Review: ‘Manhandled’ by Lauren Blakely
Manhandled
by Lauren BlakelySeries: Winner Takes All #5
Published by Top Notch Boyfriend Books on May 3, 2023
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance, LGBT Romance, MM Romance
Format: AudioBook, eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited
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A spicy friends-to-lovers standalone sports romance from #1 New York Times Bestselling author Lauren Blakely writing MM romance as L. Blakely...
My buddies made me do it. I swear. I didn’t plan to bid big on a date with my baseball player best friend at the auction. But he looked really good in that tailored suit, and I can't resist a dare. The media jumps all over the story – the city’s new quarterback nabs a date with the bigshot star shortstop.
Not so fast – we’re just friends. Until we hit the links for the strictly platonic date I won. Suddenly I'm looking at my silver-tongued, devilishly handsome best bud in a whole new light–and it’s dark and dirty. We cross way over the friendship line at my place that night, but in the morning we agree it can’t happen again. Trouble is, we can’t keep our hands off each other, especially not when we’re stuck in the same hotel room at our friend’s wedding.
But Tanner wants a real relationship, and I’m only serious about football. So when my second season as a starter begins next week, our late-night games (and talks, and sleepovers, and morning coffees) will have to end. Except, as the cutoff looms closer, I’m feeling a whole lot more than friendship and that’s a big problem for my career…
Don't miss this red-hot, friends-to-lovers, only-one-bed-in-the-room MM sports romance from #1 NYT Bestseller Lauren Blakely!
Manhandled is the fifth and final book in Lauren Blakely’s Winner Takes All series. I’ve been meaning to read it since its release back in May of this year (2023) and finally made time for it in between other books. I’ve enjoyed this MM Contemporary Romance series by Lauren Blakely and was excited to read Tanner and Luke’s Best Friends to Lovers story.
I’ve always found the Friends to Lovers trope to be one of my favorites to read, especially when the MCs finally admit they are attracted to one another. This is exactly what came to be with Tanner and Luke’s friendship turning into something more when their friends dared one of them to bet on the other during a charity auction for a date. Now, Luke and Tanner are heading on what they agreed to be a platonic date for the charity event. By the end of the date, though, their attraction to one another has them crossing over the friendship line into something more. The issue is Luke has to focus on his football career, and he doesn’t have time for a serious relationship, which is what Tanner wants more than anything, especially with his best friend.
I enjoyed this best friends-to-lovers story for Tanner and Luke. I found it spicy, especially when they finally gave in to their attraction for one another after their first platonic date. It was inevitable these two friends were going to have feelings, especially when they were always with one another, and when they weren’t together, they were thinking about each other. This is why I love friends-to-lovers stories and why I consider it one of my favorite tropes to read. Another reason why I liked this book was that the MCs from previous books in the series made an appearance, and they played a part in Tanner and Luke’s relationship. I loved knowing where the MCS were in their lives and how happy they were together.
But, some things irked me when reading this book compared to the others in this particular series, which is why I only gave it 3.5 stars. The lack of grovel after one of the MCs pushed the other away for the silliest reason. It was all due to a lack of communication that could have easily been resolved if the character had talked it out with the other. They were running scared, and I knew it was bound to happen because this character basically stated he wasn’t looking for anything serious. It was predictable, and I was not a fan of it. I felt bad for the other MC and wished he would have made the other grovel more. The ending felt rushed, too, and didn’t feel like a genuine HEA for the characters, even with the epilogues. I wished I would have enjoyed it a lot more, but unfortunately, Tanner and Luke’s won’t be my favorite in the series.
Audiobook Review/Recommendation: I recommend this audiobook if you enjoy listening to your books. As someone who can’t sit for too long and is always doing things around the house or running errands, audiobooks have helped me a lot this year, and I always enjoy a book when it has an amazing cast of narrators that bring the characters to life in my ears. =) Teddy Hamilton and Jacob Morgan were perfect for the MCs, and I love both of these narrators.
Story Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5
Steam/Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Winner Takes All series and each book can be read as a standalone, but if you are like me and rather read in order start with The Boyfriend Comeback.
Genre/SubGenre(s): Romance | Contemporary Romance | MM Romance
Trope(s)/Element(s): Friends to Lovers | Sports Romance | Football Romance | Baseball Romance | Friends with Benefits
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About Lauren Blakely
A #1 New York Times Bestselling, #1 Wall Street Journal Bestselling, and #1 Audible Bestselling author, Lauren Blakely is known for her contemporary romance style that’s cute but spicy. Lauren likes dogs, cake, and show tunes and is the vegetarian at your dinner party.
My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
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