Book Review: Illeagl Contact by Santino Hassell @santinohassell ‏@penguinrandom

Book Review: Illeagl Contact by Santino Hassell @santinohassell ‏@penguinrandomIlleagl Contact by Santino Hassell
Series: The Barons #1
on August 15, 2017
Genres: M/M
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The rules of the game don’t apply off the field in this first Barons novel. 

New York Barons tight end Gavin Brawley is suspended from the team and on house arrest after a video of him brawling goes viral. Gavin already has a reputation as a jerk with a temper on and off the field—which doesn’t help him once he finds himself on the wrong side of the law. And while he’s been successful professionally, he’s never been lucky when it comes to love. 

Noah Monroe is a recent college grad looking for a job—any job—to pay off his mounting student debt. Working as Gavin’s personal assistant/babysitter seems like easy money. But Noah isn’t prepared for the electrifying tension between him and the football player. He’s not sure if he’d rather argue with Gavin or tackle him to the floor. But both men know the score, and neither is sure what will happen once Gavin's timeout is over…


What can I say, I just loved this book. The push and pull of the main characters, the sweet endearing moments, and the steamy romance had me sold. Gavin and Noah are polar opposites. Gavin, a football super athlete, closeted about his sexuality, has gone a step too far and is now confined to his massive yet empty mansion for the next six months. Noah, an out and proud philanthropic man looking to support his family, while making a name for himself, ends up at Gavin’s doorstep taking on the role of personal assistant. On paper they couldn’t be any more different, but they soon learn that together they are complete. Sadly, though it’s never that easy. My first Santino Hassell read and I am hooked!

This story was perfect. The writing kept me engaged, while the love story made me swoon. I think chapter eleven won me over. Santino places the icing on the cake when he gave me a sexy “Clark Kent” visual for one of the male leads. Hello! He has glasses. The differences between Gavin and Noah are strong yet they blend together flawlessly. Their raw need for one another propels the story forward and had me wanting more. There is more to come in this football bad boy world and I am ecstatic. Different characters but I am sure we will see these sexy boys again. I took a chance on an author I had never read or heard of before and it paid off tenfold.

About Santino Hassell

Santino Hassell was raised by a conservative family, but he was anything but traditional. He grew up to be a smart-mouthed, school cutting grunge kid, then a transient twenty-something, and eventually transformed into a romance writing and sarcasm loving guy that is most well known for co-writing a free, dystopian series that has spawned an online cult following.

Santino is a dedicated gamer, a former anime-watcher and fanfic writer, an ASoIaF mega nerd, a Grindr enthusiast, but most of all he is a writer of LGBT fiction that is heavily influenced by the gritty, urban landscape of New York City, his belief that human relationships are complex and flawed, and his own life experiences.

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