WL's Mainstream Gay Book Reviews - 52. The Endgame (Book 1 of Atlanta Lightning Series) by Riley Hart

https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/57481725

Football and politics make a very interesting statement in this story, where modern relationships, perceptions, and ideals clash with traditions. Riley Hart is an author, I believe is at her best, when she is invested in her characters. It’s a trait of authors I enjoy, because while plots of many stories may be reused by other authors, how characters react and actually exist in a story and, in this case, due to successful reception of this first book, a shared universe. In this story, readers can clearly see how characters try to live in a world much like our own and be openly gay while maintaining professions that may not be easy for them. Yes, there’s cheese and too-good-to-be-true stuff, but the darker aspects of the story more than make up for happier parts. I actually enjoyed the fact that Riley Hart pointed out that the gridlock in Washington appears to be so ingrained and so unmovable based on the positions of politics. The “real” broken politics in this book is a nice cynical companion to Casey McQuiston’s Red, White, and Royal Blue dynamic progressive hopes for a better outcome despite the same issue. Both LGBT authors have similar hopes, the execution of their characters make for interesting storytelling.

Length-wise, this book is 336 pages long and 10 hours 50 minutes on audible. I suggest you pace yourself and be ready for a slow-burn relationship. There’s a lot of trepidation and fear between the two main male characters, fears of being outed and fears of being able to maintain a relationship. It’s great character drama, but the steam level doesn’t hit boiling often, you as a reader must get through as many hurdles as these characters before you get to the good parts.

Plot: Weston is a California US Senator, who is openly gay and appears to be a centerpiece of many tabloid stories. He’s from a long line of political family members, including his own father, the North Carolina US Senator from the opposing party. He felt like he was accomplishing nothing as gridlock in the US Congress due to disagreements between members of the 2 parties over issues from housing to school lunches appear constantly, with his father usually being a champion of the opposition. At a hotel bar, Weston meets an athletic man named Anston, who has his own issues and worries.

Anston is a professional American player on the Atlanta Lightning team. He’s an up and coming Tight-End, who is a proud to be at the top of his professional career. However, he’s been secretly hiding the fact that he’s gay for years now, attempting to use alcohol and hookups with random women to hide the fact that he isn’t interested in heterosexual sex or women. Growing up with a single mother in the Deep South and a disabled brother, Anston has had fears and regrets regarding what he wanted and what his family would find acceptable. He also hated himself for not watching out for his brother, who injured his spine and became wheelchair bound, when Anston was flirting with another boy as a teenager.

As the story progresses, the two characters begin building a relationship in secret through text messages and late-night calls. It eventually evolved into full blown sexual rendezvous and an affair heats up. As they begin to realize that this was no merely a missed connection hookup or a short affair, they both must make difficult decisions about their lives and careers if they wish to stay together. There’s a happily ever after ending in the book, but like many things in life, it’s not perfect.

Review: If you enjoy a modern fiction romance with an American football story and a dash of American politics, you will enjoy reading Riley Hart’s The Endgame with a fair warning, it took Riley Hart a bit longer than Casey McQuiston in Red, White, and Royal Blue or even Tal Bauer Enemies of the State to get characters from a political background and non-political background to the same place in this book, where they accepted each other as lovers and partners. If you want high-powered political thriller or drama-comedy, it might not deliver. If you are looking for a good drama based on realistic characters, then Riley Hart’s story will definitely satisfy your interests.

I thought Weston was an interesting character with a dynamic personality and open-minded after a lifetime in the closet from a conservative background, which included gay conversion camp. I can understand where he comes from and I did enjoy his storyline, including his penultimate confrontation with his father. The solution by removing himself from fighting his father, who actively tries to destroy institutions Weston treasures as his own father views Weston is doing the same, will probably not satisfy everyone, but I don’t think anyone who has seen the gridlock in Washington DC for the last decade between Democrats and Republican political party leaders can say it’s completely wrong choice. “To deny battle is one way of never being defeated” is an old strategy after all.

Anston on the other side is a fun character with layers of complexity and nuances. I enjoyed reading about him and learning about his motivations, drives, and family. As a poor Southerner, he had few options other than being the best he could in the sport that he loved. However, the fact was he could not meet society’s expectations for his sexuality and he knew he could never do it. I find that part of his story incredible and I wonder if Carl Nassib, the only openly gay NFL player on the Las Vegas Raiders, ever felt that way about himself and the sport. In contrast with Weston’s broken family life with a father, who wanted to have conformity to expectation and Weston’s rebellion by being openly gay, Anston’s mother is far more sympathetic as a single mother with religious views that would tell her one thing, but on the other side, she loves her son unconditionally. That kind parental understanding was beautiful to read after everything else in the story.

Side characters from Anston’s disabled brother, Anston’s Quarterback Darren, and Weston’s best friend/sometimes bedmate Jeremy, who is the protagonist of Book 2, were wonderful additions to the story. They add complexity and nuances to Anston and Weston’s background that wouldn’t exist without their presence. That is why good side characters are needed.

As for the negative point, I have to admit it, Riley Hart did over indulge on the story and plot elements. Even a prolific reader like myself had trouble keeping to steady reading. It paid off around chapter 15, but it felt like I had to wait forever to see the 2 main male leads together. There’s a reason why long-distance relationships don’t work; it’s also why writing about them is hard to keep readers interested. Luckily, there was enough side character action to keep me interested for a payoff. Other issues include the political aspects of Weston’s career as a US senator, he should be surrounded by staffers at various points with his chief of staff muscling him to make dinner plans with foundations, groups, and donors, especially in a state like California. If Massachusetts politics is anything to go by, Riley Hart might not have had the experience on the backend to see some of the stuff that high-level staffers do to get their boss’s schedules filled up.

My Review: 4.00 out of 5.00, I do recommend this story and I think for those willing to invest some time in it, maybe even this Thanksgiving week between actual American Football and turkey, you can spend about 10 hours reading this interesting book. It isn’t perfect, but the characters are really good and the points it makes on culture, expectations, and traditions are worth learning.