Series: Perfect Storm (Book 1 Perfect Storm– part of Beth Bolden’s interconnected football universe)
Couple: Aiden Flynn & Levi Banks
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4.8/5 – heartfelt, steady, and sexy in all the right places)
Heat Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (slow-burn that gets hot and emotional)
The Main Characters
Aiden Flynn has been the guy everyone relies on—team captain, quarterback, and the one who never lets a single emotion show. But when he finally admits he’s in love with his straight best friend and gets turned down, it wrecks him more than he expected. He’s built his whole identity around control, and suddenly he’s lost it.
Then there’s Levi Banks. Sweet, funny, quietly observant Levi—the kind of man who brings light into a room without even trying. He’s also the younger brother of Landry Banks (yep, from The Star in the West Coast Condors series), which already makes things complicated. One drunken night, one ridiculous pact—“if neither of us is taken in a year…”—and a kiss that changes everything.
Fast forward, and Levi’s been traded to Aiden’s team, the Toronto Thunder. He moves in with Aiden, and that easy friendship they had? It starts to feel a lot less friendly. Every joke, every look lingers. They both know the line between comfort and temptation is getting real thin.
About the Author
Beth Bolden writes the kind of interconnected sports romance universe that feels alive — every series, every team, every character orbiting in the same world. The Toronto Thunder is the start of a new team arc, but it’s also part of a much larger, beautifully woven story that longtime fans will instantly recognize.
All of Beth’s football series are connected:
🏈 West Coast Condors Series – This is where Aiden Flynn and the Banks brothers first entered our hearts (start with The Rival or The Star). Get it on Amazon
🏈 Riptides Series – another pro football team in the same universe, featuring crossover cameos and continuing the emotional, found-family thread. Get it on Amazon.
🏈 Piranhas Series – the Miami-based team that expands the world even further, introducing new players and love stories that subtly link back to the Condors. Get it on Amazon.
🏈 Toronto Thunder Series – this book kicks off their story, bringing familiar faces (and surprises) into a brand-new locker room. Start with book 1 on Amazon.
🍔 Food Truck Warriors – not a football team, but still part of the same shared world. Expect cameos, crossover characters, and the same warmth, humor, and queer joy that make her books addictive. Get it on Amazon.
Each of these series overlaps — characters pop up, teams cross paths, and relationships from earlier books echo beautifully into the new ones. TorontThe o Thunder series continues that tradition, giving us a new team but the same heart.
My Thoughts About the Book
I’ve been waiting for Aiden’s story, and wow—it was worth the wait. This book isn’t flashy or fast; it’s tender. It’s about two men who are both figuring out who they are and what love looks like when you finally stop pretending.
Levi’s calmness and patience are exactly what Aiden needs. And Aiden—once he lets go a little—is so protective, so intense in a way that makes every look between them feel charged. There’s real chemistry here, not just lust. It’s the kind that sneaks up on you until you realize you’re halfway through the book, holding your breath.
The football setting adds texture without taking over. It’s part of their lives, not the whole story. What I loved most is how Beth writes emotional maturity—these aren’t guys running from feelings; they’re learning how to sit with them, even when it hurts.
Almost Perfect… Except
I’ll be honest: I wanted more at the end. When you finally get to see Aiden and Levi fully happy, it’s so sweet you don’t want it to stop. I’d have loved a little more of that quiet “after” space between them. And yes, there are a lot of side characters, but once you realize how connected all these series are, it feels more like coming home than confusion.
Favorite Quote
“Levi wasn’t just the calm after Aiden’s storm — he was the reason Aiden stopped running from the rain.”
Final Thoughts
Beth Bolden’s Perfect Storm has everything I love about her writing—humor, longing, and a love story that feels honest. It’s soft where it needs to be and bold where it counts.
If you’ve read the Condors, Riptides, or Piranhas series, you’ll love this one. And if you’re brand new to her world, this is the perfect entry point—because once you meet these men, you’ll want to go back and read everything.
Click here to read my last MM Book review==>>The Marriage Policy.
Read if you like:🏈 Sports romance with heart
💞 Friends-to-lovers done right
☀️ Grumpy/sunshine energy
🔥 Slow-burn tension that actually pays off
👬 Found family and overlapping worlds
Heat & Mood: Emotional, steamy, grounded in love.
Keep turning pages, chasing passion, and breaking all the rules.
~Kay~
