Deke

Written by Eden Finley

Narrated by Alexander Cendese and Iggy Toma

Ollie: Word of advice: don't come out to random guys in public restrooms. Even if they're charming and adorably nerdy and offer to help.

My family believes I can't be happy if I'm not out to the world. I have a bitter ex-boyfriend and an unstable NHL career to show for it. A fake boyfriend seems like an easy and quick solution to get my family off my back, and this guy is volunteering. I take him up on it without asking his name.

I really should've asked for his name.

Lennon: Word of advice: learn how to introduce yourself properly. In my defense, I don't recognize Ollie Strömberg right away. I cover football, not hockey. I'm not supposed to see him again, and he's never supposed to find out I'm a reporter. That all changes when my editor reassigns me.

It's a lesson I should've learned by now. Nothing's changed since high school. Jocks still hate nerds. But even worse, athletes hate journalists. Especially ones who know their secret.

Contains mature themes.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Sep 18, 2019
• ISBN: 9781977337245

Reviews for Deke

[M A. I. · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is such a wholesome, funny and hot m/m romance! It has so many good ingredients. Finley talks about different topics. This one is a bit more centred about the coming-out and the consequences LGTBQ+ community experience and I think it was very well done (keep in mind I'm not part of the community, tho).
I don't have much to say but I've really enjoyed all of Finley's books so far. They make me smile so much and so often, and that has to count for something.

[Angela White · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Great series… hopeful vision for pro athletes. Ollie & Lennon accidentally meet while Ollie is squirming through a family dinner, Lennon volunteers to be a fake date to divert their attention. Months later they meet again, and the sparks are still there. Ollie is out to his family and few close friends, but is afraid his days as a pro hockey player will implode if he comes out publicly. The bulk of this story is Ollie coming to terms with what’s important to him and how he wants his story told, Lennon supports Ollie and encourages him to live in his comfort zone. Ollie feels safe and respected with Lennon.
Lennon has been burnt by jocks. But they are also his kriptonite. As sports journalist, Lennon’s fair but honest, as a gay man he’s believes people should come out on their own terms and time. The family banter is hilarious, sense of comradery with friends what most wish for, and having rink side seat to Ollie & Lennon’s falling for each other .. hat trick anyone ?❤️‍??❤️‍??

[Els Rombaut · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Nerdy Lennon is the absolute best! The bonus scene was also so much fun to read. Alexander Cendese and Iggy Toma keep rocking it ?

[tatsuri · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Liked it. Ollie and Clark, I mean Lennon, are adorable. As expected for any of the main couples in this series. But the worse part is that the phrase "Ollie Ollie oxen free" was never said. And if it was I must have missed it. Would have been the perfect title for an article after Ollie comes out the proverbial closet.

[akbouterse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.75 stars. I've enjoyed all three of the books in this series that I've read and this was no different. Despite that this one was less of a fake boyfriend plot, it's still very similar to the first two books in this series. That's not necessarily a bad thing. If you like the other books, you'll probably like this one, if you didn't maybe don't pick this up.

I enjoyed Ollie and Lennon as main characters, though at times, they could be a little bland. Ollie is a hockey player and Lennon is a journalist. The dynamic between them isn't super unique or anything, but I still liked it. I liked the stuff with Ollie's family and I would have liked to see more of him interacting with his brothers. Ollie and Lennon are definitely both characters I've seen many times before. Even though I liked reading their story, their characterization wasn't really anything special I didn't feel like we learned too much about them, especially Lennon. We know about Ollie's conflict with his family and his ex but we never get to see that same sort of depth from Lennon. I definitely would have appreciated a little bit more character work.

The plot was good. Definitely one I've seen before but it hit on plot points that I like and if it isn't broke, don't fix it. I liked seeing the characters we've met in past books and seeing who is being set up for future relationships. It is kind of unrealistic that all these people know each other but it makes the story a lot more fun. I think I'm most excited to see what happens with Jet and Soren so I'll definitely continue with the series.