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The Midwest Series #1-4
The Midwest Series: The Complete Collection
Take four hot jocks. Add their total opposites. What do you get? A serious heatwave in the Midwest …
Bully & Exit
After former college hockey star Nathan comes out of the closet and reunites with his high school boyfriend Caleb, it does more than change the direction of their lives.
Push & Pull
It pushes their best friends, former hockey player Brent and twinky fashionista Lowell, into a summer road trip they never planned to take together.
Touch & Go
Following an urgent call from Micah, an injured pro baseball player forced to move in with Justin, his physical therapist, old hurts are healed and a new friendship is formed.
Advance & Retreat
When a night out for the guys leads to meeting Ian, an Olympic hopeful swimmer who is fascinated by Ricky, a hotel manager by day and drag queen by night, it’s clear that none of their lives will ever be the same.
Enjoy all four titles in The Midwest Series in one convenient bundle.
This collection totals over 378k words, plus an additional 22k of never before published bonus content, including several short stories featuring the guys taking a road trip, enjoying Chicago Pride, and a special bonus featuring Irving’s HEA!
Bully & Exit
After former college hockey star Nathan comes out of the closet and reunites with his high school boyfriend Caleb, it does more than change the direction of their lives.
Push & Pull
It pushes their best friends, former hockey player Brent and twinky fashionista Lowell, into a summer road trip they never planned to take together.
Touch & Go
Following an urgent call from Micah, an injured pro baseball player forced to move in with Justin, his physical therapist, old hurts are healed and a new friendship is formed.
Advance & Retreat
When a night out for the guys leads to meeting Ian, an Olympic hopeful swimmer who is fascinated by Ricky, a hotel manager by day and drag queen by night, it’s clear that none of their lives will ever be the same.
Enjoy all four titles in The Midwest Series in one convenient bundle.
This collection totals over 378k words, plus an additional 22k of never before published bonus content, including several short stories featuring the guys taking a road trip, enjoying Chicago Pride, and a special bonus featuring Irving’s HEA!
- GenresM M RomanceRomance
1656 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 3, 2023
About the author
Brigham Vaughn
62 books526 followersBrigham Vaughn is on the adventure of a lifetime as a full-time writer. She devours books at an alarming rate and hasn’t let her short arms and long torso stop her from doing yoga. She makes a killer key lime pie, hates green peppers, and loves wine tasting tours. A collector of vintage Nancy Drew books and green glassware, she enjoys poking around in antique shops and refinishing thrift store furniture. An avid photographer, she dreams of traveling the world and she can’t wait to discover everything else life has to offer her.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
February 25, 2023
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
1. Bully and Exit
Star Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 3/5 🔥🔥🔥
This was my first read from this author, and I really enjoyed it! It had me entertained the entire time and was an all-round great second chance read. I am a sucker for a hockey book, and will read anything with a hockey player in, so I was excited for this read! The author did a great way with character building, allowing us a glimpse into the other books characters, and also the plot development was done in a smooth, flowing manner. Caleb and Nathan were such a great couple, after fighting for their well-deserved ending, I couldn't help but feel love for both of them, despite their past. Overall this was a great start to the series!
Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ Hockey Player/Theatre Geek
❣️ Bully
❣️ Second Chance
❣️ Swoon Worthy Spice
❣️ HEA
Trigger and Content Warnings: Parental abuse, homophobic language, bullying
2. Push and Pull
Star Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 3/5 🔥🔥🔥
This was such a great read, and I loved this one even more than the first book! We met both the MCs in the previous book and to get their story was awesome. I love a good forced proximity book, and while Brent and Lowell weren't enemies per say, they definitely weren't great friends, so the tension between these two was delicious! Both characters have deep rooted insecurities they let come before their feelings, and it does cause some miscommunication between them. Getting to see them grow as both individuals and eventually as a couple was super refreshing and I was cheering for their happy ending!
Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ Enemies to Lovers
❣️ Slow Burn
❣️ Snarky Twink/Former Hockey Player
❣️ Forced Proximity
❣️ HEA
Trigger and Content Warnings: Mild homophobia
3. Touch and Go
Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 3/5 🔥🔥🔥
I was VERY wary coming into this story, because I despised Micah in the previous books and was unsure if he would be deserving of his own redemption story, but I was pleasantly proven wrong! We got to see into who he is inside, why he is the way he is, and it was painful and emotional. He doesn't treat Justin wonderfully in the beginning, but thankfully once they got with the game, he became more likeable and I was cheering for his and Justin's happy ending. Justin, poor sweet Justin, the loveliest character I've met in the series, and I just wanted the world for him. This was my favourite so far in the series, and I love how the author was able to make an unlikeable character lovable!
Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ Athlete/Physical Therapist
❣️ Secret Hookups
❣️ Age Gap
❣️ Steam Galore
❣️ HEA
Trigger and Content Warnings: Internalized homophobia
4. Advance and Retreat
Star Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 3/5 🔥🔥🔥
This one was my least favourite in the series, but still an overall good read! The characters were absolutely lovable, and I felt an instant love for Ricky and was really hoping he would get everything he deserved in life! Ian was a touch mean at the beginning, I wasn't sure he would be the best fit for Ricky, but further on he redeemed himself completely. It was different and unique and I couldn't put it down. An overall wonderful end to a great series!
Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ Swimmer/Drag Queen
❣️ Hurt/Comfort
❣️ Found Family
❣️ Age Gap
❣️ HEA
Trigger and Content Warnings: Homophobia, gender discrimination
1. Bully and Exit
Star Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 3/5 🔥🔥🔥
This was my first read from this author, and I really enjoyed it! It had me entertained the entire time and was an all-round great second chance read. I am a sucker for a hockey book, and will read anything with a hockey player in, so I was excited for this read! The author did a great way with character building, allowing us a glimpse into the other books characters, and also the plot development was done in a smooth, flowing manner. Caleb and Nathan were such a great couple, after fighting for their well-deserved ending, I couldn't help but feel love for both of them, despite their past. Overall this was a great start to the series!
Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ Hockey Player/Theatre Geek
❣️ Bully
❣️ Second Chance
❣️ Swoon Worthy Spice
❣️ HEA
Trigger and Content Warnings: Parental abuse, homophobic language, bullying
2. Push and Pull
Star Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 3/5 🔥🔥🔥
This was such a great read, and I loved this one even more than the first book! We met both the MCs in the previous book and to get their story was awesome. I love a good forced proximity book, and while Brent and Lowell weren't enemies per say, they definitely weren't great friends, so the tension between these two was delicious! Both characters have deep rooted insecurities they let come before their feelings, and it does cause some miscommunication between them. Getting to see them grow as both individuals and eventually as a couple was super refreshing and I was cheering for their happy ending!
Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ Enemies to Lovers
❣️ Slow Burn
❣️ Snarky Twink/Former Hockey Player
❣️ Forced Proximity
❣️ HEA
Trigger and Content Warnings: Mild homophobia
3. Touch and Go
Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 3/5 🔥🔥🔥
I was VERY wary coming into this story, because I despised Micah in the previous books and was unsure if he would be deserving of his own redemption story, but I was pleasantly proven wrong! We got to see into who he is inside, why he is the way he is, and it was painful and emotional. He doesn't treat Justin wonderfully in the beginning, but thankfully once they got with the game, he became more likeable and I was cheering for his and Justin's happy ending. Justin, poor sweet Justin, the loveliest character I've met in the series, and I just wanted the world for him. This was my favourite so far in the series, and I love how the author was able to make an unlikeable character lovable!
Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ Athlete/Physical Therapist
❣️ Secret Hookups
❣️ Age Gap
❣️ Steam Galore
❣️ HEA
Trigger and Content Warnings: Internalized homophobia
4. Advance and Retreat
Star Rating: 4/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 3/5 🔥🔥🔥
This one was my least favourite in the series, but still an overall good read! The characters were absolutely lovable, and I felt an instant love for Ricky and was really hoping he would get everything he deserved in life! Ian was a touch mean at the beginning, I wasn't sure he would be the best fit for Ricky, but further on he redeemed himself completely. It was different and unique and I couldn't put it down. An overall wonderful end to a great series!
Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ Swimmer/Drag Queen
❣️ Hurt/Comfort
❣️ Found Family
❣️ Age Gap
❣️ HEA
Trigger and Content Warnings: Homophobia, gender discrimination
February 14, 2023
I haven't read this series before now, and I have to say I enjoyed it overall! These four love stories had a little bit of everything. Some of it worked better for me than others, but overall I liked this series (and have a few questions about whether some side characters may get a story...)
Book 1: Bully & Exit - 3 stars
This book definitely suffered a bit from first book in a series syndrome. I didn't feel all that connected to the couple at hand. I would have liked more of the characters being together in the present, since we see a lot of their story in flashbacks to when they first met and were together. I did however become pretty invested in Lowell, which was a perfect way to draw me in to the rest of the series!
Book 2: Push & Pull - 4.25 stars
Probably my favorite of the series! Lowell and Brent being thrust together for a road trip when Nathan wants to spend time with Caleb (couple from book one) set up a lot of very funny hijinks and, of course, love! Lowell is one of my favorite characters, and Brent was a huge sweetie once he got his head out of his ass about things. Lowell is a very kindhearted soul who is also unapologetically himself, even when it isn't the easiest path. The conflict here was probably the most realistic, even if I wasn't a huge fan of it. All in all, great book!
Book 3: Touch & Go - 3.5 stars
Alright, here is the fabled redemption story of many series! We have met Micah in a smaller role in each of the first two books in the series, and he was...not great, to put it mildly. He's deep in the closet, grinding it out in minor league baseball to try to make it to the majors and finally set his family up for financial success. His fear of being outed in a world where athletes aren't out leads him to say some awful, homophobic things in the first two books, and he isn't much better to start this story. The timeline here overlaps some with the previous book, so we get hints of where things are going from there. Justin is a bisexual physical therapist working for the team, tired of having partners leave him because of the grueling schedule of a minor league team. Obviously, they decide to just have no-strings sex, which in the romance world leads to feelings, which leads to some big issues when Micah blows out his shoulder.
I was very hesitant about this book, because Micah was truly awful in the previous books and I wasn't sure how his redemption was going to be handled. I will say that I think the author did a very good job, not making Micah just tragically understood but a person who did have to grapple with his issues to be able to find some happiness. Justin seemed very great, and while I also didn't feel great about him sleeping with a patient, the book did address it so as not to glamorize relationships that, while hot in a book, can also be problematic in real life. I do think Micah probably needed to do some more groveling, both to Justin and...everyone else, but overall this was a good book.
CW: homophobia, injury
Book 4: Advance & Retreat - 3.5ish stars?
This is a book that is hard for me to rate. On the one hand, I really, really, really love Ricky, who we met briefly in book two as the hotel manager that Lowell is good friends with. By day, he is a successful hotel manager, and by (some) nights he is Rosie Riveting, a glamorous drag queen. He loves both sides of himself, but is having trouble finding someone else who loves both sides of him. Ian is a college swimmer with Olympic aspirations, openly gay but grappling with a homophobic coach and personal tragedy. Having seen Rosie perform once before, he goes to the club one night to see her again and gets to meet her when he needs to hide to avoid being recognized. From there, Ricky and Ian have a very tumultuous journey to a HEA. Which is where my conflicted feelings come in.
On the one hand, I really liked that this book addressed some of the issues that drag queens can face. Ricky is amazing and I love him almost as much as I love Lowell. However, Ian did not handle anything very well at all, and I feel like Ricky was more forgiving than he should have been at times. Ian was going through a lot, but he probably needed to go to therapy to help deal with a lot of his issues, especially with his coach and his brother. I feel like his past was mostly there to give him a tragic backstory and wasn't really dealt with much beyond being used as an excuse for why Ian was with his coach still.
CW: death of parents, death of friend, homophobia, LGBTQ hatred
Overall, I enjoyed this series! It has its ups and downs, but the box set also comes with some bonus short stories about each couple, and everyone as a group, that are a nice way to check in with everyone once the stories hit "the end".
Book 1: Bully & Exit - 3 stars
This book definitely suffered a bit from first book in a series syndrome. I didn't feel all that connected to the couple at hand. I would have liked more of the characters being together in the present, since we see a lot of their story in flashbacks to when they first met and were together. I did however become pretty invested in Lowell, which was a perfect way to draw me in to the rest of the series!
Book 2: Push & Pull - 4.25 stars
Probably my favorite of the series! Lowell and Brent being thrust together for a road trip when Nathan wants to spend time with Caleb (couple from book one) set up a lot of very funny hijinks and, of course, love! Lowell is one of my favorite characters, and Brent was a huge sweetie once he got his head out of his ass about things. Lowell is a very kindhearted soul who is also unapologetically himself, even when it isn't the easiest path. The conflict here was probably the most realistic, even if I wasn't a huge fan of it. All in all, great book!
Book 3: Touch & Go - 3.5 stars
Alright, here is the fabled redemption story of many series! We have met Micah in a smaller role in each of the first two books in the series, and he was...not great, to put it mildly. He's deep in the closet, grinding it out in minor league baseball to try to make it to the majors and finally set his family up for financial success. His fear of being outed in a world where athletes aren't out leads him to say some awful, homophobic things in the first two books, and he isn't much better to start this story. The timeline here overlaps some with the previous book, so we get hints of where things are going from there. Justin is a bisexual physical therapist working for the team, tired of having partners leave him because of the grueling schedule of a minor league team. Obviously, they decide to just have no-strings sex, which in the romance world leads to feelings, which leads to some big issues when Micah blows out his shoulder.
I was very hesitant about this book, because Micah was truly awful in the previous books and I wasn't sure how his redemption was going to be handled. I will say that I think the author did a very good job, not making Micah just tragically understood but a person who did have to grapple with his issues to be able to find some happiness. Justin seemed very great, and while I also didn't feel great about him sleeping with a patient, the book did address it so as not to glamorize relationships that, while hot in a book, can also be problematic in real life. I do think Micah probably needed to do some more groveling, both to Justin and...everyone else, but overall this was a good book.
CW: homophobia, injury
Book 4: Advance & Retreat - 3.5ish stars?
This is a book that is hard for me to rate. On the one hand, I really, really, really love Ricky, who we met briefly in book two as the hotel manager that Lowell is good friends with. By day, he is a successful hotel manager, and by (some) nights he is Rosie Riveting, a glamorous drag queen. He loves both sides of himself, but is having trouble finding someone else who loves both sides of him. Ian is a college swimmer with Olympic aspirations, openly gay but grappling with a homophobic coach and personal tragedy. Having seen Rosie perform once before, he goes to the club one night to see her again and gets to meet her when he needs to hide to avoid being recognized. From there, Ricky and Ian have a very tumultuous journey to a HEA. Which is where my conflicted feelings come in.
On the one hand, I really liked that this book addressed some of the issues that drag queens can face. Ricky is amazing and I love him almost as much as I love Lowell. However, Ian did not handle anything very well at all, and I feel like Ricky was more forgiving than he should have been at times. Ian was going through a lot, but he probably needed to go to therapy to help deal with a lot of his issues, especially with his coach and his brother. I feel like his past was mostly there to give him a tragic backstory and wasn't really dealt with much beyond being used as an excuse for why Ian was with his coach still.
CW: death of parents, death of friend, homophobia, LGBTQ hatred
Overall, I enjoyed this series! It has its ups and downs, but the box set also comes with some bonus short stories about each couple, and everyone as a group, that are a nice way to check in with everyone once the stories hit "the end".
February 12, 2023
I love Brigham Vaughn so a chance to read a full box set of stories I hadn't read was a no-brainer for me!
This box set consisted of 4 novels and bonus content. Sports were tangibly related as at least one MC in each couple plays or played a sport - but in most books, there weren't detailed game / meet descriptions. Each book was really well written and had super compelling story lines - exactly what you'd expect from this author.
"Bully & Exit" is the first book in the series- a second-chance romance centering around Nathan and Caleb, high school loves who had to stay very deeply in the closet due to Nathan's hockey career. After a brutal breakup, the two go away to the same college but manage to avoid each other until senior year when Nathan realizes that he'd do anything to get Caleb back. This was my least favorite in the series- I'm not a fan of flashbacks, which is very much a *me* thing, not a knock on the book - but the love story was super sweet and the characters very likable!
"Push & Pull" centers around Caleb and Nathan's best friends, Lowell and Brent respectively. Lowell has been out and very proud since he was a teen while Brent chose to come out when college, and his hockey career, ended. He's not ashamed of his sexuality so much as unsure of where he fits into the community. When circumstances force Lowell, a man who gets hives from the word "relationship", and Brent together neither may know what's going on, but it's hard to deny the sparks! Loved this book and now I want to take months-long road trip!!
"Touch & Go" is about Micah and Justin. Micah is a deeply closeted gay man who wants to play professional baseball at any cost, especially now that he's made a minor-league team. He's been completely unlikable in the earlier two books in the series, so giving him his own book super intriguing. Justin is the baseball team's PT and while they both know getting involved is a bad idea, some things cannot be denied. This may have been my favorite of the series- Micah had to do a LOT of growing in this book and Justin was a complete sweetheart while not being a pushover.
"Advance & Retreat" is about Ian, a competitive swimmer going for the Olympics, and Ricky, a sweet, sexy hotel manager by day and sexy drag queen at night. On paper they make zero sense, but together they just fit. This book is tied for my favorite of the series - Ian and Ricky were just gorgeous together. While all the previous books had some internal and external homophobia, this book also deals with transphobia and uses some harsh language.
The bonus content was also *lovely*- not too long, just great glimpses into the men's lives as their relationships grow as couples and a friend group, as well as quick snippets of a wonderful secondary character's budding relationship. I would happily, happily read more books set in this universe!
Thanks to Neon Rainbow for a copy of this set in return for an honest review!
This box set consisted of 4 novels and bonus content. Sports were tangibly related as at least one MC in each couple plays or played a sport - but in most books, there weren't detailed game / meet descriptions. Each book was really well written and had super compelling story lines - exactly what you'd expect from this author.
"Bully & Exit" is the first book in the series- a second-chance romance centering around Nathan and Caleb, high school loves who had to stay very deeply in the closet due to Nathan's hockey career. After a brutal breakup, the two go away to the same college but manage to avoid each other until senior year when Nathan realizes that he'd do anything to get Caleb back. This was my least favorite in the series- I'm not a fan of flashbacks, which is very much a *me* thing, not a knock on the book - but the love story was super sweet and the characters very likable!
"Push & Pull" centers around Caleb and Nathan's best friends, Lowell and Brent respectively. Lowell has been out and very proud since he was a teen while Brent chose to come out when college, and his hockey career, ended. He's not ashamed of his sexuality so much as unsure of where he fits into the community. When circumstances force Lowell, a man who gets hives from the word "relationship", and Brent together neither may know what's going on, but it's hard to deny the sparks! Loved this book and now I want to take months-long road trip!!
"Touch & Go" is about Micah and Justin. Micah is a deeply closeted gay man who wants to play professional baseball at any cost, especially now that he's made a minor-league team. He's been completely unlikable in the earlier two books in the series, so giving him his own book super intriguing. Justin is the baseball team's PT and while they both know getting involved is a bad idea, some things cannot be denied. This may have been my favorite of the series- Micah had to do a LOT of growing in this book and Justin was a complete sweetheart while not being a pushover.
"Advance & Retreat" is about Ian, a competitive swimmer going for the Olympics, and Ricky, a sweet, sexy hotel manager by day and sexy drag queen at night. On paper they make zero sense, but together they just fit. This book is tied for my favorite of the series - Ian and Ricky were just gorgeous together. While all the previous books had some internal and external homophobia, this book also deals with transphobia and uses some harsh language.
The bonus content was also *lovely*- not too long, just great glimpses into the men's lives as their relationships grow as couples and a friend group, as well as quick snippets of a wonderful secondary character's budding relationship. I would happily, happily read more books set in this universe!
Thanks to Neon Rainbow for a copy of this set in return for an honest review!
February 17, 2023
A fantastic box set including the four books in the Midwest series, plus numerous bonus scenes about each of the couples and the group as a whole.
Four and a half stars
BULLY & EXIT by Brigham Vaughn is the first in the Midwest series. Closeted hockey player Nathan Rhodes and bi theater major Caleb Stockwell have history from high school, forming a friendship of sorts that quickly grew into a secret relationship that imploded brutally the night of prom.
Years later, a chance meeting at a college party spurs Nathan to act on his feelings and reach out to apologize and make amends. Unsurprisingly Caleb doesn’t want to have anything to do with that, and Nathan has his work cut out for him to begin rebuilding the trust his past self utterly destroyed.
Brigham Vaughn’s characters are believable and her story gripping. Basically read this in one sitting, and am eagerly anticipating the others in the series.
PUSH & PULL by Brigham Vaughn is the second in the Midwest series, and features former hockey player Brent Cameron and psychology major Lowell Prescott. It’s a delicious sort-of enemies to lovers, road-trip, opposites-attract story that takes place mostly during the summer immediately after Brent and Lowell graduate from college.
Brent is enjoying and also a bit thrown by the freedom of being out after years of carefully guarding his sexuality, while Lowell has been out and proud, often flamboyantly, for years. Brigham Vaughn’s story allows us to see them building a friendship and learning with and from each other as the trip and summer unfold.
A very entertaining and lovely read!
Five stars
TOUCH & GO by Brigham Vaughn is the third in the Midwest series, and is about aspiring professional baseball player Micah Warner and physical therapist Justin Lamb. The two decide to embark on a mutually beneficial friends-with-benefits situation, since neither has time for a real relationship, and Micah is determined to stay publicly closeted.
Brigham Vaughn’s characters are well written and their worries and hopes feel so real. Their struggles to find the right path for themselves is relatable and moving, and it was easy to root for them to come to terms with their true dreams and priorities. I loved the ways redemption and forgiveness played out in Touch & Go. Ms Vaughn’s humor and compassion shine throughout. An excellent read.
ADVANCE & RETREAT by Brigham Vaughn is the fourth in the Midwest series. Collegiate swimmer and Olympic hopeful Ian Harrington and hospitality director Ricky Chavez meet after one of his drag performances as Rosie, and fall into a whirlwind relationship. Ricky has been burned before by men unable or unwilling to accept both sides of him, and he won’t settle for less anymore. Ian is feeling the pressures of his demanding coach and mourning some recent losses, and trying to navigate life’s challenges…
Brigham Vaughn’s story is sweet and emotional and a terrific reminder to be true to oneself and the ones you love. The whole series is a delight.
Four and a half stars
BULLY & EXIT by Brigham Vaughn is the first in the Midwest series. Closeted hockey player Nathan Rhodes and bi theater major Caleb Stockwell have history from high school, forming a friendship of sorts that quickly grew into a secret relationship that imploded brutally the night of prom.
Years later, a chance meeting at a college party spurs Nathan to act on his feelings and reach out to apologize and make amends. Unsurprisingly Caleb doesn’t want to have anything to do with that, and Nathan has his work cut out for him to begin rebuilding the trust his past self utterly destroyed.
Brigham Vaughn’s characters are believable and her story gripping. Basically read this in one sitting, and am eagerly anticipating the others in the series.
PUSH & PULL by Brigham Vaughn is the second in the Midwest series, and features former hockey player Brent Cameron and psychology major Lowell Prescott. It’s a delicious sort-of enemies to lovers, road-trip, opposites-attract story that takes place mostly during the summer immediately after Brent and Lowell graduate from college.
Brent is enjoying and also a bit thrown by the freedom of being out after years of carefully guarding his sexuality, while Lowell has been out and proud, often flamboyantly, for years. Brigham Vaughn’s story allows us to see them building a friendship and learning with and from each other as the trip and summer unfold.
A very entertaining and lovely read!
Five stars
TOUCH & GO by Brigham Vaughn is the third in the Midwest series, and is about aspiring professional baseball player Micah Warner and physical therapist Justin Lamb. The two decide to embark on a mutually beneficial friends-with-benefits situation, since neither has time for a real relationship, and Micah is determined to stay publicly closeted.
Brigham Vaughn’s characters are well written and their worries and hopes feel so real. Their struggles to find the right path for themselves is relatable and moving, and it was easy to root for them to come to terms with their true dreams and priorities. I loved the ways redemption and forgiveness played out in Touch & Go. Ms Vaughn’s humor and compassion shine throughout. An excellent read.
ADVANCE & RETREAT by Brigham Vaughn is the fourth in the Midwest series. Collegiate swimmer and Olympic hopeful Ian Harrington and hospitality director Ricky Chavez meet after one of his drag performances as Rosie, and fall into a whirlwind relationship. Ricky has been burned before by men unable or unwilling to accept both sides of him, and he won’t settle for less anymore. Ian is feeling the pressures of his demanding coach and mourning some recent losses, and trying to navigate life’s challenges…
Brigham Vaughn’s story is sweet and emotional and a terrific reminder to be true to oneself and the ones you love. The whole series is a delight.
February 21, 2023
Having read other works by this author, it was great reading the backstories of some of the characters that have appeared in other books as side characters. I’ve seen glimpses of some of these characters and getting their histories was really interesting. This box set focuses on this group of friends from college and as they move beyond college to figure out their lives and their relationships.
Bully & Exit - This is Nathan and Caleb’s story. This is a second chance romance for a high school romance that didn’t have a chance to be more. Once Nathan sees Caleb right before college graduation, he realizes this is his last chance to make things right. I enjoyed the flashback scenes as they gave sense of the depth of their relationship and how hurt Caleb was. This was a good introduction into the group of friends and the characters that are found within the rest of the set.
Push & Pull - I absolutely adored Brent and Lowell. They are such a fun enemies to lovers HEA and their story is so sweet. A lot of self discovery for Brent as his journey of learning more about himself after spending his college years closeted. And Lowell opening up to being in a relationship. Lowell is a force of nature and his character really shines throughout the set. In some ways, he’s the character that ties everyone together.
Touch & Go - This is Micah’s redemption story and his chance to make peace with himself. He’s internalized a lot of negativity and hurt so many in his pursuit of a pro career in sports. He’s wanted that career to help out his mom but the negativity he’s left behind and the people he has hurt have cost him relationships and friends. Having Justin come into his life and the events that occur between the two of them bring clarity and chance to have what will truly bring him happiness. His character took the longest for me to warm up to but I really appreciated his ending and thought his follow up in the bonus content was great. I think out of the all of the stories, this may have been my favorite.
Last book was Advance & Retreat. Definitely a lot of emotion and discovery in this book. Ian has been dealing with the loss of his family and closest friend. He’s lost the passion for swimming and dealing with discovering more about himself. He meets Ricky who works as a hotel manager and performs as Rosie. They find common ground as they both have experienced loss.
I enjoyed the extra content and bonus scenes that really give the sense of support that this group of friends has. They have overcome the growing pains of college and are all on their journey to finding their place in the world. I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest and fair review.
Bully & Exit - This is Nathan and Caleb’s story. This is a second chance romance for a high school romance that didn’t have a chance to be more. Once Nathan sees Caleb right before college graduation, he realizes this is his last chance to make things right. I enjoyed the flashback scenes as they gave sense of the depth of their relationship and how hurt Caleb was. This was a good introduction into the group of friends and the characters that are found within the rest of the set.
Push & Pull - I absolutely adored Brent and Lowell. They are such a fun enemies to lovers HEA and their story is so sweet. A lot of self discovery for Brent as his journey of learning more about himself after spending his college years closeted. And Lowell opening up to being in a relationship. Lowell is a force of nature and his character really shines throughout the set. In some ways, he’s the character that ties everyone together.
Touch & Go - This is Micah’s redemption story and his chance to make peace with himself. He’s internalized a lot of negativity and hurt so many in his pursuit of a pro career in sports. He’s wanted that career to help out his mom but the negativity he’s left behind and the people he has hurt have cost him relationships and friends. Having Justin come into his life and the events that occur between the two of them bring clarity and chance to have what will truly bring him happiness. His character took the longest for me to warm up to but I really appreciated his ending and thought his follow up in the bonus content was great. I think out of the all of the stories, this may have been my favorite.
Last book was Advance & Retreat. Definitely a lot of emotion and discovery in this book. Ian has been dealing with the loss of his family and closest friend. He’s lost the passion for swimming and dealing with discovering more about himself. He meets Ricky who works as a hotel manager and performs as Rosie. They find common ground as they both have experienced loss.
I enjoyed the extra content and bonus scenes that really give the sense of support that this group of friends has. They have overcome the growing pains of college and are all on their journey to finding their place in the world. I received a complimentary copy of this book and this is my honest and fair review.
March 6, 2023
Bully and Exit is about Caleb and Nathan, high school sweethearts who had to stay in the closet because of Nathan’s desire to succeed in sports. Nathan was so afraid of being outed and treated badly, especially by his dad that he broke with Caleb and treated him badly as he did so. They reconnect in college and Nathan begged to be forgiven and for another chance. And Caleb has to decide if he wants to forgive the man who ruined his teenaged life.
Push and Pull is about Lowell and Brent, who end up on a road trip together when Nathan backs out at the last minute. They are so different from each other, yet they are very drawn to each other. They get together one night and then after some issues, they end up together for good.
Touch and Go is about Micah and Justin. Micah is deeply closeted and has built up resentment of being gay and having to hide it so he can stay in sports. So when he learns that the team PT is gay, he proposes a very discreet friends with benefits situation. The sparks flew each time they were together and pretty soon they both wished for more than their arrangement. When Micah is outed accidentally, he has to decide which is more important: baseball or Justin.
Advance and Retreat is about Ian and Ricky. Ian is a competitive gay swimmer with an attraction to effeminate men. Rickey is a drag queen. It should have been a match made in heaven, but Ricky is reluctant to trust that Ian wants him for the man he is AND for the female he portrays when he is in drag, and Ian is reluctant to let the world know he is into femme men until he loses Rickey. Ian has to decide if Ricky is worth losing everything if that secret gets out.
I loved this collection of books. I am not a fan of sports romance since I am not a sports fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I really enjoyed these four sports romance novels. I had already read #4 as an ARC and I had the others on my TBR list. I am so glad that I did, because I really enjoyed reading each and every one, including the fourth, which I re-read just because it was that good. The books are very well written and the characters are very well developed. The characters were likable and I enjoyed getting to know each couple and to see how their friendships and relationships evolved. This is well worth the read. I highly recommend this series and this author.
I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Push and Pull is about Lowell and Brent, who end up on a road trip together when Nathan backs out at the last minute. They are so different from each other, yet they are very drawn to each other. They get together one night and then after some issues, they end up together for good.
Touch and Go is about Micah and Justin. Micah is deeply closeted and has built up resentment of being gay and having to hide it so he can stay in sports. So when he learns that the team PT is gay, he proposes a very discreet friends with benefits situation. The sparks flew each time they were together and pretty soon they both wished for more than their arrangement. When Micah is outed accidentally, he has to decide which is more important: baseball or Justin.
Advance and Retreat is about Ian and Ricky. Ian is a competitive gay swimmer with an attraction to effeminate men. Rickey is a drag queen. It should have been a match made in heaven, but Ricky is reluctant to trust that Ian wants him for the man he is AND for the female he portrays when he is in drag, and Ian is reluctant to let the world know he is into femme men until he loses Rickey. Ian has to decide if Ricky is worth losing everything if that secret gets out.
I loved this collection of books. I am not a fan of sports romance since I am not a sports fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I really enjoyed these four sports romance novels. I had already read #4 as an ARC and I had the others on my TBR list. I am so glad that I did, because I really enjoyed reading each and every one, including the fourth, which I re-read just because it was that good. The books are very well written and the characters are very well developed. The characters were likable and I enjoyed getting to know each couple and to see how their friendships and relationships evolved. This is well worth the read. I highly recommend this series and this author.
I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 23, 2023
great series!
Bully and Exit
Nate and Caleb had a short lived puppy love romance in high school which ended with broken hearts and lies. Now just before graduation Nate is trying to Apologize to Caleb and say why he acted the way he did at prom. Nate has grown up in the last year since I’m traumatic family issues. With the help of Caleb’s roommate and his roommates they were able to work things out and get together and it’s a beautiful happily ever after. Cannot wait to read the next book which is followed in the series about Brent and Lowell the roommates of each person.
Push and pull
Lowell is a fun loving guy who has tons of baggage from a failed romance with a closeted athlete (Micah) Brent is a newly out of the closet gay who is finding who he is and what’s he really wants This book is so sweet and is a dream to read. Not without the drama however. Loved the bonus scene 😝. Cannot wait to read about micha and justin
Touch and go
Micha is a closeted self hating gay who starts a beautiful relationship with Justin even though he think that’s not a relationship actually is his head over heels faster than make the ultimate choice of does he do what he thinks he needs to do to help his family or does he live his true authentic self with Justin. He goes through a huge growth phase of self discovery and self-awareness where he is able to go back and apologize for how he acted to the people in his past specifically lol . this book ended with introducing the next characters of EN and Ricky looking forward to see how that works.
Advance and retreat
Ricky is performs as the beautiful Rosie in a drag cabaret. Ian is a competitive swimmer who loves drag queens and there hotness. They have a instant connection with lots of misunderstandings. You are rooting for them from the beginning however they both need to grow up and decide on what they really want before they can be together. Beautiful ending to this series. Hoping we will have a story about Irving and Rickys friend Sam.
Bully and Exit
Nate and Caleb had a short lived puppy love romance in high school which ended with broken hearts and lies. Now just before graduation Nate is trying to Apologize to Caleb and say why he acted the way he did at prom. Nate has grown up in the last year since I’m traumatic family issues. With the help of Caleb’s roommate and his roommates they were able to work things out and get together and it’s a beautiful happily ever after. Cannot wait to read the next book which is followed in the series about Brent and Lowell the roommates of each person.
Push and pull
Lowell is a fun loving guy who has tons of baggage from a failed romance with a closeted athlete (Micah) Brent is a newly out of the closet gay who is finding who he is and what’s he really wants This book is so sweet and is a dream to read. Not without the drama however. Loved the bonus scene 😝. Cannot wait to read about micha and justin
Touch and go
Micha is a closeted self hating gay who starts a beautiful relationship with Justin even though he think that’s not a relationship actually is his head over heels faster than make the ultimate choice of does he do what he thinks he needs to do to help his family or does he live his true authentic self with Justin. He goes through a huge growth phase of self discovery and self-awareness where he is able to go back and apologize for how he acted to the people in his past specifically lol . this book ended with introducing the next characters of EN and Ricky looking forward to see how that works.
Advance and retreat
Ricky is performs as the beautiful Rosie in a drag cabaret. Ian is a competitive swimmer who loves drag queens and there hotness. They have a instant connection with lots of misunderstandings. You are rooting for them from the beginning however they both need to grow up and decide on what they really want before they can be together. Beautiful ending to this series. Hoping we will have a story about Irving and Rickys friend Sam.
February 21, 2023
I REALLY enjoyed reading the four books of the Midwest series!!
The series begins with Nathan and Caleb in Bully & Exit - which has a second chance romance as it's main theme.
In Push & Pull, Caleb's BFF and roommate Lowell finds himself on a summer trip with Nathan's ex-roommate and former intimate partner, Brent. The theme of this book is being proud of who you are, and finding that there is always someone out there who loves you for just you.
The third book in the series is Touch & Go, in which Brent's ex-intimate partner and minor-league baseball player Micah and Micah's physical therapist Justin fall into a forbidden romance that neither man can deny - even though Micah must remain firmly in the closet or risk public humiliation and possible dismissal from the team owners.
In Advance & Retreat, college swimmer and Olympic hopeful Ian is enchanted by the lovely drag queen Rosie and her everyday persona, Ricky - who is a hotel manager and a good friend of Lowell. The theme of this novel is finding that special "one" and fighting for your right to be with him…because, after all, LOVE IS LOVE!!
An awesome series of books, linked together by the experiences of a small group of guys with whom the reader is guaranteed to fall in love! 5 stars, definitely!
The series begins with Nathan and Caleb in Bully & Exit - which has a second chance romance as it's main theme.
In Push & Pull, Caleb's BFF and roommate Lowell finds himself on a summer trip with Nathan's ex-roommate and former intimate partner, Brent. The theme of this book is being proud of who you are, and finding that there is always someone out there who loves you for just you.
The third book in the series is Touch & Go, in which Brent's ex-intimate partner and minor-league baseball player Micah and Micah's physical therapist Justin fall into a forbidden romance that neither man can deny - even though Micah must remain firmly in the closet or risk public humiliation and possible dismissal from the team owners.
In Advance & Retreat, college swimmer and Olympic hopeful Ian is enchanted by the lovely drag queen Rosie and her everyday persona, Ricky - who is a hotel manager and a good friend of Lowell. The theme of this novel is finding that special "one" and fighting for your right to be with him…because, after all, LOVE IS LOVE!!
An awesome series of books, linked together by the experiences of a small group of guys with whom the reader is guaranteed to fall in love! 5 stars, definitely!
February 24, 2023
I loved getting to read this entire series all together because characters from these books are friends who appear in each others' books and we get extra bonus content that lets us see how these relationships continue beyond their own stories. I loved the honest way the author dealt with homophobia and transphobia in both the sports world and in everyday life and the way these characters find the courage to live and love openly. I think my favorite of the four was the third book, Touch & Go for two reasons. First, I'm fascinated by the work physical therapists do so I loved Justin and every detail we get about his work. Second, I'm a sucker for a great redemption story and after what we'd seen of Micah in the earlier books, he was in desperate need of one. In this book it really comes home how difficult and frightening it can be to come out if you're an athlete and want to continue your career and how that fear can lead you to do and say things to try to convince yourself and others that you "fit in" and don't feel what you feel. In the other books, we got great second chance stories, road trip proximity stories and the last book which ripped my heart out for Ricky and gave us a complex, not always likeable character in Ian.
February 23, 2023
The Midwest Series
I am an avid Brigham Vaughn reader and have enjoyed each series I have read by her. The one thing you can be sure of is that you will be caught up in the characters as you read each book. They are brought to life beautifully and you will learn to love and enjoy each one as you are swept up into their storylines and lives.
There are 4 books in The Midwest Series (Bully & Exit, Push & Pull, Touch & Go and Advance & Retreat) and you are brought along to meet friends and family and share the adventures they each go on. College friends, sports teams, life after college, and trips along the way. You will see them cross over into each others books because they truly are friends who will be there for each other through all the ups and downs.
Take time to read these stories, and enjoy all Brigham Vaughn shares with you because you will laugh out loud, shed a tear or two, and cheer when they find their HEA. This is an author you don’t want to miss!
I am an avid Brigham Vaughn reader and have enjoyed each series I have read by her. The one thing you can be sure of is that you will be caught up in the characters as you read each book. They are brought to life beautifully and you will learn to love and enjoy each one as you are swept up into their storylines and lives.
There are 4 books in The Midwest Series (Bully & Exit, Push & Pull, Touch & Go and Advance & Retreat) and you are brought along to meet friends and family and share the adventures they each go on. College friends, sports teams, life after college, and trips along the way. You will see them cross over into each others books because they truly are friends who will be there for each other through all the ups and downs.
Take time to read these stories, and enjoy all Brigham Vaughn shares with you because you will laugh out loud, shed a tear or two, and cheer when they find their HEA. This is an author you don’t want to miss!
February 24, 2023
I love every book in this series and was so excited to see all the additional outtakes included in this box set! Brigham Vaughn creates the most amazing characters that you can't help but fall in love with! While each book focuses on a separate couple and their journey to their HEA, I love the interconnected relationships each couple has with the others, creating a wonderfully wacky found family. Fair warning, Micah (Touch and Go, Book 3) was a little hard to like after seeing some of his actions in the first two books but eventually, he gets it together and stops being a jerk. 😂 I actually enjoyed his book the most out of the box set because his redemption was just so sweet. The extra outtakes were amazing and I loved the chance to get to see more of these men! If you have read any of the Rules of the Game series, you will get to know more about some of the characters that have popped up in it! Wonderful books with amazing characters!
February 8, 2023
This collection includes four stories, each with its own appeal. There’s sparking chemistry, on-point banter, and solidly developed characters as far as the eye can see here. While I liked all the books, I’ll play favorites for just a second and spotlight “Touch & Go,” Micah and Justin’s story. Not only does it have great “opposites attract” energy (Justin is easygoing, patient, and kind; Micah, at least on the surface, is none of those things) but Micah is the kind of character who’s easy to dislike at first and whose layers, and redeeming features, come into light slowly. Does he make mistakes? So many. Is his evolution as a character that much more rewarding in the end? Oh yes, definitely. I also really enjoyed “Push & Pull”-- road trip romance for the win.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
*I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
February 16, 2023
So excited this series has a boxset so I can own them all. I read this series on KU and if you enjoy opposites attract, size difference, stubborn flirty banter, with friends and family who meddle you will enjoy these stories! I believe my favorite was Push & Pull with Lowell the jock crazy twink and Brent the hockey player. These two made the perfectly imperfect pair! Forced proximity never hurt anyone! I also loved Advance & Retreat Ricky/Rosie the drag queen with swimmer Ian. These two were so accepting of each other and made each other whole again. The entire series had unique couples with plenty of love, laughs & steam!
March 3, 2023
This is an interesting series of stories all interconnected. All the couples have to face heartache and win back their heart’s desire. Five of the individuals went to college together, three of them athletes. Two hockey players, one baseball pitcher, one drama student and a psychology student. This follows their lives after college and the people they draw into their circle. They all end up in the Chicago area. These stories make you laugh and cry. You meet their families and watch them create new families. You see their hopes and dreams, some succeed others fail, but they don’t give up.
February 22, 2023
Wonderful collection
I tend to find sport romances kind of formulaic and boring.
That is not the case with this author.
Their characters are always realistic and relatable.
My favorite in this series is Advance and Retreat.
Ian and Ricky/Rosie were just so sweet together and I loved how supportive they were of one another.
The bonus content was really great.
It was so good to get a glimpse of all the couple's future lives and seeing them happily settled.
I tend to find sport romances kind of formulaic and boring.
That is not the case with this author.
Their characters are always realistic and relatable.
My favorite in this series is Advance and Retreat.
Ian and Ricky/Rosie were just so sweet together and I loved how supportive they were of one another.
The bonus content was really great.
It was so good to get a glimpse of all the couple's future lives and seeing them happily settled.
February 23, 2023
It’s so nice to read a complete series in a set like this and what a wonderful series it is! This author always brings us amazing characters that you just fall in love with and wonderful stories that are so hard to put down! This is an amazing series and the bonus content was awesome! Very highly recommend! This is my honest opinion of this complimentary copy of this book
February 24, 2023
I absolutely loved these stories and to hear that content was being added was so exciting! This was my first Brigham Vaughn series and revisiting all the wonderful characters was a blast - from Brent & Lowell to Ricky & Ian I loved them all. Sweet, funny, sexy and barrier breaking - every one amazing!
February 24, 2023
Brigham always writes compelling characters and here you get the complete series all together with bonus scenes. These are athlete books but not too sports heavy and each couple is quite an enjoyable read.
February 24, 2023
Box sets are great when you want to binge-read a series without having to look through all your books on kindle. And in this case, though the stories are intertwined, each one stands alone and apart from the previous one and each couple is so unique that you will never get bored. Enjoy!
October 4, 2023
Heartwarming
This collection dragged me through heartache and tears and bad behavior and forgiveness … and was overall pretty amazing. These unique men all find their forever homes, and though the journeys could be rough the HEAs were tender, funny, and satisfying.
This collection dragged me through heartache and tears and bad behavior and forgiveness … and was overall pretty amazing. These unique men all find their forever homes, and though the journeys could be rough the HEAs were tender, funny, and satisfying.
December 25, 2023
A bit of hit and miss for me
I enjoyed a couple of the stories but they seemed overly long and dragged out. A few spelling mistakes or missing words but not too many, noticeable but not annoyingly so.
I enjoyed a couple of the stories but they seemed overly long and dragged out. A few spelling mistakes or missing words but not too many, noticeable but not annoyingly so.
January 12, 2024
Would you give them a third chance?
I'm impressed by not only their capacity to forgive but also the commitment of their partner to change for the better. Change is hard. was made easier when they've gone through it together. And I love that friendship was rekindled, formed and grew stronger among them.
I'm impressed by not only their capacity to forgive but also the commitment of their partner to change for the better. Change is hard. was made easier when they've gone through it together. And I love that friendship was rekindled, formed and grew stronger among them.
February 8, 2023
This was a wonderful series from start to finish. I love this author and this series did not disappoint in any way.
March 2, 2023
Fantastic stories. I love when I can get a series in a box set I feel like I get more enjoyment out of it to read one right after the other.
April 2, 2024
Excellent
Four wonderful stories. Four great couples. All stories can be read as standalones, but the characters all cross over from book to book. Well written.
5/5 stars
Four wonderful stories. Four great couples. All stories can be read as standalones, but the characters all cross over from book to book. Well written.
5/5 stars
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