Out in the Offense by Lane Hayes Audiobook Release Blitz

Christian Rafferty is a talented quarterback with a big secret. He’s determined to make the most of his final season on the football field, and if possible, avoid any confrontations with his conservative parents about his future. It shouldn’t be difficult; he’s become adept at keeping his public and private lives separate. However, when a math class threatens to derail his plans to graduate on time, he realizes he may need outside help.

Rory Kirkland has a reputation for being a tough guy. He’s a former wrestler and recent college graduate who needs a real job. Until he finds one, tutoring is a decent temporary gig. Luckily, his brain is his biggest asset. Rory is a genius. He credits his sport for helping him deal with angst and rumors about his sexuality when he was younger, but he doesn’t care what others think anymore. He likes his new status as an out and proud bi man; and he recognizes something of himself in Christian. But Rory didn’t count on falling for him. When an unlikely friendship collides with intense attraction, both men begin to realize that coming out on offense just might be the surest path to love.

Length: 5 hrs and 31 mins
Narrator: Michael Pauley

Book 3
Audiobook Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Audible  ~  iTunes

Ebook Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca
~  Available with KindleUnlimited  ~

For ebook reviews and more info, check out our stop on the Out in the Offense Blog Tour.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Angela – ☆☆☆☆☆
I’m going to veer away from my normal reviewing format to share a bit of personal information with you that I think will best explain why I’m giving Out in the Offense five stars. I’ve had a bad week. It’s probably not bad in comparison to what a lot of people deal with, but as my birthday just passed and I started the week on a high note, it seems worse than normal. Topping off the bad of my week is the fact that my debit card got flagged for fraud and I had to take time off work to go to the bank to find out why my card was declined for a purchase significantly less than the funds available in my account. While I’m thankful they caught the fraud while it was still an attempt and no money was lost, it’s still annoying that I didn’t find out what was going on until I made a special trip to the bank. Needless to say, I’m off balance and beyond distracted. Now, let’s add to that the simple fact that much like Christian, I HATED… LOATHED… DETESTED statistics in college and found it to be a complete waste of time as it had zero, nothing, nada to do with my field of study. For the cherry on top, I didn’t realize who Rory was until literally seconds before his connection to Mitch was revealed, prompting me to restart the audiobook so I could “reframe” the story with the proper references.

So I’m feeling a little bummed and frustrated with myself for being unable to lose myself in the story as I normally would. But then something magical happened and Michael Pauley’s wonderful narration and Lane Hayes’ beautiful storytelling broke through the noise in my head and the chaos in my life and I got lost in the best possible way. I found myself wanting to hug Rory for his understanding and unwavering support of Christian’s dilemma. I wanted to throttle Max for his drama and confront Sky for the stunts he pulled as he took his anger at Max out on Christian (even as I felt bad for what Sky appeared to be going through). I wanted to physically hurt someone when the locker room vandalism was discovered. And I wanted to cheer Christian on when he stood up to his father and the college administration as he took a stand for himself, refusing to apologize for who he is or silently accepting punishment for being the victim of a hate crime. Not only did Hayes and Pauley deliver another wonderful audiobook experience, but they gave me the much-needed escape from reality that had been eluding me. Well done!

On a side note, just in case the author reads this review, I have no idea if more books are planned for this series and I really hope they are because I am enjoying it so much, but if I can be so bold as to make a request: keep Jonesie as the bumbling, well-meaning ally he’s turning out to be. I did not care for him the first time I met him, but he’s grown on me and as much as I love the whole “out for you” theme in the Out in College series, Jonesie is the one character whose strength is in his personal growth as an ally and his willingness to try to learn how to be more supportive of his friends as they come out. Yes, he’s brash and often says the wrong things, but he means well and he’s growing as a character in the way we want allies to. He won’t always get it right, but his heart is in the right place. As delicious as it could be to see a character like Jonesie realize that there’s more to his sexuality than he believed, I think he’s best left in the role of ally-in-the-making. Just my two cents.

Also Available in the Out in College Series

Book 1
Audiobook Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Audible  ~  iTunes

Ebook Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca

For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Out in the Deep Release Blitz and the Out in the Deep Audiobook Release Blitz.

Book 2
Audiobook Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Audible  ~  iTunes

Ebook Buy Links

Amazon US  ~  Amazon UK  ~  Amazon Au  ~  Amazon Ca

For reviews & more info, check out our stop on the Out in the End Zone Audiobook Release Blitz.

Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full-time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles to both be men. Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her debut novel was a 2013 Rainbow Award finalist and subsequent books have received Honorable Mentions, and won First Prize in the 2016 and 2017 Rainbow Awards. She loves red wine, chocolate and travel (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband in a newly empty nest.

Connect with Lane

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Michael Pauley has well over 50 audio book titles currently available for purchase on Audible.com. He is versed in multiple styles and genres including fiction (novels and short stories) ranging from romance to science fiction to crime dramas to thrillers; business strategy books; health and wellness books; and even an occasional children's book.

Fans of Michael's narration are welcome to follow him on social media.

If you are interested in working with Michael to produce your next audio book, you can contact him directly at voice@michaelpauley.info

Connect with Michael

Facebook  ~  Twitter  ~  Instagram  ~  Website  ~  Goodreads

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Reviewers on the Wicked Reads Review Team were provided a free audiobook copy of Out in the Offense (Out in College #3) by Lane Hayes, narrated by Michael Pauley to listen to and review for this tour.