Diary of a bookworm

Stealing Bama – Hannah Gray

Content Notes:

Published/Pages: 2022/371

POV: Dual – Hero & Heroine

Trope: Friends to Enemies to Lovers

Goodreads Bookshelves: college romance, contemporary romance, enemies to lovers, football romance, friends to lovers, racing, sports romance, summer romance, virgin heroine

HEA: Yes

Steam Level: Extra Steamy

Swearing: Adult

Trigger Warnings: Alcohol, Anxiety, Car Accident, Death, Grief, Infertility

My Rating:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Book Description: I never imagined that one night could end the friendship Beau Bishop and I’d had since birth and sever all ties between our families. Especially when less than an hour prior to that tragic accident at the racetrack that night, he had confessed his love to me under the bleachers. A bond I’d thought could never be broken was smashed to smithereens in an instant. He left Alabama, hightailing it to Florida without so much as a good-bye. Two years later, we’ve crossed paths again. Only he’s no longer known as Beau Bishop. No, now, the boy that I’ve been in love with my entire life is called Bama. And Bama is a cocky, closed-off jerk. As much as he tries to push me away, he should know how persistent I am when it comes to something I want. Losing is never an option. Just ask all of the guys I’ve raced to become number one. Getting everything I’ve ever wanted is finally so close I can almost reach out and grab it. But you know that saying—waiting for the other shoe to drop? Yeah … well, those words were always in the back of my mind. Knowing it seemed too good to be true to finally have Beau Bishop in the palm of my hand. And I was right. Because once again, I was alone. Sometimes, fear makes you do stupid things when it comes to the ones you love. We were a walking example of that.

My Goodreads Review (No Spoilers)

My Review (w/spoilers):

Beau & Mila 

Although this is the second book in the Florida East University, it was the first book of the series that I read. It was also the first Hannah Gray book I read. And I was defintely NOT disappointed. 

While this book is technically an enemies to lovers trope, I consider it a friends to enemies to lovers romance. Beau and Mila started out as childhood friends, and it wasn’t until High School they started perusing a romantic relationship. I really liked that we got to see a bit of their childhood relationship. Some people think it’s weird, but it’s good background and I love it. I wish we had more sweet memories of them. 

“You don’t forget your first love. Even when they hurt you.” -Mila

Of course, their romance came to a quick end when Beau’s dad died. In a recent book I read, the MC lost her dad as well and she say this about grief; “Grief makes us strangers even to ourselves.” She’s not wrong at all, and that’s what I think happens to Beau. He was immensely close to his dad, so his death was especially hard on him. He never fully processed his grief and what happened, and instead placed the blame on Mila and her family. This meant he shut them all out. While I get where he’s coming from, you just want to slap him and tell him to get his shit together. But he was grieving, and until you go through the stages, you’ll never be truly okay.  

What I love about Hannah Gray’s writing is it’s so relatable. Mila and her inner monologue were so relatable. Just a young woman in love, putting herself out there. I would never do half of what Mila did, but that’s cause I’m a socially awkward introvert. Haha 

“It turns out even stubborn, hardheaded assholes can eventually find their way too.” -Beau

I LOVE that these books are happening at the same time. So, certain events make more sense if you read the other books. They don’t happen one after the other. It really gets you excited to find out Dane’s and Kye’s story. 

Okay, when they started playing Luke Comb’s (my favorite country artist) Even Though I’m Leaving at the event for Beau’s dad, I was 100% ugly crying. The song was written about Luke Comb’s dad, so both those things really pushed me over the edge. ha  

All the side characters were fantastic. I don’t think I disliked one of them. And Beau’s mom… that woman is a bad ass.  

This book is definitely one of my all-time favorites and I would definitely read this book (and the entire series) over again. 

This is book 2 out of 3 in the Florida East University Series. It is however, a standalone.