Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Publication
Dreamspinner Press (2009), Edition: 1st Edition, 376 pages
Description
The most important things in Simon Murray's life are football, friends, and filmâin that order. His friends despair of him ever meeting someone, but despite his loneliness, Simon is cautious about looking for more. Then his best friends drag him to a party, where he barges into a football conversation and ends up defending the honour of star forward Declan Tylerâunaware that the athlete is present. In that first awkward meeting, neither man has any idea they will change each other's lives forever. Like his entire family, Simon revels in living in Melbourne, the home of Australian Rules football and mecca for serious fans. There, players are treated like godsâuntil they do something to fall out of public favour. This year, the public is taking Declan to task for suffering injuries outside his control, so Simon's support is a bright spot. But as Simon and Declan fumble toward a relationship, keeping Declan's homosexuality a secret from well-meaning friends and an increasingly suspicious media becomes difficult. Nothing can stay hidden forever. Soon Declan will have to choose between the career he loves and the man he wants, and Simon has never been known to make things easyâfor himself or for others.… (more)
Media reviews
User reviews
LibraryThing member sharrow
This was the most addictive book to read. Written in first person, I found Simon’s story rather difficult to put down. At times he was a bit whiny and I did get a little over his trials and tribulations with his mates, but Simon was an appealing character who I found myself cheering on silently
Although I am not a huge sports fan, I am a total freak for sports romances and seeing one about the very high testosterone field of football was a definite winner for me. That it was also set in a city not too far away from where I am was also a huge plus. Most romance novels are set in the US. Which is fine for the most part, but it is nice to read about other places in the world and this one felt very familiar and the authors voice was incredibly engaging.
While I did enjoy the book a great deal, I had a few problems with the length. Some parts in the last third or so of the book felt extraneous and I wondered if the latter parts of the novel could have been a little tighter. Sometimes less is more. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it was a great holiday read. More please!
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in his relationship woes. He does try, really!Although I am not a huge sports fan, I am a total freak for sports romances and seeing one about the very high testosterone field of football was a definite winner for me. That it was also set in a city not too far away from where I am was also a huge plus. Most romance novels are set in the US. Which is fine for the most part, but it is nice to read about other places in the world and this one felt very familiar and the authors voice was incredibly engaging.
While I did enjoy the book a great deal, I had a few problems with the length. Some parts in the last third or so of the book felt extraneous and I wondered if the latter parts of the novel could have been a little tighter. Sometimes less is more. Despite this, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it was a great holiday read. More please!
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LibraryThing member robreadsbooks
I loved this book. A compelling story with flawed yet likable characters. I found it one of those rare books where, now that the book is finished, I actually miss reading about these people everyday. The story itself is wonderfully told. The love scenes are real and meaningful with believable
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dialog. I wouldn't call this a romance novel in the traditional sense, but it is definitely a love story, beautifully told. I will recommend this book to others. Show Less
LibraryThing member DianeYu
Though this book starts out slowly with background on the place football holds on the Australian male psyche, by chapter three I was hooked and enjoyed this story of Simon and Dec. Both men must deal with a lot of prejudice as Dec is a football star when he is outed in the news. Great emotional
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read. Show Less
LibraryThing member KScott20
I really tried to like this book but I couldn't. The plot was extremely empty, the characters were badly developed, and I found that I didn't care at all about them or their lives. It's astonishing that this qualifies as literature. Someone said that this plot is addictive? I don't see how. This is
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one of the most badly written books I've ever read. It's impossible to describe just how much the author fell short of creating real and believable characters. This book was so, so boring, like Twilight boring. None of the characters seemed to legitimately feel or think anything. It was almost as if I was playing pre-scripted Sims 3. I was very disappointed. From all the positive reviews of this book online, I expected more. Show Less
LibraryThing member FanGirlMom
Oh I LOVED this book!!! I wanted so much to be a part of Simon & Dec's circle of friends. I totally connected with Simon's snarky voice and I am in love with Fran. This was such a good book! i can't wait to start Tigerland :)
LibraryThing member AB_Gayle
This book did more than anything to convince me that stories could be set outside the United States and still appeal to readers.
It deals with one of the most unfathomable mysteries known to man. The absolute devotion and obsession of Melburnites with Aussie Rules football. Even to a Sydneysider,
Believe me when I say that Sean has captured this perfectly. If a reader thinks any aspect of this is over the top or far-fetched, take it from who knows. It isn't.
Added to this was the ability to have an m/m romance accepted by a publisher without the need to include graphic sexual encounters. Dreamspinner has to be applauded for setting what I hope will be a new standard in the publishing world.
Kudos to Sean for a great read.
It deals with one of the most unfathomable mysteries known to man. The absolute devotion and obsession of Melburnites with Aussie Rules football. Even to a Sydneysider,
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where there is no parallel, this single mindedness about a fairly obscure sport is difficult to comprehend.Believe me when I say that Sean has captured this perfectly. If a reader thinks any aspect of this is over the top or far-fetched, take it from who knows. It isn't.
Added to this was the ability to have an m/m romance accepted by a publisher without the need to include graphic sexual encounters. Dreamspinner has to be applauded for setting what I hope will be a new standard in the publishing world.
Kudos to Sean for a great read.
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LibraryThing member jules0623
I can't even begin to describe how much I loved this book. It was so refreshing to see such an unapologetically Aussie setting with teams and towns and terms I recognised.
I could have just kept reading this forever. Simon and Declan are fantastic MCs: well-rounded, perfectly flawed, funny, with
I will read this again and again, and I can't wait to read Sean Kennedy's other work.
I could have just kept reading this forever. Simon and Declan are fantastic MCs: well-rounded, perfectly flawed, funny, with
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great chemistry. The secondary characters were interesting and nicely written, particularly the female characters. Roger frustrated me, I must admit, but I liked him more than I wanted to smack him. Realistic descriptions of life - and of the media - in Australia as well.I will read this again and again, and I can't wait to read Sean Kennedy's other work.
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LibraryThing member Capnrandm
I really loved this exploration of fame, sexuality, and masculinity. Well written (though Declan is almost too good to be true), I'll definitely be checking out everything else Kennedy has to offer. Reading this right after Josh Lanyon, however, makes the "fade to black" sex scenes a bit noticeable.
LibraryThing member aahickman
This is my second read of Tigers and Devils and I would be happy to immediately read it again. I LOVE this book. I LOVE Simon and all his snarky smart-assery (yes, that’s not a word but it fits Simon). I love his best friends, Fran & Roger; who wouldn’t want them as best friends? I love Declan
The story starts with Simon and Declan meeting at a party when Simon simultaneously defends and insults Declan, setting the tone for their relationship. These are two very different men from very divergent backgrounds that manage to come together partially because of those differences and sometimes in spite of them. Neither of them has very good communication skills which cause some of their problems and exacerbate others. Simon’s response to stress is to internalize it; Dec’s response it to run away from it. Both of these responses are common in real life and I think that is what I truly love about this book. It is about real life. Declan is an extremely famous sports figure but what we see of him is more about what he is like off the Football ground (yes, I had to look that up) than what he is on it. The outside forces that affect them often come from Dec’s celebrity but they are realistic.
I have to admit I didn’t even notice the lack of sex in the book. When I read some of the other reviews that pointed this out I was surprised at first. There may not be a lot of sex but there is a lot of intimacy. I found their love and concern for each other more enjoyable than most sex scenes manage to convey anyhow.
I am not a sports fan and had avoided reading this initially because I knew there would be sports, probably a lot of sports, involved. After this reading I actually kind of want to look into Footy just to be able to understand some of the stuff that didn’t translate that well for me. Not that you can’t read and enjoy this book without having that knowledge but I enjoyed it enough that I actually want to understand all of it instead of just accepting the parts I didn’t quite get. I think that pretty much makes it clear how much I enjoyed this book; a non-sports obsessed person being willing to look into a sport simply so I can more fully enjoy the story.
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for being so much more than a jock. Abe & Lisa, Declan’s closest friends, are fantastic as well. Finally I love Simon & Declan together because while they don’t always make the best decisions, in the end they recognize what they have is more important than all the outside forces that affect them. These are characters that I would love to be friends with if they were real people; they remind me of people that I know and love now.The story starts with Simon and Declan meeting at a party when Simon simultaneously defends and insults Declan, setting the tone for their relationship. These are two very different men from very divergent backgrounds that manage to come together partially because of those differences and sometimes in spite of them. Neither of them has very good communication skills which cause some of their problems and exacerbate others. Simon’s response to stress is to internalize it; Dec’s response it to run away from it. Both of these responses are common in real life and I think that is what I truly love about this book. It is about real life. Declan is an extremely famous sports figure but what we see of him is more about what he is like off the Football ground (yes, I had to look that up) than what he is on it. The outside forces that affect them often come from Dec’s celebrity but they are realistic.
I have to admit I didn’t even notice the lack of sex in the book. When I read some of the other reviews that pointed this out I was surprised at first. There may not be a lot of sex but there is a lot of intimacy. I found their love and concern for each other more enjoyable than most sex scenes manage to convey anyhow.
I am not a sports fan and had avoided reading this initially because I knew there would be sports, probably a lot of sports, involved. After this reading I actually kind of want to look into Footy just to be able to understand some of the stuff that didn’t translate that well for me. Not that you can’t read and enjoy this book without having that knowledge but I enjoyed it enough that I actually want to understand all of it instead of just accepting the parts I didn’t quite get. I think that pretty much makes it clear how much I enjoyed this book; a non-sports obsessed person being willing to look into a sport simply so I can more fully enjoy the story.
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LibraryThing member phenshaw
When I was growing up my dad was an avid Green Bay Packers football fan as well as a University of Nebraska Cornhusker football fan. (Go Big Red!) What this meant is on most Saturdays in the fall we’d go to a game, and on Sundays we’d watch one on television.
All of this was great preparation
Because his best friend Roger and his wife Fran insist, Melbourne film festival organizer Simon Murray shows up at a party where he knows practically no one. Overhearing a group bad mouth football star Declan Tyler whose year of injuries have made him the sports target of the year, Simon defends the man — only to find Declan standing right behind him.
Through this accidental meeting, gay Simon finds out that Declan is a closet case and that they immediately click. But every time they get close, Declan runs, leaving Simon with very mixed signals.
With the encouragement of his married friends and his snippy assistant, Simon patiently waits for Declan, who is battling injuries and is playing for a new team, to acknowledge his sexuality and either admit his feelings for Simon or drop him once and for all.
Kennedy plays lightly with the story often with laugh out loud moments. However, even with this light touch, the central romance shines through and features scenes that will resonate in readers’ hearts, all because the characters are so lovable and real.
Simon is a wonderfully self-sufficient, often confident character even though he has his moments of self-doubt. He’s occasionally a jumble of nerves about his non-existent social life and a critic who hounds him. But he’s the kind of friend who banters easily and for the most part is fairly laid back.
Declan is more difficult to get to know. He’s got an image to protect and can’t come to terms with who he really is, so he flees when he’s conflicted and just about ruins any hope of getting together with understanding Simon.
While these two are the heart of the book and keep it beating right along beautifully, Kennedy adds absolutely wonderful peripheral characters in Simon’s married friends, Simon’s assistant, and the gay reporter who hounds Simon. All add to the ambiance of the book and made the book come alive.
I’ve never been to Australia, but Kennedy’s book not only made me want to visit there but also made me curious enough about Australian football that I googled page after page about it. What I found made me nostalgic about the days sitting in our family’s rec room watching American college and professional football.
I must add, for those who aren’t readers of male / male romances, there is sex in this book. There’s not a lot, and it’s not rabidly blatant. But it is there. It’s mixed in nicely with this exploration of an older man’s coming of age sexually. And the coming into self-awareness is the magical glue that makes this book so enjoyable.
All of this was great preparation
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for Kennedy’s wonderful Tigers and Devils even though I’d never heard of Australian football before and had no idea what their teams were. Rabid sports fans are rabid sports fans the world over.Because his best friend Roger and his wife Fran insist, Melbourne film festival organizer Simon Murray shows up at a party where he knows practically no one. Overhearing a group bad mouth football star Declan Tyler whose year of injuries have made him the sports target of the year, Simon defends the man — only to find Declan standing right behind him.
Through this accidental meeting, gay Simon finds out that Declan is a closet case and that they immediately click. But every time they get close, Declan runs, leaving Simon with very mixed signals.
With the encouragement of his married friends and his snippy assistant, Simon patiently waits for Declan, who is battling injuries and is playing for a new team, to acknowledge his sexuality and either admit his feelings for Simon or drop him once and for all.
Kennedy plays lightly with the story often with laugh out loud moments. However, even with this light touch, the central romance shines through and features scenes that will resonate in readers’ hearts, all because the characters are so lovable and real.
Simon is a wonderfully self-sufficient, often confident character even though he has his moments of self-doubt. He’s occasionally a jumble of nerves about his non-existent social life and a critic who hounds him. But he’s the kind of friend who banters easily and for the most part is fairly laid back.
Declan is more difficult to get to know. He’s got an image to protect and can’t come to terms with who he really is, so he flees when he’s conflicted and just about ruins any hope of getting together with understanding Simon.
While these two are the heart of the book and keep it beating right along beautifully, Kennedy adds absolutely wonderful peripheral characters in Simon’s married friends, Simon’s assistant, and the gay reporter who hounds Simon. All add to the ambiance of the book and made the book come alive.
I’ve never been to Australia, but Kennedy’s book not only made me want to visit there but also made me curious enough about Australian football that I googled page after page about it. What I found made me nostalgic about the days sitting in our family’s rec room watching American college and professional football.
I must add, for those who aren’t readers of male / male romances, there is sex in this book. There’s not a lot, and it’s not rabidly blatant. But it is there. It’s mixed in nicely with this exploration of an older man’s coming of age sexually. And the coming into self-awareness is the magical glue that makes this book so enjoyable.
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LibraryThing member DreZ
Loved the book. Was afraid Simon and Dec wouldn't get their HEA since their drama started so late in the book, but I'm so glad everything worked out for them. I was a little upset with Dec for not understanding Simon punching the guy harassing him on the street when he had been fighting on the
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field quite frequently, and until that point Simon had been doing ok, but I get it was a difficult and stressful situation for both of them, and neither handled it very well. Show Less
LibraryThing member DreZ
Loved the book. Was afraid Simon and Dec wouldn't get their HEA since their drama started so late in the book, but I'm so glad everything worked out for them. I was a little upset with Dec for not understanding Simon punching the guy harassing him on the street when he had been fighting on the
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field quite frequently, and until that point Simon had been doing ok, but I get it was a difficult and stressful situation for both of them, and neither handled it very well. Show Less
LibraryThing member aka_no_joou
I liked how this was written. I didn't feel much for the characters though. And it seems that reading about relationships isn't as interesting as reading about how they start for me.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2009
ISBN
1935192450 / 9781935192459