Blurb:

Travis

After a hard day’s work at my construction job, I decide to head to a gay bar to hook up. Then the man of my dreams walks in—tall, dark, handsome, and totally built. Sounds like a fairy tale. And maybe it is. We have one unforgettable night, then I steal away in the night, because I don’t do repeats. But when I see him on television the next day, I realize I haven’t had my fill of the sexy rugby player. He might not want to see me again, after I ditched him, but I have to try.

Isaiah

Waking up alone after a night of spectacular sex isn’t the end of the world. I shouldn’t feel lonely. After all, I’ve got my squad—my best friends on and off the pitch. I’ve also got my mom, whom I love, and my dad’s family back in New Zealand. I’m playing pro rugby for adoring fans in Vancouver, my dream come true. Having one hookup leave me without so much as thanks and goodbye shouldn’t hurt. But when he reappears at a game, I’m in big trouble. No one ever made me want them like this, after just one night. If I let Travis into my life again, am I just courting heartbreak the next time he walks away?

Hot Rucking Canadian is a 26k novella about a rugby fullback who embraces life, a grumpy construction worker who always sees the worst in life, and the love story that spans across an ocean.

*****

Review:

Travis and Isaiah’s relationship starts as a one night stand, but one neither can forget. I appreciate that Travis gathers his courage and is willing to face Isaiah again without knowing how he’ll be received. That takes guts. Luckily Isaiah is open to giving their connection a chance and there’s no looking back.

Isaiah may be young but he’s got a good head on his shoulders. And he sees beneath the surface to the man that Travis doesn’t let very many see. He works hard to bring that person out, to support Travis as he looks to the future and how he can make changes to embrace a future he wasn’t sure that he could have.

Novellas have their good points but they have a lot going against them too. To develop a relationship between characters you either have to have time jumps, which usually means that their are interactions that we wish we’d seen, or you have to go the insta-love route. Which is what we get here. Personally I don’t mind it in a short story, knowing that there are so few pages to work with, but it isn’t going to be everyone’s thing.

Hot Rucking Canadian is steamy but with moments of sweetness as Isaiah helps Travis figure out that there’s more than what’s on the outside and that his past doesn’t have to dictate his future.

~