Everything's Better With You
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4.8 • 4 Ratings
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- $0.99
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- $0.99
Publisher Description
Everything's Better With You is a TED LASSO-inspired sports-themed funny romance featuring two guys who've pined for each other for 15 years while their careers soared and their bodies fell apart.
Retired quarterback and "nicest guy in the NFL" Leslie Payton met former college cheerleader-turned-reality-show darling Joe Judd fifteen years ago. They spent one magical night...talking. They've been pining for each other via text and phone calls ever since while their careers kept them geographically apart. When their alma mater recruits them to reinvigorate a flagging athletic program, Leslie is thrilled to finally have Joe close enough to see if their "what if" can become a reality. And the sooner the better before Leslie's history of Traumatic Brain Injury catches up to him and he's unable to be a true partner.
Joe has spent their years apart dancing on reality TV, Broadway, and concert tours, knowing full well the clock is ticking on his body's ability to continue taking the abuse. Leslie wants forever to start now, and Joe doesn't have that luxury, though Leslie makes him want things he's never allowed himself to dream of with anyone else. But a lifetime of only feeling worthwhile for his performance ability makes him doubt whether he could ever be a good coach or enough of a partner for the best man he's ever known.
As football and cheer coaches, they're forced to be rivals in public, but behind closed doors, their chemistry is unstoppable. A wager triggers their competitive sides, but the secrets they keep come to light and present them with a seemingly insurmountable obstacle. Can they finally meet on the relationship 50-yard line and move forward as a team?
Recommended for readers 18 and up who love open and honest dialogue about sex, and challenges to toxic masculinity. Also included: mesh crop tops, gratuitous shirtless car wash scenes, phone sex therapy, and all the pining.
Customer Reviews
The Leslie & Joe Show!!
The premise for this book drew me in, with two guys who have built an unconventional relationship that took over fifteen years to finally succeed. Joe and Leslie communicated for all that time, but they waited until they could be physically together, contending with the wear and tear of two very physically challenging careers. This is a refreshing story that suggests the notion that a love that is real will outlast the challenges of time. The HEA was well worth the trip!! Good read.
Warmly written and lovely
Four and a half stars
EVERYTHING IS BETTER WITH YOU by RL Merrill is a delightful right timing, athletes, slow burn taking place on a small college campus. Retired football player turned coach Leslie Payton is back at Greenvale College in Missouri, where he and his siblings are preparing to help the school reclaim its stellar standing by revamping its programs and improving their recruiting. One part of that is signing alum and professional dancer Joe Judd to head up the cheer and dance programs. Leslie and Joe shared one life-changing night together years ago…talking and baring their hearts. The intervening time has seen them both meet with tremendous professional success, and now maybe they have a chance to see whether the promise they both felt that night might bloom into more.
RL Merrill writes with authority about high level athletes and the painful challenges they face. Leslie and Joe are no strangers to pushing their bodies to their limits. It’s also a pleasure to enjoy their interactions not just with each other but with their families and friends. Leslie’s brothers are enthusiastic supporters of both of them, as is Joe’s BFF.
Everything Is Better With You is a terrific read, and I rooted for Joe and Leslie (even as I sometimes wanted to give Joe a good talking to, LOL) all the way. I would love to read more set in this warmly written universe.