Fun loving NA romance

Book 4 of the series gave us baseball player, Max and theater geek, Phoenix. Max is in the closet, although I won't say 'deep in the closet'. He didn't acknowledge his sexuality, but he is not doing the whole hiding himself or trying to act like a macho straight dude. His best friend, Christian is gay and he doesn't seem to mind that he is seen around campus hanging out with Phoenix.

Phoenix had a slew of lousy relationship and decided to have a fling with Max, since they are both so attracted to each other and had nothing in common. Perfect!

There isn't much drama and conflict in this short read, but I find myself enjoying the relationship development between Max and Phoenix. They are just so cute and adorable together. I love Max blunt nature and the way they care for each other. Even with the reappearance of Max's recent ex, Sky, it didn't dampened the pleasant mood of the book. Overall, such a sweet and adorb read and you can't go wrong with Michael Pauley. I love the sweet innocent voice of Phoenix!

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Great addition to the series!

4.5 Stars!

We met Max in Out in the Offense, but you don't need to read/listen to that one first, however, for your maximum enjoyment, reading or listening to the series in order might be the best option.

While the book is told from Max's POV and we didn't get to know Phoenix, his love interest, just as well, I couldn't help but loving Phoenix. He was just so unapologetically himself, kind and supportive that I just fell in love with him, right along with Max. And then we have Max, who showed so much growth throughout the book, getting over his toxic relationship with his venomous snake of an ex, Sky—who I hated in Out in the Offense and hated even more here—and moving forward with someone who was not only Sky's opposite, but also Max's in a different sense. The sizzling chemistry between Max and Phoenix was balanced by the friendship they managed despite not having many interests (if any!) in common and I just couldn't get enough of both the passionate and the sweet moments.

Michael Pauley delivered a nearly flawless narration, filled with emotion and bringing Max, Phoenix and the rest of the secondary cast to life for me.

Overall, definitely a book or an audiobook you don't want to miss out on. Very recommendable!

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An enjoyable sports-based romance series

This has been an enjoyable sports-based series with each main closeted character facing the challenge of coming out to his team-mates and family. The characters are often connected via a previous relationship or a friend at college. Although each story could be read as a standalone, I think it is worth reading/listening to the books in order to gain an insight into the various situations and relationships that have gone before. In this case, I would definitely recommend listening to book 3 as there are quite a few plot and character links with this story. Overall book 3 has been my favourite so far, with this one, Out in the Field, running a close second.

Lane Hayes always does a great job of writing the main characters getting to know each other and showing how they gradually fall in love. There’s plenty of conversation here and several steamy scenes that move from being friends with benefits to meaning much more. I love how she blends the journey of falling in love with the main character deciding to come out because of that love. Sky, Max’s spiteful ex, again provides some additional angst to the plot. I hope Sky gets his happy ever after in a future story.

Max and Phoenix are opposites in many ways, yet they gel as a couple. Max is the sporty one and Phoenix’s total lack of knowledge of anything sporty leads to some humorous moments. It’s great how Max moves out of his comfort zone to spend time with Phoenix. I especially loved the ‘break up’ scene and onwards to the end of the story. The coming out scenes were great as were the make-up and epilogue. I had a few issues with some points in the story, but nothing major.

I liked that Christian and Rory (the couple from book 3) were involved throughout this story. I just wished the narrator had been consistent with his voices for these characters as they were different in books 3 and 4. Also Phoenix sounded very much like Mitch from book 2. Having said that, Michael Pauley narrates the story well and makes it easy to follow. He creates a range of emotions and varies his voice and intonation accordingly. A recommended series of audiobooks.

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Best In The Series

This my favorite in the series. Michael was his fabulous with the narration as usual. Lane just keeps getting better.

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Wonderful!

I first read Max and Phoenix's story in eBook the second it came out, and I grabbed the audio before the page finished loading! It certainly did not disappoint as this is one of my favorite authors and narrators. I just loved Max and Phoenix’s story and Michael Pauley truly made it come to life for me! His narration of Max was just as I envisioned as I read his and Phoenix's story. One of my favorite themes is closeted athletes, so the Out in College series has been a favorite must-read for me. When Max, the closeted baseball player, crosses paths again with Phoenix the out drama student, their feelings resurface from their first and only meeting from an LA nightclub months ago. After a blind-date setup gone wrong, Max sees Phoenix again where Phoenix suggest an “indecent proposal” for a closeted friends with benefits. With the guidelines they set up, what could possibly go wrong? I loved that their friendship blossomed into more, and made me all swoony. Michael Pauley did such an amazing job bringing Lane Hayes's words to life. I truly felt all the emotions and frustrations that Max was feeling, as well as Phoenix's growing feelings for Max. The narration of the last couple of chapters really got me emotional that I didn't feel with my read in eBook form. I found myself grabbing a tissue while listening. If you’re looking for closeted athletes, guys who wear makeup, friends with benefits, smoking hot chemistry and an ex with a potential score to settle you’ve got to read this book! Lane Hayes’s writing always has a way of drawing me into her stories, and I couldn’t recommend this book, or series more!

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Five Stars!

This is another great addition to the Out in College Series by Lane Hayes. Her characters are down to earth and engaging. The emotional connection with the reader is firmly established by Michael Pauley's excellent narration. Fans of Lane Hayes won't be disappointed by this new pairing. Recommended!

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Quirky and sweet!♥️

This book did the whole Jock vs Nerd trope so well!

I loved these two opposites Clashing!
Max is a baseball player and Phoenix is a sweet theater geek.

But when they come together it's pure chemistry and the air between them sizzles and sparks.

This one is hands down my favorite in this series so far.

Michael Dean's audio delivery and narration was on point and he did a spectacular job

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2 people found this helpful

I love this series and the audiobook is great!

If you've read my reviews of the other audiobooks in this series I'm going to sound like a broken record. 😊 Michael Pauley's performance of Out in the Field, as with all of the other books in this series, is simply wonderful. I love everything about this audiobook!

The following is my review from when the ebook was first published:

I have loved all of the books in this series and this story for Max and Phoenix is no exception. It's book four in the series and characters from the other books make an appearance. While you could probably read this as a standalone, I strongly suggest reading the series in order. Their stories and individual books are great and will add to your enjoyment of Out in the Field.

Out in the Field is told in first person with Max doing telling. I think I have a thing for MM books with young, slightly fem guys, I'm not sure I've ever read a story with such a character that I didn't love, and I really loved Phoenix in this story. He's out and proud and won't take crap from anyone but he will dial it back when he's out in public with Max because he cares about him and Max isn't out. I wouldn't mind reading his side of this story. 😊

There's not a lot of angst in this book. Mostly it's Max agonizing about not wanting to lose Phoenix and whether coming out is the right thing for him to do. I love the chemistry between them and the story is a bit of a second chance for them, which is a trope that I love.

I enjoyed how both Max and Phoenix got out of their respective comfort zones in order to understand more about each other. Phoenix has no interest in sports but he Googles everything about baseball so he can understand what Max does. Max knows nothing about the theater but he rehearses lines with Phoenix and cheers him on and supports him in the roles he goes after.

It was also great to visit with Rory and Christian again. A not so pleasant character from Out in the Offense has a bit of a role in this book and it's left me wondering if he's going to get a book and possibly get redeemed? In any case, this is a series that I really love and I hope there are more stories to come.

A free copy of this audiobook was provided to me but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.

***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com*** (posting on 8/5/19)

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A must listen!

I’ve never disliked an ex more than I dislike Max’s ex, Skye. He has some groveling to do in the next book. Since I’m a big fan of Lane Hayes, I’m gonna hear him out. That said....Max and Phoenix are perfect examples of how opposites can attract, and that attraction can be bone deep. Like Phoenix, I’m not a baseball fan, but I don’t hate it. If Lane writes it, I will read it. She’s my own Field of Dreams. Like the others before it, this can be read, or listened to, as a standalone. However, reading/listening to the previous ones will enhance your experience. You run into Max’s roommate, Christian, and his boyfriend Rory. Their story is the previous book, and it’s a good one, too. Oh, I forgot to mention the sexy times are NOT lacking in this book. 😉🔥😘

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Hayes and Pauley have done it again! 5+ stars!

An underlying theme throughout the series, at least so far, has to do with the main character who happens to still be an athlete coming to a crossroads and needing to make choice between hiding their sexuality in order to rock the proverbial boat that is the team they're part of and slash or the possible future in the professional league or making a stand and fighting for their love while also being open about who they are. The added complication here, of course, is how seemingly different Max Maldonado and Phoenix Bell are, knowing close to nothing about each other's interests. But it's those differences that make them more interesting, and as they got to know one another better, the reader gets to know the main characters as well, peeling back layers and falling for them along the way.

Lane Hayes has never failed to strike a balance in her stories, each one having this seemingly ideal mix of romance, sex, angst, and lighthearted humor, and it's on full display once again with this latest audiobook of hers. Max and Phoenix don't have the sort of love story that's got all the trimmings of a courtship made up of hearts and flowers. Theirs is a complicated tale, and trust me, these two make their share of mistakes. But it's that transforming sort of love that they share, the one that gives them the courage to look at themselves and realize that being who they are and not needing to hide it is more than okay. I don't think any other narrator could have done justice to their story like Michael Pauley did. The man's subtle vocal nuisances showcase why he's in such demand as he is and why many listeners consider him a favorite. Hayes and Pauley have made Out in the Field a five-plus-starred listen. ♥

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