The New Next One

Bethesda Barracudas Hockey, Book 2

By: Ryan Taylor, Joshua Harwood

Narrated by: Nick J. Russo

How much are you willing to give up for the man you love?

Best friends Nick Johnson and Tyler Jensen seem to have the world by the tail. The 18-year-old stars of their school’s hockey team are looking forward to playing in college and hoping for careers with the pros.

Nick and Tyler know a lot about each other, but there are a few important details they haven’t discussed. To start with, neither man knows the other is gay. Making things interesting, Nick has a massive crush on Tyler, something he’s kept to himself for a long time. And although he’s never said a word about it, Tyler has wanted to date Nick since they met.

On a cold Minnesota night after a big win, Tyler finds the courage to confess his feelings to Nick. When Nick admits his attraction to Tyler, their relationship turns on a dime. As they fall in love, they skate around the challenges of a secret romance in an all-male boarding school, but what will happen when the stakes rise dramatically in a sport not known for being gay-friendly? Will Nick and Tyler make the easy choice or the hard one?

The New Next One is a new adult, friends-to-lovers romance featuring young athletes, plenty of steam, and a lot of emotion. Besides learning the background for Nice Catching You, you will meet the main characters for the authors' book Fire in the Ice.

©2021 Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood (P)2024 Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood

Loved but broke my heart

Loved hearing about Nick’s first love. It was cute and sweet and the way, Nick Russo narrated had me tearing up how sadly they had to part. Nick Russo always does an amazing job. I will listen to anything he narrates, but I do love this series and I love the epilogue because I know who Nick end up with.

SHORT, SWEET PRELUDE TO "NICE CATCHING YOU"

This book gives us the backstory of Nick Johnson... one of the main characters in "Nice Catching You". The story is about two high school seniors (Nick and Tyler) getting ready to go off to college and their dealing with their first love and their first sexual experiences. This is a short, sweet story with an ending that while sad, is preordained and sets things up for Nick's next chapter in life in "Nice Catching You". I really enjoyed the last few lines of the epilog (set two years in the future)... such a clever way to end this book. Apparently Tyler and Kevin reappear again in book #3... namely "Fire in the Ice".

Enjoyable series of books... and highly recommended.

Such a beautiful story!

I have listened to and loved all of the Bethesda Barracudas hockey series but this one is extra special. Written by own voices authors, it tells a story of first love and first times that feels so authentic it made me cry. Nick J Russo is the perfect choice to narrate this book. His performance is flawless. I would highly recommend this book to anyone!

First Love

This novella was beautifully portrayed by Mr. Russo. His voice is soothing and expressive, which definitely added to the story of teen emotions, and their innocent reactions to their first experiences of love. The genuineness of these new feelings was very evident in this top-notch audio. This excellent audiobook will certainly be a delight if you enjoy a tender, poignant tale of finding your first passion with all of its intensity. Happy listening!
Storyline
This prequel to Nice Catching You is a tender coming-of-age story centered around two teenage best friends. Both young men play hockey and apparently think the epic crush each has is one-sided. Nick has yearned silently for his best friend Tyler for so long. You can only imagine how startled he is to find Tyler is not straight and is reciprocating the same feelings.

The young men just utterly captured my heart. Their story is straightforward and free of complex angst. Both have stable backgrounds and are still in high school, so this seemed like a genuine and innocent first love. The only major complication is their combined interest in a sport that is not gay-friendly. Coming out would make their lives difficult, and Tyler and Nick are painfully aware of this.
The ending initially seemed abrupt, but, in retrospect, it was very fitting. I look forward to more of Tyler and Nick and want to treat myself.

Young love

It’s sweet seeing first time love bloom knowing how both MCs have their HEAs with other people within this series. First love is something to cherish for sure.