consider that he's not straight, no matter how much he's attracted to Gareth. He's unhappy that Gareth has come out but even more unhappy about David. He shows up to confront David but instead saves him from his abusive ex and then decides he needs to prove he's not gay by kissing David. But things don't go as expected. Gareth and David decide to show Edge what he's missing and after working through things, want to have a relationship between the three of them. Edge and Gareth both love each other, but Gareth isn't willing to give up David either. So they have to come up with a plan for a future.

This book was definitely instalove. The meeting, relationship, love and future happened within days of them meeting. The characters definitely steamed up the page, and it was an easy, quick story to read!

Rating: 4 stars