Again, my month has disappeared!  For this month’s DIK reading challenge, I’m reviewing Caught Running by Madeleine Urban and Abigail Roux.  This is the story of Jake Campbell and Brandon Bartlett, who attended high school together as polar opposites — jock and nerd — and who have returned to teach at the same high school, with the same divisions drawn, Jake as a Phys. Ed. teacher and Brandon as a Biology teacher.

They never interacted with each other in high school, nor do they as colleagues.  But when a shortage of teachers mandates Brandon must assist Jake in coaching the boys baseball team, they need to overcome the stigma the labels have created for each other, not only to get along and cooperate for the sake of the team, but also if they want to shape their attraction to each other into a lasting relationship.

This is a very sweet story.  Both Jake and Brandon suffer under the weight of their assumptions — that others perceive them as the stupid athlete and the inept smart guy.  But Jake has a brain he’s afraid to show, and Brandon has an athletic side.  They have more common ground with each other than they initially believe, and their friendship and growing attraction bloom from it.

Brandon and Jake are both lovable in their own way, and it’s easy to see how they can fall in love with each other.  There are a few black moments where it appears that their preconceptions and fears will rip them apart, but it all works out in the end with a satisfying conclusion.

I’ve read a few other books by this writing duo, and I haven’t  been disappointed yet.