Don't Move Out

Crowhill Cove #1

by Rhiannon D'Averc

Keaton doesn’t want to live with a bully.
Especially not a bully who’s hot as hell…

KEATON
I got out of high school alive – just. Now, nothing in the world could push me back in the closet. I’m determined to have the best time of my life.

Until he walks in.

Oliver Harvey – six foot something of pure muscle, abs for days and lips I just want to kiss. And my old high school bully.

How the hell could we end up sharing a college dorm room together?

One thing’s for certain – I’m not sharing with him for the rest of the year. Even if he says he’s sorry. Even if he needs my help. And even if I can’t drag my eyes away when he gets changed right in front of me…

And I’m definitely, absolutely, 100% not going to kiss my straight roommate. Not even if he starts leaning in my direction.
I’m not even going to THINK about it.

OLLY
Ever since I last saw Keaton, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about him. I can’t get his face out of my head.

The way I treated him was wrong. I know that. I’ve been living with the guilt.

I just want a chance to make it up to him.

That’s why I can’t stop thinking about his soft lips or imagining running my hands through his messy curls – right?

That’s why every time we touch by accident, I freeze up and feel like I’ve been hit by lightning – right?

That’s why even though I’m a man of few words, I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather stay up all night talking to… right…?

I need his help. I need his company.

I think I might just need… him.

Don’t Move Out is an enemies to lovers gay romance with plenty of heat! The first book in the Crowhill Cove series which can also be read as a standalone. Happy ending guaranteed… in more ways than one!

Genres: M M Romance, Enemies To Lovers, College, Romance, Sports, LGBT, Slow Burn

252 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2023

Reviews

[ML · Rating 1 out of 5]

Writing this review as I read the book.
It’s obvious this author is from the UK. She should have set this book there instead of making it an American college and one of the MCs playing American football. Definitely not enough research.

Olly was Keaton’s bully in high school and now he’s Keaton’s roommate. It is pretty bizarre coincidence that this happened. Keaton immediately wants to change rooms, obviously. There is zero chemistry between these characters and the story is all over the place. Allegedly, this author has written 85 books but you would never guess that by reading this book.

42% in and Olly picks a fight with Keaton. Very odd choice by this author. It’s very very weird. I’m not sure if I’ll finish this. Time to skim…

52% and they finally kiss. Sadly it is when Olly is drunk AND on powerful painkillers 😵‍💫😵‍💫😵‍💫 informed consent not a thing I guess 🙄

59% in and the story goes completely off the rails. What a completely convoluted plot…epic eye roll 🙄


I can’t believe I finished this. It was SO cringy. The sex was awkward AF and these characters did not mesh well. Ugh 😑
Needless to say I’m 1 and done with this author. Ick.

[Iman (hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is something light and fast. The writing is real easy to get into although some parts were a bit repetitive. The story was overall okay. I didn’t think this book had a good start because everything that had happened between them in the past seems unconvincing to me. I feel like I needed more depth and emotions to what had happened. However, I continued the book with a much enlightened mood and it worked out pretty good and I kinda get why both MC were the way they were. I also appreciate the touches of football scenes in here, it was good. At some point, both MCs were so fun and giddy together I enjoyed it. I also do believe that both of them are neurospicy LOL. I wish there was more depth on the sensitive topics; family issues, Olly’s dyscalculia, and the struggle between sports, school and learning disability. I have no privilege and support regarding my neurodivergence and I was hoping Olly can make me feel seen. The moment people like me see an opportunity of a representation, we become hopeful for the emotional depth. These reps are not made just for the aesthetics.

[Hugo #freepalestine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay that was too fucking good 😭😭😭
I loved it I loved it loved it.
This couple work so well!!!
Olly is officially my new favorite Himbo
His character development was done so well, and i feel bad of what had happened to Keaton but I'm glad he finally found forgiveness and that freedom within himself and also I'm glad they have each other now.!!!!!!!
This is a perfect lighthearted read, there a few angts but everything else in this book would gloss over that angts..
Let me tell you that title of this book is perfection and too cute if you know the context of it 🥺🥺🥺.
I loved them so much
Couple of the year for me!!

[Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tropes: roommates, nerd/jock
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: no
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content themes: bullying, homophobia, violence, bad parents, dyscalculia

Keaton and Olly went to high school together. Though Olly transferred to another school 2 years before graduation. Keaton was bullied by Olly and his friends, though Olly didn't participate much. Olly struggles with guilt over his treatment of Keaton. Keaton got beat pretty bad. When he came out his dad beat him and his parents were not supportive.

Keaton's a bit of a nerd. Olly is a jock. They end up going to the same college and unbeknownst to Keaton, Olly requests that they room together. Keaton wants to switch rooms because as far as he's concerned he'd be rooming with a dangerous bully. But they talk and get to know each other a bit. Olly is really sorry. Olly is help because he's really struggling with school, he's at risk of losing his scholarship and place on the team. He has an undiagnosed learning disorder. Olly is also secretly attracted to Keaton, but not ready to confront that he may be gay.

This book wasn't that bad but it wasn't really anything to write home about. It was just a lot of awkward, immature, cheesy, over the top moments. It didn't really endear itself to me because those things meant that I couldn't connect with the story and find things likeable.

*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.

**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.

[Maureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this wonderful story, it was touching and full of angst but with a certain undercurrent of understanding. I love it when a school bully attempts to atone years later for their horrible actions. Olly followed Keaton to college, even made sure to be in the same dorm, a little stalkerish but he had good intentions, he planned on trying to make up for his past, to be honest and ask forgiveness. It didn't go quite as easily as planned. My only complaint is the frustrating ending, dear author please write a follow up on these two young men, we need to know! Must add, absolutely LOVE the cover!

[Elizabeth Hillebrand · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story was an awesome bully to lover. I couldn't put it down at all

[D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keat's past was horrible and traumatic. Not only he was bullied in high school but also he was beaten by his own father. No wonder he said that the bullying wasn't the worst because he had even worse in the hand of his father but he learned, he learned to forgive in order to move on with his life. That's what happened with Olly. He forgive Olly and since then, their relationship getting better with a little drama to spice things up. He too forgive his mother who did nothing back then when his father abused him.

Next story is Aiden. I wonder who will be his love interest. Will it be Xavi, Keat's high school friend or Ace?

[El. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked it up to read something light and fast in between, and I read in almost one go.

Well didn't have much expectation, so it helped I guess.

The story and plot was actually not bad, and kinda cute. The old highschool friends(more like bully and bullied) becoming collage roommates.

The biggest problem was, MCs didn't have depth and telling was kinda superficial. They didn't cringe me much tbh, which was a surprise because they are kinda cliche, but they were so flat. Like Olly is a footballer but his relationship to football and scenes were just told in general, same for his family and money struggles. There were no details to draw attention to.

Same with Keaton, his conflict with family, trauma from highschool, his interests in school or relationship with his mother were so surface level.

So it ends up making their feelings to each other and relationship kinda surface level as well, but it was again better than the rest since it was pretty slow burn. It worked here.

There were weird plots, like Olly lashing out randomly, or Keaton's dad and family drama, but they didn't get to connect anywhere really.

Overall, I am kinda rounding up with rating because the book delivered what I expected, a no angst, mushy, cutesy, don't make me think kinda sweet romance. No big feelings but a nice pass time.

[Tara Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Its really fun!!

I really like these two. There is a bit of humor and a lot of angst. You get to ride through all the emotions. I found myself just as attached to Olly as Keaton is..even though he has a history that isn't pretty I found myself overlooking that and rooting for them.. If you are looking for a fun love story this is a good pick.

[Misc]

Yikes. How on earth this was written by a seasoned “professional” author, I have no idea. Unless it wasn’t, and some ghost writer is responsible for it.. well then 🥴

[Ro · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m sort of conflicted about how to rate this book. On the one hand, it is a trope I really like – bullies with a second chance. On the other hand, there was a lot of unachieved potential here. It starts out with moving day at college. Keaton is away from bigoted parents and ready to make college something amazing while living his authentic life. He is uber-organized and I adored this about him. He’s anxiously waiting to meet his new roommate when in walks in…Ollie, his high school bully.
So this is where I had high hopes. “That first night when he saw me walk into the room was tough. I saw in his eyes how much he hated me. I understood that he was still afraid of me”. Ollie thinks that but I was thinking – as he should! The information here is given out in little bits and pieces so you don’t find out the extent of the bullying until later. Probably just as well, since I would have really disliked Ollie.
Maybe what got me the most were the consequences of that bullying. I won’t spoil anything but it was an adverse life-changing event for Keaton and a typical sports pass for Ollie. There are other actions of Ollie’s that just rubbed me the wrong way. An email, a reaction to his classes, just random things that do not put Ollie in a good light. I wanted an explanation of why Ollie came to college with only three changes of clothes and a bottle of body wash. He doesn’t come across as flighty.
But we also have Keaton, who I really liked. And his sister, Clara. Keaton is a nerd, sure, as well as kind and thoughtful. He worries about his sister, worries about Ollie, worries about his family. When he writes a letter to his parents, I wanted to hug him. There is so much good in this man. He helps all the time. He also is not afraid to bring up painful conversations, which he does with Ollie.
There is a lot for them to overcome to even be able to be roommates, let alone friends. I liked them together but wasn’t as invested in them as I thought I would be. I was actually at one point hoping Ace was going to be some competition for Ollie, I really liked him. There are some heavy issues happening here but some of these are less than fully developed. It’s a nice start to a new series.

Reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews

[Aly · Rating 3 out of 5]

College sports romance is one of my favorite things to read, throw in a gay relationship and I'm in heaven! This was a super cute story, featuring a former bully, gay awakening, and some adorable cuddling to round it all out.

This is a dual POV, which I always think is best for a romance. Keaton is the out guy who's reinventing himself for college and Olly is a questioning football player who's trying to be better than his past self. I thought they went together well and Olly slowly falling for Keaton was fun to see.

There's a couple hints of drama, but they don't really go anywhere. I would have liked one of the potential storylines to play out and test the relationship, making the couple stronger. Instead, these just petered out into nothing and I was a bit disappointed.

It seems like the author is already planning for several books in this series and I definitely wouldn't mind checking out more characters in this universe.

I voluntarily read and reviewed this book. All opinions are my own. Thank you to the author and publisher for the copy.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love finding new [to me] authors. Granted, it's a risk, and there are a lot that end up in the DNF pile. But sometimes I find gems like this one. Loved it. A former bully walks into the college dorm room of his former victim and tells him we're going to be roommates! The former bully just wants to atone for his past actions, doesn't expect a bi-awakening. This is not a case of closeted gay/bi guy bullying guy who makes him feel things. This is a football player who went along with the pack, thought it was funny, until it wasn't, and hasn't seen the guy in 2 years. But now that he's working on gaining his former victim's trust and earning his forgiveness, he's starting to see him in a different way. His former victim has his own traumas he's recovering from (some related to bullying, some not), and isn't ready to forgive and forget, let alone anything beyond that. But they build a real friendship and then more.

Available in KU
First person dual POV

TWs:
Past bullying behavior, including extreme violence (described on page in flashback and memories).
Past parental abuse
Homophobic parents and classmates
Underage drinking

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well Played Collegiate Romance

With a well crafted storyline and solid character development, this plot has an easy time giving the reader a warm, humorous and believable story. The slow developing relationship between Keaton and Ollie works well, and the book ends with a promise for the future.

[Dreamcastle100 · Rating 5 out of 5]

No matter of all the pain in the book, "Don't Move Out" was very sweet to me.
But my heart was aching for poor Keaton, especially when he told what his must-burn-in-hell parent did to him((( It's so good, that he had such friend as Xavi, and his family. I so much like the way Keaton is - gentle, caring, thoughtful...
I am happy for Keaton and Oliver, wish them happy ever after💓💓💓

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a fun, cozy read!
I read this one in a single sitting — it was just that easy to get into.
Light, cute, and sprinkled with the perfect amount of tension.
But what really got me? Olly’s redemption arc, those tutoring scenes with Keaton? Adorable — I was grinning the whole time 🙈
This book left me warm, soft, and totally charmed 💛

[DLB2572 · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Enemies to Lovers

Bully romances can be hit or miss. This is definitely a hit. Keaton & Olly had a lot to overcome at the start but their story was a good read and has me looking forward to more from this series.

I received an ARC and this is my unbiased opinion

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute enemies-to-lovers, bi-awakening, geek/jock novel. This book was well-written and engaging, and I absolutely loved both Keaton and Olly. I’m looking forward to the next novel in the series!

[Lili ✧⁠*⁠。(semi hiatus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ol and keat have an adorable and undeniable chemistry and dynamic but the slow pace of the book and the absent plot bored me, plus it feels like instant love and that has never been my cup of tea.

[laura cabezas · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars 🩵 definitely looking forward to more books in this series :)

[Sabrina · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 35%

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty sweet, ex high school bully/victim to college roommates to lovers.

[Altivo Overo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story...

if a bit exaggerated. The nerd and the jock are a bit trite, but the development is fine. I ended up liking them anyway.

[M. Pages · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bully to lover, not super convincing, MCs were sweet, though (the bully was completely not a bully by the time we meet him).

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

▪️college

▪️sports 🏈

▪️former bully

▪️gay awakening

▪️forced proximity (roommates - Olly requests Keaton as his roommate)

▪️slow burn

🔥/🔥

➖homophobic parents (mother comes around); mentions of past assaults