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But We're Bros! #19
The Woods
“… The way he’d been taking care of me. How he was so strong yet so laid back at the same time. We could have died out here if I had been with anyone else. That we still could wasn’t lost on me, either.” - Ollie
I love nature. I go camping with some buddies at least once a year. It’s great to drink and eat our faces off out of doors. One of my best bros, Hunter, is more into hiking, whitewater rafting, mountain climbing—all of that. He makes it sound like he’s ready to live off the land permanently. I think he just likes to show off. So, when Hunter said all I do is “glamping” in front of our friends, I had to prove him wrong.
His “camping” adventures sound much more intense than what I’m used to, but I would never tell him that. I know he thinks of himself as this self-sufficient mountain man. And, yeah, he’s tall, muscular, rough, and rugged, with deep respect and appreciation for nature. His thick body and insane strength have always come naturally to him. But I’m just as tall and built, and I’ve got the manly hairy chest, which should count for something.
I shouldn't have agreed when he challenged me to come along on his next hiking trip to Alaska. It was my fault we got lost and everything fell apart. It’s hard for me to accept help from anyone, but I had to. It was harder to accept sharing a sleeping bag for warmth. A few things came up that first night, and I’m afraid more will arise if we continue cuddling in our underwear. At this point, I just want to get out of the woods before we do something stupid.
Erotic romance novella set in the woods with hurt/comfort and a HEA.
I love nature. I go camping with some buddies at least once a year. It’s great to drink and eat our faces off out of doors. One of my best bros, Hunter, is more into hiking, whitewater rafting, mountain climbing—all of that. He makes it sound like he’s ready to live off the land permanently. I think he just likes to show off. So, when Hunter said all I do is “glamping” in front of our friends, I had to prove him wrong.
His “camping” adventures sound much more intense than what I’m used to, but I would never tell him that. I know he thinks of himself as this self-sufficient mountain man. And, yeah, he’s tall, muscular, rough, and rugged, with deep respect and appreciation for nature. His thick body and insane strength have always come naturally to him. But I’m just as tall and built, and I’ve got the manly hairy chest, which should count for something.
I shouldn't have agreed when he challenged me to come along on his next hiking trip to Alaska. It was my fault we got lost and everything fell apart. It’s hard for me to accept help from anyone, but I had to. It was harder to accept sharing a sleeping bag for warmth. A few things came up that first night, and I’m afraid more will arise if we continue cuddling in our underwear. At this point, I just want to get out of the woods before we do something stupid.
Erotic romance novella set in the woods with hurt/comfort and a HEA.
- GenresM M Romance
162 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 16, 2023
107 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Heath Grayson
23 books60 followersHeath Grayson writes erotic fiction featuring men who've just found out there may be more to life than they ever imagined. His debut series, But We're Bros!, depicts guy friends crossing lines that bros typically don't. Heath is fascinated by the quiet moments between men, how a single stare, repeated joke, or the simple brush of a hand can turn into something much more. The first time with your good bro can change your world.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
June 24, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
You see where the cover says this is an erotic novella? It lied.
If you’re looking for a woodsy adventure between friends with the minimum amount of smut you’re in luck.
Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with that. The problem is false fucking advertising. I came into this looking for a steamy good time. And what I got was a lot of clomping through the woods.
🌶️🌶️
You see where the cover says this is an erotic novella? It lied.
If you’re looking for a woodsy adventure between friends with the minimum amount of smut you’re in luck.
Honestly, there’s nothing wrong with that. The problem is false fucking advertising. I came into this looking for a steamy good time. And what I got was a lot of clomping through the woods.
March 6, 2023
finally read ALL of these my psyche is so damaged
February 25, 2023
Heath Grayson writes the best GFY/bi-awakening scenes hands down. This story was a nice addition to his bro-y series and worked its way up to a romantic conclusion in a satisfying and natural way. Not tons of character development but this is tagged as MM Erotic Romance and focuses primarily on the sexual connection between the two MCs. The plot of how they became friends and what happens to them in the woods is as deep as anything else there.
Hopefully Grayson will hire a better editor/proofreader as misspellings are a frequent occurrence in his books. Just enough to be annoying.
Hopefully Grayson will hire a better editor/proofreader as misspellings are a frequent occurrence in his books. Just enough to be annoying.
October 30, 2023
While not my favorite Grayson novella, I still enjoyed this one a fair amount. This is a bit more adventure and hurt/comfort than he usually writes and I didn't quite like the mental journey that the POV character goes through as he starts to reconcile his guilt/fear/lust/attraction. Still, It was hot and I love that Grayson keeps experimenting with his subject matter.
June 1, 2024
intriguing series
Hunter & Oliver story was written well. I’m glad they were able to figure out their feelings for one another. I can’t wait to see what else is in this series.
Hunter & Oliver story was written well. I’m glad they were able to figure out their feelings for one another. I can’t wait to see what else is in this series.
June 11, 2024
Hot Hot hot
It's hot, well written, and the story is good. Into the wilderness with a hunky guy who becomes the hero, what more could you want?
It's hot, well written, and the story is good. Into the wilderness with a hunky guy who becomes the hero, what more could you want?
May 19, 2023
Two straight guys dare each other to go camping in the Alaskan outback for a week, and come back a week later in love.
Hunter is a big burly outdoorsman, Oliver is well built but not particularly enthusiastic about camping. They've been friends since their college freshman days, and now they're in their mid-20s, they're looking for different ways challenge each other. So Hunter comes up with this week-long hike into the Alaskan outback, then the last days of the trip, canoe back. Of all their friends, only Oliver doesn't bail on this plan. Except he spends the first few days bristling against Hunter's alpha-domination of ordering him to do things. One thing leads to another and they lose their boat, most of their supplies, and seriously injure Oliver's foot. Forced to hike back, slowly, their close proximity brings up... things.
Things I didn't really buy in this one: two straight bros who suddenly start getting it on when one clearly isn't into it.
There was no characterization and development of the men.
At first Oliver says he loves camping/glamping/outdoors/whatever, but later he says as a city boy, he doesn't enjoy it. (This is a weird difference in the story from the synopsis posted.) If the two men are experienced outdoorsmen like it's implied early on, their squabbles and their accident doesn't ring true.
The erotica... well, there wasn't any. Even the sex scenes weren't sexy. I don't know, for something that was billed as erotic gay fiction, none of this read particularly good to me.
I would have rated this a low 1.5 stars, but rounding up to 2, simply because I did finish it.
Hunter is a big burly outdoorsman, Oliver is well built but not particularly enthusiastic about camping. They've been friends since their college freshman days, and now they're in their mid-20s, they're looking for different ways challenge each other. So Hunter comes up with this week-long hike into the Alaskan outback, then the last days of the trip, canoe back. Of all their friends, only Oliver doesn't bail on this plan. Except he spends the first few days bristling against Hunter's alpha-domination of ordering him to do things. One thing leads to another and they lose their boat, most of their supplies, and seriously injure Oliver's foot. Forced to hike back, slowly, their close proximity brings up... things.
Things I didn't really buy in this one: two straight bros who suddenly start getting it on when one clearly isn't into it.
There was no characterization and development of the men.
At first Oliver says he loves camping/glamping/outdoors/whatever, but later he says as a city boy, he doesn't enjoy it. (This is a weird difference in the story from the synopsis posted.) If the two men are experienced outdoorsmen like it's implied early on, their squabbles and their accident doesn't ring true.
The erotica... well, there wasn't any. Even the sex scenes weren't sexy. I don't know, for something that was billed as erotic gay fiction, none of this read particularly good to me.
I would have rated this a low 1.5 stars, but rounding up to 2, simply because I did finish it.
February 3, 2026
📚Story setting/tropes/tags:
- best bros to lovers
- bi-awakening
- close proximity
- single POV (1st person)
👥 MCs:
- organised, city man, tech-reliant MC
- ex-rich heir, outdoor person, self-sufficient MC
- anal virgins
- mild D/s dynamic
💕 Romance:
- soft, tender
- deep connection/history
- primal claiming
- low angst
- coming out
- ILY
- HEA
🔥 Spice:
- highly explicit content
- dry humping
- handjob
- detailed nudity
- bj
- fingering
- raw sex
- filthy dirty talk
- facial
- breeding
‼️TW:
- none
💬 Review:
Really good erotic romance novella with much more emotional depth than I expected.
This story had one of the best bi-awakening, it was deeply insightful how perception toward sexuality and masculinity was shaped and changed. It was well written with detailed internal thoughts that covered personal growth and development.
Two best bros became sexually aware of one another due to survival close proximity. I like that this was a genuinely newfound attraction triggered by the circumstances, making the bi-awakening that much better imo. There were many heartfelt moments between MCs with blooming feelings of rightness as their intimacy and closeness grew. Their connection was beautiful in the way they transitioned from best friends to lovers.
I wish it was dual POV, I wanted Hunter’s input as well.
“I felt attracted to him as a person, as a male person”
“Is that what it felt like to be attracted to a man? Not his beauty or attitude, but the whole fucking package? This feeling of being safe with him. A safety of mind and body”
“An acknowledgment of his raw power and virility. It was intoxicating, terrifying, and horribly exciting.”
“I wanted him. I desired him in a way that was still unclear to me but so potent that it sent blood coursing through my whole body.”
“My attraction to him was just as primal as any other I had felt.”
“I’m a man, and anything I experience is, by definition, manly. Fuck resigning my manhood; I just signed myself up for an advanced course on having a male body. If his fingers felt that good in my ass, his dick would probably be a lot better. Fuck it, all dudes should get fucked in the ass.”
“The kiss of lovers and friends. A kiss that meant so much more than arousal and attraction. A kiss that was appreciation, acceptance, and deeply profound affection.”
“I wanted him to be an everyday person of mine.”
- best bros to lovers
- bi-awakening
- close proximity
- single POV (1st person)
👥 MCs:
- organised, city man, tech-reliant MC
- ex-rich heir, outdoor person, self-sufficient MC
- anal virgins
- mild D/s dynamic
💕 Romance:
- soft, tender
- deep connection/history
- primal claiming
- low angst
- coming out
- ILY
- HEA
🔥 Spice:
- highly explicit content
- dry humping
- handjob
- detailed nudity
- bj
- fingering
- raw sex
- filthy dirty talk
- facial
- breeding
‼️TW:
- none
💬 Review:
Really good erotic romance novella with much more emotional depth than I expected.
This story had one of the best bi-awakening, it was deeply insightful how perception toward sexuality and masculinity was shaped and changed. It was well written with detailed internal thoughts that covered personal growth and development.
Two best bros became sexually aware of one another due to survival close proximity. I like that this was a genuinely newfound attraction triggered by the circumstances, making the bi-awakening that much better imo. There were many heartfelt moments between MCs with blooming feelings of rightness as their intimacy and closeness grew. Their connection was beautiful in the way they transitioned from best friends to lovers.
I wish it was dual POV, I wanted Hunter’s input as well.
“I felt attracted to him as a person, as a male person”
“Is that what it felt like to be attracted to a man? Not his beauty or attitude, but the whole fucking package? This feeling of being safe with him. A safety of mind and body”
“An acknowledgment of his raw power and virility. It was intoxicating, terrifying, and horribly exciting.”
“I wanted him. I desired him in a way that was still unclear to me but so potent that it sent blood coursing through my whole body.”
“My attraction to him was just as primal as any other I had felt.”
“I’m a man, and anything I experience is, by definition, manly. Fuck resigning my manhood; I just signed myself up for an advanced course on having a male body. If his fingers felt that good in my ass, his dick would probably be a lot better. Fuck it, all dudes should get fucked in the ass.”
“The kiss of lovers and friends. A kiss that meant so much more than arousal and attraction. A kiss that was appreciation, acceptance, and deeply profound affection.”
“I wanted him to be an everyday person of mine.”
September 16, 2024
Man... where to begin?! What a great book! I'm a HUGE Heath Grayson fan. I've read all of his books and almost all of them 2-3 times, except The Race (my favorite) probably 6 times. The Woods, however, has my favorite character, Hunter. He must have been so much fun to write. Strong, masculine, caring, forgiving—everything you could want in a partner. He is the single best character in Heath's repertoire.
Then, you add in Ollie, who is a good friend but a complete asshole—not beyond learning and understanding that he actually is an asshole, but can learn and grow from someone else. Heath has an amazing ability to so accurately describe the most insignificant details perfectly AND keep your attention while doing it. It's unbelievable. When he describes a very significant detail...he'll simply blow your mind.
I'm not an outdoorsman, but I could see the river as they were rafting along, hear the rapids as they got close to the waterfall, feel the cold water every time they got in or were forced in the water. Describing what is happening, in detail, while they walk through the woods without speaking is incredible. I'm truly amazed by his ability to write a story, get my attention, and keep it for 140+ pages. OH... did I mention the sex? SO HOT!
Then, you add in Ollie, who is a good friend but a complete asshole—not beyond learning and understanding that he actually is an asshole, but can learn and grow from someone else. Heath has an amazing ability to so accurately describe the most insignificant details perfectly AND keep your attention while doing it. It's unbelievable. When he describes a very significant detail...he'll simply blow your mind.
I'm not an outdoorsman, but I could see the river as they were rafting along, hear the rapids as they got close to the waterfall, feel the cold water every time they got in or were forced in the water. Describing what is happening, in detail, while they walk through the woods without speaking is incredible. I'm truly amazed by his ability to write a story, get my attention, and keep it for 140+ pages. OH... did I mention the sex? SO HOT!
November 29, 2024
I have not read another of the other books. I liked the pace. Hunter was a mountain man compared to Oliver’s glamping style of camping. Hunter gets Oliver to go on a trip to Alaska and hike for a week, Oliver goes because he’s stubborn. They get lost because Hunter gets distracted and they go down the river in the wrong direction, causing Olive to hurt his ankle and lose their raft so Hunter has to take care of Oliver and get him safely back while aiding his ankle. They get into situations where they need to rely on body heat which ends with Oliver getting hard and Hunter not caring to them getting off together. Hunter was always curious had experience from college but Oliver had never but he was enjoying it. They decide to see where it goes in the end, the live together, love each other and are happy.
January 1, 2024
what happens in the woods…
I went into this book completely blind, never having read this author before.
The guys are bros who grew up together and then drifted apart some after college.
He never looked at another man until they were looking at each other and trying to fight off freezing cold temperatures in one sleeping bag…
A bit of a freak out is not surprising but he goes with it and easily admits he wants all of the sexy times to happen.
I love that there was only acceptance and love throughout this whole story.
I will Be seeing what the other Bros can get up to.
Single 1st person POV (lost a star for that one IMO)
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
I went into this book completely blind, never having read this author before.
The guys are bros who grew up together and then drifted apart some after college.
He never looked at another man until they were looking at each other and trying to fight off freezing cold temperatures in one sleeping bag…
A bit of a freak out is not surprising but he goes with it and easily admits he wants all of the sexy times to happen.
I love that there was only acceptance and love throughout this whole story.
I will Be seeing what the other Bros can get up to.
Single 1st person POV (lost a star for that one IMO)
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
March 27, 2025
why was this the sweetest thing i’ve read in a while. hunter was a man through and through he was really large and in charge so good for him. he took care of oliver the whole way back to base camp and they were so cute.
so glad they had a friendship where they could just open and honest with each other about life and what they wanted. so glad they actually got together, best friends to partners is the best way to go.
the whole base camp was looking for them but i didn’t hear one chopper??? where they walking just like them or what?? $100k and they couldn’t afford a chopper?? what if that elk really killed then what???
so glad they had a friendship where they could just open and honest with each other about life and what they wanted. so glad they actually got together, best friends to partners is the best way to go.
the whole base camp was looking for them but i didn’t hear one chopper??? where they walking just like them or what?? $100k and they couldn’t afford a chopper?? what if that elk really killed then what???
February 19, 2023
-- Absolutely loved the very real complexity of emotions that our main character goes through.
-- I love his partner and their dynamic. They complement each other so well.
-- I loved that we got a "slice of life" epilogue at the end.
-- The writing, as usual, is great.
One of my favorites from the series.
-- I love his partner and their dynamic. They complement each other so well.
-- I loved that we got a "slice of life" epilogue at the end.
-- The writing, as usual, is great.
One of my favorites from the series.
May 6, 2025
I’d actually give it more of a 3.5 stars!
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I started it expecting just smut and no plot, but I really enjoyed both MCs, and the story was cute.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s still not heavy on plot, but it’s definitely an enjoyable read.
After a darker book, this one makes for a great pick-me-up!
I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I started it expecting just smut and no plot, but I really enjoyed both MCs, and the story was cute.
Don’t get me wrong, it’s still not heavy on plot, but it’s definitely an enjoyable read.
After a darker book, this one makes for a great pick-me-up!
December 16, 2024
It was good!
This was my first book by this author, and I enjoyed it! The writing style is a bit different than I am used to, but I thoroughly enjoyed that there weren't any side characters with pointless dialogue.
This was my first book by this author, and I enjoyed it! The writing style is a bit different than I am used to, but I thoroughly enjoyed that there weren't any side characters with pointless dialogue.
July 10, 2025
Phenomenal
This story is well told. The build up and climax in chapters 6 and 7 is exquisitely written. The unfolding of lust and love is genuine, believable, and is fascinating to read.
This story is well told. The build up and climax in chapters 6 and 7 is exquisitely written. The unfolding of lust and love is genuine, believable, and is fascinating to read.
December 9, 2024
oliver & hunter: 4 stars 🤍🤍
September 14, 2025
Very good read
I enjoyed reading this book very much. It was very interesting and entertaining. The author did an excellent job with the characters and storyline.
I enjoyed reading this book very much. It was very interesting and entertaining. The author did an excellent job with the characters and storyline.
dnf
January 28, 2026too bro-y for me dnf at 34%
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews