Trigger warnings: Homophobic slurs
Synopsis: Bloomington High School Lions' star goalie, Sebastian Hughes, should be excited about his senior year: His teammates are amazing and he's got a coach who doesn't ask anyone to hide their sexuality. But when his estranged childhood best friend Emir Shah shows up to summer training camp, Sebastian realizes the team's success may end up in the hands of the one guy who hates him. Determined to reconnect with Emir for the sake of the Lions, he sets out to regain Emir's trust. But to Sebastian's surprise, sweaty days on the pitch, wandering the town's streets, and bonding on the weekends sparks more than just friendship between them.
Review: Running with Lions is a cute sports romance. The story centers around Sebastian, a bisexual soccer player, as he goes to his regular summer sports camp. There, his old friend Emir shows up to be on Sebastian's soccer team. From there, romance ensues between Emir and Sebastian. Honestly, the best part of Running with Lions is how open everyone on the team is about their sexuality. The coach is great about letting people be themselves, and the players all have a brotherhood about them, so there isn't any bullying on the team. Still, Sebastian does have a lot of growth throughout this book.
I will say that the sport element of Running with Lions didn't seem as fleshed out, but I'm honestly okay with that. The story is about the team, but more about them as individuals. Not necessarily as a "soccer team." We do get to see them as a unit when they play soccer, but understanding them better as individuals makes this story feel more layered. I didn't quite understand why Emir and Sebastian were fine one minute, and avoiding each other the next. I wasn't feeling great when I read this book, so it might have just been lost on me.
Cute romance and I can't wait to see what Julian has in store in the future.
4 howls
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