Ever since reading Sean Michael's "sports series" (the Going for Gold books about a swimmer, a diver, and a gymnast with their respective coaches), I have secretly been hoping for more books just like them. Well, not exactly like them, but in the same tradition. 'Golden' delivers what I was hoping for in spades, and I loved rereading it. Makes me want to go back and reread the whole ‘Going for Gold’ series as well! ‘Golden’ has a special dynamic between swimmer and coach, some subtle and not-so-subtle D/s, and yet it is also new and different. For one thing, the romance takes place after the swimmer has retired, includes a long separation, and the swimmer having had to face real life. For another, the coach is more human; he has made a major mistake and is far from perfect. I really liked this more “flawed” version!

Justin may have been a successful Olympian, focused, and a winner, but once he is done and retires at twenty-three, it turns out he is unable to deal with life. Having trained only to swim races since he was a kid, it is unsurprising that he has a problem. Especially since he is also secretly in love with his coach, and the man just dropped him like a hot potato when Justin retired. Justin has no life-coping skills (had no time to learn them when he was swimming), and losing his best friend (Chris doesn't even answer his calls for a year!) gets to him in a big way. It takes Justin a long time once Chris gets his act together to trust again – and who could blame him? I certainly won't!

Chris is a piece of work! I mean, I was really upset with him. Yes, I can see why he'd want to be careful not to take advantage of Justin. I can understand him wanting to give Justin a chance to "see what, or rather, who, is out there". BUT!!! But he was the older, supposedly wiser man and should have known how helpless Justin would be without the swimming that ruled his life for two decades. Chris knows what he taught Justin, and life skills wasn't on the curriculum. And yet he sees his own justification of not taking advantage of Justin as more important. I wanted to shake the man! Luckily, he finally sees he's made a mistake (after Justin needlessly suffered for four years) and proceeds to make up for it.

These two men are very hot together, and yes, they “solve” a lot of situations between the sheets rather than by talking. But they are both very physical guys, so I can see how that would make sense. If you like the coach/swimmer dynamic, if you enjoyed the 'Going for Gold' books, and if you're looking for a hot read with lots of bedroom activity, you will probably like this novel.


NOTE: This book was provided by Dreamspinner Press for the purpose of a review on Rainbow Book Reviews. ( )

BDSM is supposed to be safe, sane, and consensual. Telling someone you're now their Dom the night after you see each other for the first time in four years, after the first time you fuck, and without the other person agreeing to take part in this kind of lifestyle is fucking disturbing.

There is not enough HELL NO in the world.