All The Way Out by Ingrid Sterling

Happy Book Birthday to All The Way Out! I’m so happy and honored to be a part of the Gay Book Promotions blog tour celebrating this adorable, gripping and heart-warming m/m romance about a closeted star football player having to choose between risking his whole career or being brave enough to reveal his most vulnerable self for a chance of true love and happiness.

Already in his early teens, Zach was absolutely sure about three things: 1) he wanted to play football at the highest levels of college and pro ball, 2) he was gay, and 3) those two truths could never exist concurrently. So Zach settled for a life in the closet, started dating Rebecca, who as a devoted Catholic conveniently wanted to wait to have sex until marriage, and kept his needs at bay with the occasional Grindr hook-ups.

But on a team trip to Rome, he meets Liam, an American raised in Paris but now about to relocate his life due to a scandal. The night was one of the highlights in Zach’s life, but saying goodbye he never thought he’d see Liam again. So the sight of Liam in his uni class the first day of the fall semester almost stops his heart, and completely scatter his carefully laid plans to remain closeted.

I rooted so much for both Zach and Liam from the very first moment and my heart ached for them in their struggles. They were both such wonderful characters, with depth and as far from any stereotype cliches you can come. Yes, Zach was an all-star football athlete, but he was certainly not the typical jock, being interested in philosophy and Roman history. And yes, Liam was a troubled music student, but he was also so sweet and caring and vulnerable, really putting his heart out there for Zach. I loved the wonderful chemistry between them… it was so intense and sizzling it was almost palpable!

Ingrid Sterling’s writing style was incredible, with a wonderful flow and capture of the suppressed feelings and longings between the characters. I especially loved the way she made us readers come along on Zach’s and Liam’s journey to finding themselves and coming to a decision what’s really worth living for. 

I read this book in one sitting, it was so addictive and I rooted so much for all characters that I just couldn’t bear to put it down until the very end! It was not just Zach and Liam who stole my heart, but so many of the wonderful secondary characters too, like Zach’s best friend Des and Liam’s friends Mackenzie and Sam, and his brother Eben. I also really loved the way the relationship between Zach and Rebecca was portrayed; it was not just about using Rebecca as a cover, Zach had such wonderful respect and affectionate feelings for her.

All in all, this is one of my absolute favorite m/m romances ever! It was such a powerful story about accepting and being proud of who you are, for wanting things and for being brave enough to chase after those things no matter how scary it feels or how hard it might make your life. It dealt with difficult topics in an honest and realistic way, but it was also such an uplifting, heart-warming, sweet and emotional rollercoaster for a love story!

Thank you to Gay Book Promotions for the ARC and blog tour invitation for this gem! All opinions are my own and I am leaving my honest review voluntarily.

Rating:
5 stars

Get your own copy of All The Way Out:
Amazon • Literary Wanderlust •  Bookshop.org

Giveaway:
​Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for chance to win one of three ebook copies of All the Way Out!

About Ingrid Sterling:
​​I named myself “Ingrid” after a character in a story I started writing and will never finish.

I named myself “Sterling” after my dad’s boyhood dreams.

​I’m a Yankee who has lived south of the Mason Dixon for a decade and I use ‘Y’all’ without irony.

I dance in my kitchen. I vote. I love all the cats in the world and a good IPA. I will scream over college sports.

I write about love, with love, because #loveislove.
​
With two degrees in music performance, I strive to make my words sing. The rhythm and pacing of the prose are as important to me as my complicated, imperfect characters and my guaranteed happily-ever-afters.

Connect with Ingrid Sterling:
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