Book 997: Schooling the Jock (Nerds vs Jocks #1) – Eli Easton & Tara Lain

After finishing The Hot Cannolis by Eli Easton and Tara Lain and knowing I didn’t want to jump into a more serious novel. I searched on Kindle Unlimited for a nerd/jock MM Romance and this series popped up. When I noticed the authors, there was no question about reading it so I dove right in.

Schooling the Jock is a twist on your classic enemies to lovers crossed with the nerd/jock trope and I am here for it. On the one hand, you’ve got Dobbs, the head of the university’s quiz bowl team who is openly gay and smart as hell, and on the other, you’ve got Jesse, the school’s prized running back (I think) who happens to be smart as hell and closeted.

Their frats have been at each others’ throats for years and after a series of pranks goes wrong the dean gives them an ultimatum. Two of the nerds have to join the nationally ranked flag football team and two of the jocks have to join the nationally ranked quiz bowl teams. The frat names were used WAY too often and I honestly can’t remember them and don’t care, they really should’ve come up with shorter names like the Alphas and Sigmas or something, but they did refer to each other informally as poindexters and a-hoes.

There were a couple of parts that I enjoyed about this novel. Dobbs and Jesse had chemistry almost immediately, they didn’t hate each other as passionately as the rest of the frats, but a lot of that came from Jesse keeping his head down to make it through his BSN and keep his place and scholarship on the football team, not to mention stay in the closet. I highlighted the quote below because it was in such contrast to the way Taylor and Harwood handled their numerous closeted characters in their Bethesda Barracudas series and it seems Truman is handling it in the Browerton University series I’m currently reading.

Some small part of my brain knew I should push him away and insist I wasn’t gay. But that would be like standing in front of an avalanche and talking to it sternly. No way could I stop. (144)

Two scenes required Jesse to drive home to help his mom with his twin brothers, both of who were autistic. The first required Dobbs to go so they could practice for quiz bowl and the scenes with Dobbs and the twins were just so well done and showed a different side of Jesse that I legit was tearing up they were so sweet. Of course, seeing each other in this new light meant fireworks and damn were they delicious.

As I’ve come to expect from Easton and Lain, the sex scenes were great, but the minor characters were even better! So many of the frat brothers on both sides and all of Jesse’s family, were just so well written and added color and context to the novel and Jesse’s upbringing and Dobb’s schooling.

The scene that took the trophy for me though was when Jesse came out to his parents. He’d had to abandon Dobbs and the quiz bowl team to head home because one of his brothers called and said there was an emergency. It was after he and Dobbs had also had a big fight, so it seemed like everything was going wrong and he just couldn’t lie to his parents anymore. He comes out to his mom without knowing his dad is behind him and his dad says this:

I helped give you life, but I don’t own it. I’ve loved you since the second you were born, and you are who you are. If there’s one thing your brothers have taught me is people are unique. There’s no rule of thumb. You’ve got to appreciate the good stuff and receive every blessing with joy. You’ve always been a blessing. (232)

Neither of his parents knew how much he was suffering because he was trying to be the perfect child since the twins requires so much care and attention. It had been weighing on him and his future plans and prospects. At this point, though, when everything is out in the open he becomes a new person and goes out to win Dobbs back and help the quiz bowl team to a national win.

Recommendation: Loved it. This was a well-written and relatively fast-paced novel. I think I was originally looking for something a bit lighter, but Dobbs and Jesse grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go. There were great scenes (sex and otherwise) that kept me engaged and I cannot wait to read the rest of the series!

Opening Line: “In hindsight, the prank that brought down the wrath of God—or at least, the wrath of Dean Robberts—was one of the weakest and most harmless pranks we Sigma Mu Taus had ever pulled against the Alpha Lambda Alphas.”

Closing Line: “So we told them. But as for you, dear reader…you’ll just have to read the next story to find out.” (Whited out to avoid spoilers, highlight to read.)

Additional Quotes from Schooling the Jock
“No one deserved to be that gorgeous and have a high IQ. It would throw off the balance of the universe or something.” (50)

“I wouldn’t mind getting the tour. I’m a city boy. It’s in my blood to wanna poke fun at a small town in Iowa.” (87)