Matched by My Rival cover art

Matched by My Rival

Thrust Into Love, Book 2

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Matched by My Rival

By: DJ Jamison
Narrated by: Nick J. Russo
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About this listen

Simon Prentiss: ex-football star, bitter rival, and...falling for the enemy?

I hate my teammate, Parker Reed. I hate that he makes me work so hard for my position on the field. Hate how he always smiles. How easily he shows me up when I'm injured. Most of all, I hate that he made me lose my temper.

Next thing I know, football is gone. My scholarship is gone. I'm nearly gone, too. With help, I manage to stay in school for my final semester. At least without football, I can explore a new side to myself, and see where my attraction to guys takes me without fear of it affecting my future.

I didn't see it coming. The cosmic joke. The sweet, patient guy on the hookup app? The one who makes me burn with the desire to have him? Yeah, it's Parker.

Our chemistry is off the charts, no matter how much I resent him. Holding a grudge against him is impossible. But when he wants to walk away from everything I lost, can I accept it?

If I don't, I'll lose him too - and that can't happen. Because I don't hate Parker Reed. I think I love him.

Matched by My Rival is an enemies-to-lovers, jock rivals romance. It's book 2 of the Thrust Into Love series, but it can be listened to as a stand-alone.

©2021 DJ Jamison (P)2021 DJ Jamison Contemporary Contemporary Romance Literature & Fiction Romance Sports Feel-Good Heartfelt

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All stars
Most relevant  

Listener received this title free

I loved Simon and Parker when I read their story back in July 2021 but it was even better listening to Nick J. Russo perform it. He really does a great job with all of the books he performs but I think he is particularly good with New Adult stories.

Below is what I wrote when I first read the book:
I loved Simon and Parker.

This was a great enemies-to-lovers story. Although Parker never considered Simon an enemy, Simon sure didn’t like Parker for quite a way into the story. It also had a bit of a slow-burn feel because Simon (BiCuriousStud) and Parker (HotPan22) chat for several weeks using the Thrust app before they meet and find out who they’ve been chatting with.

I love how considerate Parker is and how willing he is to take things slow with Simon. I think the story moved at a great pace and it was a real page-turner for me. Over all this was a pretty low angst read and I was kind of glad that there wasn’t any real OMG scene between Parker and Simon once they got together. There was just enough conflict to keep things interesting.

I love DJ Jamison’s books and I think her writing just keeps getting better and better.

A copy of this audiobook was provided to me at my request but my review was voluntary and not influenced by the author.

Great story, great audiobook!

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Listener received this title free

The chemistry, the passion, the angst, the care, the love! There was just something utterly fabulous about this book and Parker and Simon.

The sexting banter and app communication, then the unknown, and unfortunate identities revealed, these two men set the Kindle on fire!

Their stories and lives were so intertwined with care and emotions I felt like I knew everyone. Each dealing with their own issues their connection was so beautiful and their spark so intense. They found each other just when they needed too! This book is happy and bright and came at the perfect time for me. I couldn't put it down, not because it was a thriller but because I became so invested in these characters that I had to see what happened next and see them get their HEA! I don't know how to describe it but I was completely enthralled by the writing and these characters, I think DJ is a new favourite author and I now need to go and read the rest in this series.

if you're looking for fun, passion and a unique connection, then this book is for you!
fantastic narration from Nick!! He does such a great job with voices, inflection, pitch but doesn't over do it. Perfection!! I loved it all!!

Wow, what a book!

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Simon and Parker are rivals on and off the football field… they hate each other. Or do they? When they are matched anonymously on a hookup app, a chat relationship develops. I loved this story about two guys who are trying to figure out what they want out of college and life, since things haven’t actually gone as planned, or as they would have liked. Out of the uncertainty comes the possibility for a real connection – plans are modified, and dreams are reassessed. Will they run toward each other, or in opposite directions? This is a steamy, fun, sweet and satisfying story – these characters enjoy a good tackle, but DJ Jamison gets the ball into the end zone.

Rivals to lovers story scores all the points!

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I didn’t like them at the beginning, characters enjoying teasing someone is never my thing, but when they make peace it gets better, nicer, sweeter. As Rhett describes it, they have a “complicated attraction”.
Parker is quite endearing sometimes, few, mostly is annoyingly cocky. Simon has a lot in his plate, but tries to go on. I liked a lot how they connected through chats, they only have been doing it for a couple of weeks but they already knew each other better than any one else «he know the important things».
Dreams and sacrifice are important topics here, how their dreams change for different reasons and what sacrifices are acceptable.
Attention to chapter 26 minute 4 (or last three sentences before changing to Simon’s perspective).
I’ve had a look on the series and book four seems pretty fun, I’ll keep an eye on it.

«I didn’t want to live with "those" regrets».

It gets better

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Listener received this title free

Oh my, this was so good 💜 It's a college enemies to lovers and bi-awakening story. We already met Parker and Simon in the first book in this series where they had a fight and Simon gets kicked off the football team. This book is about self discovery for them both. Parker isn't enjoying football anymore and Simon wants to embrace his bisexuality. Unbeknown to them both they start chatting on a dating app and find they have a real connection and chemistry but when they meet in person they need to decide if they can get over the bad history between them and explore the connection between them. I thought this was a sweet and beautifully written story with lots of sexy chemistry and I'm so happy it has come out on audible now too. I enjoyed listening to it and I thought the narrator did a great job too.

So good

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Listener received this title free

Simon and Parker on the same football team and things are not what they seem. Parker kissing Simon’s ex-girlfriend is the limit for Simon. He loses it and hits Parker which results in Simon losing everything related to his college football career. Parker manages to hold on with help. Parker tries to fight for Simon but it doesn’t work out. Then they connect on a dating app and things between them changes. They had a time of getting to really know each other while hiding their relationship. Then Parker has a personal examination of what is making him happy. Simon and Parker disagree on what Parker decides. There is a lot of discussion and issues that go on with the secondary characters but in the end Parker and Simon figure it out. The narration by Nick J. Russo really brought these characters to life. He brings the emotion to the story that makes it believable.

So possible

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Listener received this title free

I always find with audiobooks where I have read the book it makes me either love it more or doesn’t change m feelings towards it, this one surprised me at how much more I loved it. When i read it the first time i enjoyed the characters and the storyline but it just didn’t go much further. But hearing the story, with the narrator giving them their personalities and feelings well it transformed the story for me to one that I never wanted to end. Brilliant work with the novel and the narrator just pushed it that step further.

So beyond good

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Listener received this title free

5 Stars!!!

I loved Parker and Simon's rivals-to-lovers story! My favorite was Parker, mostly because he was the more open of the two, even if he did keep a few things close to his vest. I really liked Simon, too, I could understand his animosity against Parker, especially considering he was injured and then thinking he was losing something else to Parker other than his spot on the team. I loved that they got to know each other through the app, making it easier to get past Simon's defenses, seeing as Parker was already interested in him from before. They were scorching hot together, but I also adored the little moments, the talks and how well they fit together.

While the book was pretty low-angst, there was a scene that really gutted me, and while it was poignant, I think Nick J. Russo's superb narration and the way he portrayed Parker's hurt was what made it even sadder for me.

Mr. Russo is doing such an outstanding job with this series, his voice is perfect to portray young college guys and he always nails the emotion that Ms. Jamison's writing elicits in the reader. They're a great team and I can't recommend this book enough. It was awesome and I can't wait for the next one!

Loved Parker and Simon!!!

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Listener received this title free

Story: A very enjoyable story of two football jocks at different crossroads in their life. The development of the story was really good and relatable. With very good writing (as usual for DJ Jamison), it's a very good addition to the series.
Narration: Nick J. Russo (as usual for him) did a great job. The performance enhances the story without dominating it.

Fun college story

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Listener received this title free

The story of Simon and Parker is wonderful. Both are on the football team, but that's about it for the similarities. For Simon, football is everything, while Parker only plays this sport because of his scholarship. When Simon drops out after an injury, he struggles with fate. When he discovers his fiercest rival on the football field at a party with his girlfriend, he flips out. While understandable, that's it for the scholarship and football.

This was my first book by DJ Jamison and the blurb sounded interesting. I liked the author's writing style and this certainly won't be my last book by DJ Jamison.
To pay for college, Simon works in a bar. And now that he doesn't have to take anyone into consideration, he's on a dating app and meets a likable boy.

I really liked the sweet relationship that develops through the dating app. When the two then meet, things get a little pricklier at first, which was a good contrast and also very real. The chemistry and attraction between the two was palpable.
Both Parker and Simon are likable and each struggles with everyday problems. They are both great portrayals. I liked the difference of the sweet relationship over the app and their real life relationship. There is a lot of discussion between the two, which is fitting. Overall, the story gets by with little angst, but there are interesting characters, romance, and humor.

Nick J. Russo did a fantastic and great job reading as usual. He has a very pleasant voice and you can distinguish the characters well. Further, he does a good job of portraying the emotions.
The story offers an interesting mix of rivalry, sports, developing feelings and romance with a nice ending.

I requested a free copy of the audiobook and this is my honest opinion that I am volunteering

Enemies to lovers

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