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The Situationship #1
The Step Bro Situation
It's official: my step bro is the biggest himbo ever to himbo.
He's a massive blond beefcake with a soft heart and an over-eager smile. The mere sight of him incites a shaking hot rage in me.
He's everywhere. He's around me all the time. So sweet and gentle that it makes me feel wild. I see him and smell him everywhere. When I can't see him or smell him, I hear him. The wall between our bedrooms is paper thin. I can't help it—I hear what he does in his room when he thinks he's alone. I hear everything.
I know I shouldn't do it. It's obviously a terrible, terrible idea. Still, I bide my time. I wait, and I wait, and finally, I pounce.
"Luke! I know what you're doing in there."
He's a massive blond beefcake with a soft heart and an over-eager smile. The mere sight of him incites a shaking hot rage in me.
He's everywhere. He's around me all the time. So sweet and gentle that it makes me feel wild. I see him and smell him everywhere. When I can't see him or smell him, I hear him. The wall between our bedrooms is paper thin. I can't help it—I hear what he does in his room when he thinks he's alone. I hear everything.
I know I shouldn't do it. It's obviously a terrible, terrible idea. Still, I bide my time. I wait, and I wait, and finally, I pounce.
"Luke! I know what you're doing in there."
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published April 20, 2023
1276 people are currently reading
2290 people want to read
About the author
Jesse H. Reign
19 books1,479 followersI'm Jesse, and I write contemporary and paranormal MM romance.
Whether my characters are born magical, or whether magic is something they make between the sheets, I strive to take the reader into the mind of the narrator. My ultimate goal is to leave the reader feeling like they’ve made a new friend or have spent a few hours flirting with a brand-new book boyfriend.
I love coffee, chocolate and daydreaming, in no particular order. I love conflicted characters, lust at first sight and angst – no seriously, ALL the angst. Give it to me!
Whether my characters are born magical, or whether magic is something they make between the sheets, I strive to take the reader into the mind of the narrator. My ultimate goal is to leave the reader feeling like they’ve made a new friend or have spent a few hours flirting with a brand-new book boyfriend.
I love coffee, chocolate and daydreaming, in no particular order. I love conflicted characters, lust at first sight and angst – no seriously, ALL the angst. Give it to me!
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decided-against
May 31, 2023On this episode of ‘What’s Going On With That Cover?’
This guy is extremely proud of his nipple…like really proud.
Check out previous episodes here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
This guy is extremely proud of his nipple…like really proud.
Check out previous episodes here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
![Profile Image for Lilly [Hiatus due to School] .](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1663899589i%2F10381707._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
April 21, 2023
The Step Bro Situation is the first book in the Situationship series. It was a delightfully sweet and funny read.
We have Jessie, who is caught in the middle of his parent's divorce. Jessie has been carrying guilt and the emotional burden of ensuring that his mother was emotionally okay after the divorce, to the point of moving across the world with her leaving everything behind. Now at 20, he is back in the States to live with his father and new family. However, he's closed off, angry and pushing everyone away. The ultimate grumpy boy.
Luke (19) is just a darling. Sunshine, bright, puppies, a himbo, and so honest. Luke has been attracted to Jessie since their encounter at his mother's wedding and excitedly awaits his return. The ultimate sunshine boy.
I loved how protective Jessie got over Luke it was so sweet and funny to see. Luke, despite being a himbo, had so much depth to him. He's thoughtful and so introspective. He knows what he wants and sees things about Jessie that Jessie himself isn't ready to acknowledge. However, his straightforwardness and openness are exactly what Jessie needs.
I loved the chemistry between them. Luke has waited for Jessie, and their first time was just wonderfully steamy and sweet! I enjoyed seeing their more filthy side come out as they got comfortable with one another. Jesse H Reign, as always, writes great steamy and spicy sex scenes.
Despite the family drama, the story is low angst and definitely on the fluffy, sweet, and funny side and what I needed after reading some darker stories.
Overall I had a great time reading this book. I am a huge fan of Jesse so no surprise I enjoyed The Step Bro Situation. If you enjoy Jesse H Reign's writing and like low angst, stepbrothers, opposites attract, and grumpy/sunshine stories, I recommend it.
We have Jessie, who is caught in the middle of his parent's divorce. Jessie has been carrying guilt and the emotional burden of ensuring that his mother was emotionally okay after the divorce, to the point of moving across the world with her leaving everything behind. Now at 20, he is back in the States to live with his father and new family. However, he's closed off, angry and pushing everyone away. The ultimate grumpy boy.
Luke (19) is just a darling. Sunshine, bright, puppies, a himbo, and so honest. Luke has been attracted to Jessie since their encounter at his mother's wedding and excitedly awaits his return. The ultimate sunshine boy.
I loved how protective Jessie got over Luke it was so sweet and funny to see. Luke, despite being a himbo, had so much depth to him. He's thoughtful and so introspective. He knows what he wants and sees things about Jessie that Jessie himself isn't ready to acknowledge. However, his straightforwardness and openness are exactly what Jessie needs.
I loved the chemistry between them. Luke has waited for Jessie, and their first time was just wonderfully steamy and sweet! I enjoyed seeing their more filthy side come out as they got comfortable with one another. Jesse H Reign, as always, writes great steamy and spicy sex scenes.
Despite the family drama, the story is low angst and definitely on the fluffy, sweet, and funny side and what I needed after reading some darker stories.
Overall I had a great time reading this book. I am a huge fan of Jesse so no surprise I enjoyed The Step Bro Situation. If you enjoy Jesse H Reign's writing and like low angst, stepbrothers, opposites attract, and grumpy/sunshine stories, I recommend it.
April 24, 2023
My experience:
- 11% cute writing but this story is the same old plot. dnf
- nothing else to read, main character was kind of cool, I liked the setting a lot, let me go back to it.
- 16% I don’t feel anything. dnf
next day
- I still have nothing to read, let me go check that book out again one more time. The mom was so nice.
- 22% nope, I’m done for good. dnf
- I’m not in the mood to start anything new, let me try it again
- 54% I can’t put this down. Nothing in the world exists except for Jessie and Luke. I am in love with them.
random thoughts:
It was very visual and I enjoyed the visuals
Luke’s mom is the best
Jessie is funny
Luke’s anticipation became my anticipation
The way the tables turn. 🔥
The sweet moments are so sweet
Read if you want something that just feels good
I will be on the look out for Drix’s book
- 11% cute writing but this story is the same old plot. dnf
- nothing else to read, main character was kind of cool, I liked the setting a lot, let me go back to it.
- 16% I don’t feel anything. dnf
next day
- I still have nothing to read, let me go check that book out again one more time. The mom was so nice.
- 22% nope, I’m done for good. dnf
- I’m not in the mood to start anything new, let me try it again
- 54% I can’t put this down. Nothing in the world exists except for Jessie and Luke. I am in love with them.
random thoughts:
It was very visual and I enjoyed the visuals
Luke’s mom is the best
Jessie is funny
Luke’s anticipation became my anticipation
The way the tables turn. 🔥
The sweet moments are so sweet
Read if you want something that just feels good
I will be on the look out for Drix’s book
March 9, 2025
~2.5~
Does anyone find it strange that the author named one of the MCs after their pseudonym but spelled it the more "feminine' way? No? Just me?
This book is such a mixed bag, I got whiplash from the number of times I almost DNF only to get sucked back into the story.
I loved Luke and the way he approached everything with honesty and joy. Luke is unapologetically vulnerable and happy, and I don't think Jessie deserved him.
Jessie is the typical "too cool for everything" jaded kid who acts world-weary and superior. He treats his dad with disdain but doesn't protest when his dad gives him a car.
Jessie and Luke's parents are OTT sweet, in love, and supportive, to the point of caricature.
And Luke's friends ... well, I don't understand why they're included in the story? They're present for a few chapters, and there's some drama around who's crushing on whom, but it's mostly a distraction.
Also, the "step bro situation" is nonexistent. The guys weren't raised together and barely know each other; plus, their parents don't care what they do. It's not a situation.
The epilogue gets a gold star, but that cover - wtf is the dude staring at his nipple like it's the second coming of Christ?
Not quite three stars but rounded up because there were some cute parts, and Luke is pure sunshine.
Does anyone find it strange that the author named one of the MCs after their pseudonym but spelled it the more "feminine' way? No? Just me?
This book is such a mixed bag, I got whiplash from the number of times I almost DNF only to get sucked back into the story.
I loved Luke and the way he approached everything with honesty and joy. Luke is unapologetically vulnerable and happy, and I don't think Jessie deserved him.
Jessie is the typical "too cool for everything" jaded kid who acts world-weary and superior. He treats his dad with disdain but doesn't protest when his dad gives him a car.
Jessie and Luke's parents are OTT sweet, in love, and supportive, to the point of caricature.
And Luke's friends ... well, I don't understand why they're included in the story? They're present for a few chapters, and there's some drama around who's crushing on whom, but it's mostly a distraction.
Also, the "step bro situation" is nonexistent. The guys weren't raised together and barely know each other; plus, their parents don't care what they do. It's not a situation.
The epilogue gets a gold star, but that cover - wtf is the dude staring at his nipple like it's the second coming of Christ?
Not quite three stars but rounded up because there were some cute parts, and Luke is pure sunshine.
July 9, 2023
Minus the nipple fetish, this was cute af. Luke was so adorable.
Maybe I am in the minority who enjoyed this but heck every once in a while a lighthearted book is needed
Full rtc😬
Maybe I am in the minority who enjoyed this but heck every once in a while a lighthearted book is needed
Full rtc😬
![Profile Image for Megan [At The Cottage].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1634561405i%2F25103878._UY200_CR50%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
April 24, 2023
MM Romance
Stepbrothers Grumpy/Sunshine
2 Stars ⭐️
Another day, another stepbrothers book that just did not work for me. Will I ever learn my lesson? No probably not considering I have 2 other stepbrother books sitting in my ku library right now. Like I’ve said before, I love the idea of stepbrothers but nothing has ever compared to Wrath by Ella James and while some others have gotten close, I’m mostly left feeling annoyed and disappointed by the end. I picked this one up because after reading this author’s Unrequited series I wanted to get my hands on everything they’d ever written. The pining in that book was fan-fucking-tastic but unfortunately I’ve struggled to connect with any of their other books much to my dismay. 😭😭
Jessie returns to the US permanently after living with his mom in Australia for the past 10 years? I might be making that up 🤣 but it’s been a minute. He’s from California originally but after his parent’s bad divorce that made him feel stuck in the middle, his mom moved him far away. He’d only see his father in the summer and for special events. Because of the pandemic he hasn’t seen his dad, stepmom or stepbrother since the wedding 2 years ago but he’s staying with them while going to college and getting on his feet. He arrives super fucking jaded, not excited at all about living with his dad again, and even less excited to deal with Luke, his himbo stepbrother.
My main reason for disliking this book was the characters. Everyone annoyed me because they were too much and so OTT exaggerated they felt fake. This family was just too fucking much and I had second hand embarrassment for all of them. Let’s start with Luke. OMG he was so annoying! I’m all for the sunshiney character but he was ridiculous and so dumb. I wanted to smack the hell out of him for most of this book. He’s just so damn naïve about everythingggg and he’s mannerisms made me cringe. Jessie isn’t much better though. For the first 40% of this book I legit HATED him. He’s one of those “I’m too cool for this dorky family” type guys and I mean I felt his pain because this family was the definition of embarrassment but for FFS he treats Luke like shit and his inner thoughts were even worse. During the day, Jessie goes out of his way to ignore or provoke Luke but at night he talks dirty to him through the wall and gets him off. They have this terrible dynamic that snaps eventually but then *WHAM* Jessie starts to see things differently and their relationship evolves. It wasn’t just the stepbrothers who annoyed me either. The dad, stepmother, Jessie’s actual mother, Luke’s entire friend group and much later in the book, “Trouble”, made me cringe. These people were just too much 😂😂😂
I was all set to DNF this but after the 50% mark secrets came out and Jessie started to see Luke differently. Jessie went from being this shithead of a character to smitten by Luke despite his dorkiness and much to my surprise I started liking their dynamic. Jessie’s POV started making me laugh instead of cringe because he was so confused how Luke got under his skin but he couldn’t deny how much he loved it. He goes from the grump to a guy who becomes a total cuddle whore and thankfully Luke calmed down a bit now that he got his man. I found the sex scenes between them to be a bit cringy at times but I started to really enjoy their dynamic together only for the friend group to reappear and bug me again. 🤣
Soooo, because I hated the first 50% of this book and still have all kinds of mixed feelings about the rest, I’m rating it low. Last year I probably would have given it a generous 3 stars because of the author and the fact the couple kind of grew on me but 2023 me is brutally honest and a tad jaded and just wants to pick something up that doesn’t suck. Is that too much to ask? 😂
Oh and WTF is this cover? This guy looks super surprised to discover he has nipples. Huh 🤔 how did those get there? 🤣
Stepbrothers Grumpy/Sunshine
2 Stars ⭐️
Another day, another stepbrothers book that just did not work for me. Will I ever learn my lesson? No probably not considering I have 2 other stepbrother books sitting in my ku library right now. Like I’ve said before, I love the idea of stepbrothers but nothing has ever compared to Wrath by Ella James and while some others have gotten close, I’m mostly left feeling annoyed and disappointed by the end. I picked this one up because after reading this author’s Unrequited series I wanted to get my hands on everything they’d ever written. The pining in that book was fan-fucking-tastic but unfortunately I’ve struggled to connect with any of their other books much to my dismay. 😭😭
Jessie returns to the US permanently after living with his mom in Australia for the past 10 years? I might be making that up 🤣 but it’s been a minute. He’s from California originally but after his parent’s bad divorce that made him feel stuck in the middle, his mom moved him far away. He’d only see his father in the summer and for special events. Because of the pandemic he hasn’t seen his dad, stepmom or stepbrother since the wedding 2 years ago but he’s staying with them while going to college and getting on his feet. He arrives super fucking jaded, not excited at all about living with his dad again, and even less excited to deal with Luke, his himbo stepbrother.
My main reason for disliking this book was the characters. Everyone annoyed me because they were too much and so OTT exaggerated they felt fake. This family was just too fucking much and I had second hand embarrassment for all of them. Let’s start with Luke. OMG he was so annoying! I’m all for the sunshiney character but he was ridiculous and so dumb. I wanted to smack the hell out of him for most of this book. He’s just so damn naïve about everythingggg and he’s mannerisms made me cringe. Jessie isn’t much better though. For the first 40% of this book I legit HATED him. He’s one of those “I’m too cool for this dorky family” type guys and I mean I felt his pain because this family was the definition of embarrassment but for FFS he treats Luke like shit and his inner thoughts were even worse. During the day, Jessie goes out of his way to ignore or provoke Luke but at night he talks dirty to him through the wall and gets him off. They have this terrible dynamic that snaps eventually but then *WHAM* Jessie starts to see things differently and their relationship evolves. It wasn’t just the stepbrothers who annoyed me either. The dad, stepmother, Jessie’s actual mother, Luke’s entire friend group and much later in the book, “Trouble”, made me cringe. These people were just too much 😂😂😂
I was all set to DNF this but after the 50% mark secrets came out and Jessie started to see Luke differently. Jessie went from being this shithead of a character to smitten by Luke despite his dorkiness and much to my surprise I started liking their dynamic. Jessie’s POV started making me laugh instead of cringe because he was so confused how Luke got under his skin but he couldn’t deny how much he loved it. He goes from the grump to a guy who becomes a total cuddle whore and thankfully Luke calmed down a bit now that he got his man. I found the sex scenes between them to be a bit cringy at times but I started to really enjoy their dynamic together only for the friend group to reappear and bug me again. 🤣
Soooo, because I hated the first 50% of this book and still have all kinds of mixed feelings about the rest, I’m rating it low. Last year I probably would have given it a generous 3 stars because of the author and the fact the couple kind of grew on me but 2023 me is brutally honest and a tad jaded and just wants to pick something up that doesn’t suck. Is that too much to ask? 😂
Oh and WTF is this cover? This guy looks super surprised to discover he has nipples. Huh 🤔 how did those get there? 🤣
May 10, 2023
DNF @75%
You can’t write a bully MC (Jessie)… like, on page cruelty for no reason for half the book, and expect me to believe his turn around to being all sweet after that.
This book tried to be something it’s not and while I tried to push through, I discovered I hated most of the characters and just didn’t care. The sex was hot I guess. But the writing is on par with most 2023 new releases. IE: fucking awful
Also, Jessie’s dad deserved a better son. 😒
And this cover looks like he’s writing an ode to his nipple. Or maybe confused why it’s there. 😆
Another new to me author now added to the DNR shelf. 🥱
You can’t write a bully MC (Jessie)… like, on page cruelty for no reason for half the book, and expect me to believe his turn around to being all sweet after that.
This book tried to be something it’s not and while I tried to push through, I discovered I hated most of the characters and just didn’t care. The sex was hot I guess. But the writing is on par with most 2023 new releases. IE: fucking awful
Also, Jessie’s dad deserved a better son. 😒
And this cover looks like he’s writing an ode to his nipple. Or maybe confused why it’s there. 😆
Another new to me author now added to the DNR shelf. 🥱
September 15, 2023
The Step Bro Situation by Jesse Reign was quirky, fun and interesting to read. These two are so different but so cute. This is about Jessie and Luke.
MM Romance
First Time
Low Angst
Possessive
Stepbrothers
Golden Retriever
Forced Proximity
Grumpy/Sunshine
Opposites Attract
Jessie’s parents get divorced and then his mom moves to Australia, taking Jessie with her. His dad, Greg meets Rachel who has a son named Luke. The two get married making Luke and Jessie stepbrothers. Apparently there’s a moment at the wedding where Jessie has been drinking and the two kiss. Jessie and his mom go back to Australia and the pandemic hits. His father or no one else gets to see him for a couple years because of this. Afterwards, Jessie moves back home with his dad, he is 20 now and Luke is 19. Him and Luke live out in the guest house together.
(This is where I would like to insert the, And so it begins meme from The Lord of The Rings but I don’t know how.)
So, Jessie supposedly has this bad boy persona, but he doesn’t come off all that bad boyish. It feels more like he is closed off, sad and confused. Like he doesn’t know how to express himself correctly or feels like he freely cannot. Like maybe he isn't free to be himself. He gets angry a lot but equally holds his feelings in. He seems a bit touchy-feely to me; I think his parents' divorce caused a lot of this.
Luke is a gentle, fun, free-caring, loving, sweet individual. He gets question if he’s really so sweet a few times. I would say he is sweet, fun, loving and adventurous with a little devil on his shoulder. These two are so much fun together. I loved reading this, the tension between these two is fire.
Luke is the one who instigates more between them in the beginning and pushes Jessie some to get what he wants. He seems to want the relationship more until you get Jessie’s POV. Jessie’s inter-monologue is about how much he wants Luke and how it’s a terrible idea. How he’ll only hurt Luke and destroy him. So he tries to hold himself back. Jessie hears Luke through their bedroom wall and tells him he can hear everything he is doing. Jessie starts giving him directions on how to pleasure himself. The story grows from there.
Jessie’s mom is literally worst characters. I literally hated her from the beginning. Jessie’s mom is a selfish, manipulative pos. She causes him so many unnecessary issues. Lucky for us, Luke always pulls him back.
Firstly, I love this so much because there is no third act break up. God, thank you for that. Bonus points for not beating a dead horse. The third act break up is so tired. Secondly, When Luke and Jessie start to come out to their parents, they don’t even bat an eye and then call them out on it because they already knew. Everyone just accepts the news and moves on. They are happy for them and support the relationship. it's just so sweet. Also, I enjoyed the scenes where Jessie and Luke were intimate without sex, just loving each other and it being enough. Plus, Jessie started drawing again, which I love he found pleasure again in something he lost. The five-year time jump was excellent and filled in some blanks, especially as far as Jessie’s mom was concerned. I love that it was added to the story.
MM Romance
First Time
Low Angst
Possessive
Stepbrothers
Golden Retriever
Forced Proximity
Grumpy/Sunshine
Opposites Attract
Jessie’s parents get divorced and then his mom moves to Australia, taking Jessie with her. His dad, Greg meets Rachel who has a son named Luke. The two get married making Luke and Jessie stepbrothers. Apparently there’s a moment at the wedding where Jessie has been drinking and the two kiss. Jessie and his mom go back to Australia and the pandemic hits. His father or no one else gets to see him for a couple years because of this. Afterwards, Jessie moves back home with his dad, he is 20 now and Luke is 19. Him and Luke live out in the guest house together.
(This is where I would like to insert the, And so it begins meme from The Lord of The Rings but I don’t know how.)
So, Jessie supposedly has this bad boy persona, but he doesn’t come off all that bad boyish. It feels more like he is closed off, sad and confused. Like he doesn’t know how to express himself correctly or feels like he freely cannot. Like maybe he isn't free to be himself. He gets angry a lot but equally holds his feelings in. He seems a bit touchy-feely to me; I think his parents' divorce caused a lot of this.
Luke is a gentle, fun, free-caring, loving, sweet individual. He gets question if he’s really so sweet a few times. I would say he is sweet, fun, loving and adventurous with a little devil on his shoulder. These two are so much fun together. I loved reading this, the tension between these two is fire.
Luke is the one who instigates more between them in the beginning and pushes Jessie some to get what he wants. He seems to want the relationship more until you get Jessie’s POV. Jessie’s inter-monologue is about how much he wants Luke and how it’s a terrible idea. How he’ll only hurt Luke and destroy him. So he tries to hold himself back. Jessie hears Luke through their bedroom wall and tells him he can hear everything he is doing. Jessie starts giving him directions on how to pleasure himself. The story grows from there.
Jessie’s mom is literally worst characters. I literally hated her from the beginning. Jessie’s mom is a selfish, manipulative pos. She causes him so many unnecessary issues. Lucky for us, Luke always pulls him back.
Firstly, I love this so much because there is no third act break up. God, thank you for that. Bonus points for not beating a dead horse. The third act break up is so tired. Secondly, When Luke and Jessie start to come out to their parents, they don’t even bat an eye and then call them out on it because they already knew. Everyone just accepts the news and moves on. They are happy for them and support the relationship. it's just so sweet. Also, I enjoyed the scenes where Jessie and Luke were intimate without sex, just loving each other and it being enough. Plus, Jessie started drawing again, which I love he found pleasure again in something he lost. The five-year time jump was excellent and filled in some blanks, especially as far as Jessie’s mom was concerned. I love that it was added to the story.
dnf
October 7, 2025Yeah, no, not for me sadly because I hated literally everyone here lol
Jesse was actually insufferable, hating everything and everyone without one single reason?! Like, his family is nothing but nice (too nice, cringeworthy nice) and he’s harbouring murder fantasies and saying things like ‘orphans have it soo much better than me boohooo’ and I’m like bro, shut the fuck up you insufferable piece of shit. Sorry, I’m still salty about that apparently.
And then there’s Luke who is SO nice, SO naive and SUCH a himbo that he read more like a 12 year old. Which first of all made it really hard to feel any kind of connection between them and second made the whole storyline centred around him jerking off pretty uncomfortable.
So I stopped after 2hours 40 minutes of the audiobook. The narrators were nice though, so there’s at least that..
Jesse was actually insufferable, hating everything and everyone without one single reason?! Like, his family is nothing but nice (too nice, cringeworthy nice) and he’s harbouring murder fantasies and saying things like ‘orphans have it soo much better than me boohooo’ and I’m like bro, shut the fuck up you insufferable piece of shit. Sorry, I’m still salty about that apparently.
And then there’s Luke who is SO nice, SO naive and SUCH a himbo that he read more like a 12 year old. Which first of all made it really hard to feel any kind of connection between them and second made the whole storyline centred around him jerking off pretty uncomfortable.
So I stopped after 2hours 40 minutes of the audiobook. The narrators were nice though, so there’s at least that..
June 7, 2024
4.5/5⭐ 3.5/5🌶️ 1/5😱 2/5🤣 4.5/5🎧
Thoughts in the dark: What in the Janet Jackson is going on with this cover?
How can you write this breathtaking romance and then name it this, what this is titled.
This is what you gotta do:
🏄♂️ Don't look at the cover
🏄♂️ ignore the title
🏄♂️ Read this book.
Can Jesse write outstanding spice? Yes. Can they write perfect boys in love? Yes!
This is step brothers grumpy/sunshine romance at its best. The boys are 19, live with Jessie's (the grump) dad and Luke's (the blinding sunshine) mom. It's hot, it's sweet and the romance is SWOONY.
Maybe this book got me exactly at the right time, but this was near perfect m/m romance. Add in some more angst and it would have been a 5 ⭐ listen. The audio made this story better. Liam DiCosimo really does whoever he is reading justice. Also, as a child of divorce, the depiction of parental isolation and the struggles of a kid who blames himself for his parents unhappiness was so relatable for me, this story basically could do no wrong.
Convincing you to read this:
🍕 Opposites attract / grumpy-sunshine dynamic
🍕 First sexy times for both
🍕 NO 3D ACT BREAKUP
🍕 low angst high good feels
🍕 One MC showing the other what 'good' and 'love' mean
🍕 Some wholesome family depictions
Everyone needs a Luke. He was lovely. Smart, calm, a perfect representation of what it means to have a safe attachment style, very nice, Luke. Thanks for showing us what we could all be like 😵💫
The spice here was 🔥🤌 and beautiful.
Luke fumbles through his first blowjob and, again, so relatable. Love seeing real people on page who aren't born 🌽orn stars.
I can't recommend this book ENOUGH.
Thoughts in the dark: What in the Janet Jackson is going on with this cover?
How can you write this breathtaking romance and then name it this, what this is titled.
This is what you gotta do:
🏄♂️ Don't look at the cover
🏄♂️ ignore the title
🏄♂️ Read this book.
Can Jesse write outstanding spice? Yes. Can they write perfect boys in love? Yes!
This is step brothers grumpy/sunshine romance at its best. The boys are 19, live with Jessie's (the grump) dad and Luke's (the blinding sunshine) mom. It's hot, it's sweet and the romance is SWOONY.
Maybe this book got me exactly at the right time, but this was near perfect m/m romance. Add in some more angst and it would have been a 5 ⭐ listen. The audio made this story better. Liam DiCosimo really does whoever he is reading justice. Also, as a child of divorce, the depiction of parental isolation and the struggles of a kid who blames himself for his parents unhappiness was so relatable for me, this story basically could do no wrong.
Convincing you to read this:
🍕 Opposites attract / grumpy-sunshine dynamic
🍕 First sexy times for both
🍕 NO 3D ACT BREAKUP
🍕 low angst high good feels
🍕 One MC showing the other what 'good' and 'love' mean
🍕 Some wholesome family depictions
Everyone needs a Luke. He was lovely. Smart, calm, a perfect representation of what it means to have a safe attachment style, very nice, Luke. Thanks for showing us what we could all be like 😵💫
The spice here was 🔥🤌 and beautiful.
Luke fumbles through his first blowjob and, again, so relatable. Love seeing real people on page who aren't born 🌽orn stars.
I can't recommend this book ENOUGH.
February 3, 2024
"I hate every single thing about it."
Me too, BRO! DNF 22%, that is enough for me.
"I try not to look. It’s like driving past a car crash. You know you shouldn’t look; you know it’s going to be disturbing, but for some reason you can’t help it."
Yeah, that pretty much describes how I felt reading this. What a miserable dick this MC is, and he's supposedly 20? He's acting like he's 45 and all life has done is shit on him. Judging, complaining, emo-ing, whatever, what a miserable experience listening to this guy moan about everything. Your parents divorced 6 years ago, stop fucking crying about it. Bleh. Boo-fucking-hoo.
Then there's the other MC, supposedly 19? Why is he aged down to a 13-year-old? It's weird and creepy, beyond unrealistic, and then I'm supposed to be comfortable with him jerking off, after pages and pages of childlike behavior that probably is strange for a 13-year-old.
I don't know what I'm missing here, but this bizarre depiction of a well-off family in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA where the family is always hugging, touching, smiling, sparking joy from their asses. They did a conga line with freshly delivered pizza boxes and then had a NOT impromptu dance party, thrashing and bumping around (the mother, father, and 19-year-old) while the pizza sat congealing in horror.
What the hell? Moving on.
Me too, BRO! DNF 22%, that is enough for me.
"I try not to look. It’s like driving past a car crash. You know you shouldn’t look; you know it’s going to be disturbing, but for some reason you can’t help it."
Yeah, that pretty much describes how I felt reading this. What a miserable dick this MC is, and he's supposedly 20? He's acting like he's 45 and all life has done is shit on him. Judging, complaining, emo-ing, whatever, what a miserable experience listening to this guy moan about everything. Your parents divorced 6 years ago, stop fucking crying about it. Bleh. Boo-fucking-hoo.
Then there's the other MC, supposedly 19? Why is he aged down to a 13-year-old? It's weird and creepy, beyond unrealistic, and then I'm supposed to be comfortable with him jerking off, after pages and pages of childlike behavior that probably is strange for a 13-year-old.
I don't know what I'm missing here, but this bizarre depiction of a well-off family in Carmel-by-the-Sea, CA where the family is always hugging, touching, smiling, sparking joy from their asses. They did a conga line with freshly delivered pizza boxes and then had a NOT impromptu dance party, thrashing and bumping around (the mother, father, and 19-year-old) while the pizza sat congealing in horror.
What the hell? Moving on.
April 28, 2023
I wish I’d loved it more, because it had SO MUCH POTENTIAL.
Jess is the grump of this story: dark, brooding, angry with the world and with himself when he visits his father in the U.S after the pandemic ends. He had to move to Australia after the divorce of his parents, and his mother obviously couldn’t stand to see his father happy again after he remarried.
He meets his stepbrother again, Luke, the sunshine - a young man who wears his heart on his sleeve, and who refuses to back down when Jessie tries to push him away. He’s a virgin, but he’s been attracted to Jessie ever since a drunk kiss at their parents’ wedding.
Ofc, things happen, and some of them are pretty hot. Nevertheless, and despite the fact that I liked both characters, I was… bored. Don’t ask me why - it me all the ingredients I love, the grump/sunshine, possessiveness, no lack of communication, sexual self-discovery, and several funny family scenes. It just didn’t pull me in as I’d have hoped it would, that’s why I’ll only give it 3 stars.
A shame, I would have loved to love it more.
Oh and before I forget: whoever thought that extended sex scenes in the epilogue are a good idea: they’re not.
Jess is the grump of this story: dark, brooding, angry with the world and with himself when he visits his father in the U.S after the pandemic ends. He had to move to Australia after the divorce of his parents, and his mother obviously couldn’t stand to see his father happy again after he remarried.
He meets his stepbrother again, Luke, the sunshine - a young man who wears his heart on his sleeve, and who refuses to back down when Jessie tries to push him away. He’s a virgin, but he’s been attracted to Jessie ever since a drunk kiss at their parents’ wedding.
Ofc, things happen, and some of them are pretty hot. Nevertheless, and despite the fact that I liked both characters, I was… bored. Don’t ask me why - it me all the ingredients I love, the grump/sunshine, possessiveness, no lack of communication, sexual self-discovery, and several funny family scenes. It just didn’t pull me in as I’d have hoped it would, that’s why I’ll only give it 3 stars.
A shame, I would have loved to love it more.
Oh and before I forget: whoever thought that extended sex scenes in the epilogue are a good idea: they’re not.
April 24, 2023
I think this is probably a 3 star, but it gets an extra star just for making me laugh so hard with the pizza parties!
The grumpy/sunshine combo was cute, but Luke was next level sunshine - I genuinely hope there are really people who are that happy, I haven't met any though 😂
I would have liked more from when they were teenagers, and a bit more depth of what happened to Jessie before he came back, because I'm all about emotional connection to characters and it was just missing something for me.
This is a silly fun, feel good story that I would definitely recommend though if you need to be cheered up.
The grumpy/sunshine combo was cute, but Luke was next level sunshine - I genuinely hope there are really people who are that happy, I haven't met any though 😂
I would have liked more from when they were teenagers, and a bit more depth of what happened to Jessie before he came back, because I'm all about emotional connection to characters and it was just missing something for me.
This is a silly fun, feel good story that I would definitely recommend though if you need to be cheered up.
February 20, 2024
Heartfelt and Hot 🥵
but my god is that cover awful 😂
Grumpy x sunshine
but my god is that cover awful 😂
Grumpy x sunshine
April 25, 2023
So,
The Nipple Book
. 😏
Yeah.
This wasn't what I expected for a stepbro book.
The story follows Jessie and Luke, two stepbrothers who met for the first time when Jessie's dad married Luke's mom.
They apparently immediately have chemistry, but this very important part, along with their first kiss, doesn't have any emphasis in the story , which was surprising.
When they meet again, Jessie (20) moves back to USA from Australia and now lives with Luke (19) in their parents' guesthouse.
Luke is still hung up on Jessie and is trying to get with him, so eventually they start having sex and fall in love.
🟡 No angst, in fact, a lot of things happening here are ridiculous .
🟣 Who even are Luke and Jessie? I had absolutely no sense of their true characters. Is Jessie a bad boy? Doesn't really live up to it. Is Luke sweet or isn't he?
🔵 The side characters weren't likeable.
🟢 The emotional manipulation from Jessie's mother wasn't resolved.
🌶️ There is spice, but it's not that descriptive and a lot of it is off-page , but by the end of the book it gets better.
To me personally this story was a mess.
I felt like the characters weren't fully developed, the story had a lot of missing pieces and the funny parts of the book really weren't that funny.
What's the point of them being step brothers? It makes no sense. There's no angst, they're having sex literally next to their parents' window and when they come clean, it isn't even a big deal .
I was inclined to really like Luke, but again I felt like his character could've been so much more, it all came down to his washboard abs and his perfect ass, his zen wisdom coming from a 19 year old and him having really weird relationships with his friends .
Jessie was supposed to be this bad boy extraordinaire, but he was just a lost kid from divorced parents and their dynamic made no sense to me. It would be so much better if both were just silly, sweet guys finding love.
🔴 I'm giving it 2⭐, because of this part alone and because it's Luke;
His abs clench when he thrusts. I don’t mean a little. I don’t mean a light indentation if you squint just right. I mean they clench hard. Each thrust sends deep shadows and dents down his belly.
He rolls his hips slowly. He rolls them exactly, precisely like sex. Like slow sex. Like the kind of sex I’ve always wanted but I haven’t had until now. Like the kind of sex that resets you completely and changes your life. Jesus.
“Blue.” It’s a long, drawn out word. “You look so hot when you fuck.”
His eyes flash with excitement, pride and something else. Something soft. Something beautiful. Something I feel too.
“So good,” he pants. “Feels so, so good inside you.”
Tadaaa.
That's the only hot, good, sexy part and I wish the whole story would be so sexy and captivating.
Fun fact, on this cover it's not Jessie minus the pierced nipples, but Luke, all dressed in black, while they're dancing in the club.
Yeah.
This wasn't what I expected for a stepbro book.
The story follows Jessie and Luke, two stepbrothers who met for the first time when Jessie's dad married Luke's mom.
They apparently immediately have chemistry, but this very important part, along with their first kiss, doesn't have any emphasis in the story , which was surprising.
When they meet again, Jessie (20) moves back to USA from Australia and now lives with Luke (19) in their parents' guesthouse.
Luke is still hung up on Jessie and is trying to get with him, so eventually they start having sex and fall in love.
🟡 No angst, in fact, a lot of things happening here are ridiculous .
🟣 Who even are Luke and Jessie? I had absolutely no sense of their true characters. Is Jessie a bad boy? Doesn't really live up to it. Is Luke sweet or isn't he?
🔵 The side characters weren't likeable.
🟢 The emotional manipulation from Jessie's mother wasn't resolved.
🌶️ There is spice, but it's not that descriptive and a lot of it is off-page , but by the end of the book it gets better.
To me personally this story was a mess.
I felt like the characters weren't fully developed, the story had a lot of missing pieces and the funny parts of the book really weren't that funny.
What's the point of them being step brothers? It makes no sense. There's no angst, they're having sex literally next to their parents' window and when they come clean, it isn't even a big deal .
I was inclined to really like Luke, but again I felt like his character could've been so much more, it all came down to his washboard abs and his perfect ass, his zen wisdom coming from a 19 year old and him having really weird relationships with his friends .
Jessie was supposed to be this bad boy extraordinaire, but he was just a lost kid from divorced parents and their dynamic made no sense to me. It would be so much better if both were just silly, sweet guys finding love.
🔴 I'm giving it 2⭐, because of this part alone and because it's Luke;
His abs clench when he thrusts. I don’t mean a little. I don’t mean a light indentation if you squint just right. I mean they clench hard. Each thrust sends deep shadows and dents down his belly.
He rolls his hips slowly. He rolls them exactly, precisely like sex. Like slow sex. Like the kind of sex I’ve always wanted but I haven’t had until now. Like the kind of sex that resets you completely and changes your life. Jesus.
“Blue.” It’s a long, drawn out word. “You look so hot when you fuck.”
His eyes flash with excitement, pride and something else. Something soft. Something beautiful. Something I feel too.
“So good,” he pants. “Feels so, so good inside you.”
Tadaaa.
That's the only hot, good, sexy part and I wish the whole story would be so sexy and captivating.
Fun fact, on this cover it's not Jessie minus the pierced nipples, but Luke, all dressed in black, while they're dancing in the club.
February 15, 2025
6 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Format: ebook
How are people not talking about Jessie and Luke more?!
Firstly, without even acknowledging the fact that this is a stepbrother trope which already makes it better than most books—it’s just such a ridiculously amazing couple and story.
I am obsessed with both Jessie, with his doom and gloom attitude, and Luke, with his golden retriever energy and no “fudges” given attitude towards taking life too seriously. The opposites completely attracted here and I was so sat.
And then adding in the fact that it’s stepbrothers, forced proximity, a little bit of dislike to love… Ugh, it was just so good.
Also, THE SPICE?! I mean, Jesse literally never misses but the spice was especially spicing in this book. Jessie’s filthy mouth is literally insane. I highlighted way too much of the dirty things he said to Luke. And then Luke being a virgin and then becoming literally addicted to sex with Jessie. Hot, hot, hot.
No words. This is going towards the top of my stepbrothers romance list and I need more people to read this masterpiece. This deserves way more hype than it’s currently getting.
Another slay for Jesse H Reign. I’ve decided this month I’m finishing up reading all of her books because they’re always a fun time for me.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Format: ebook
How are people not talking about Jessie and Luke more?!
Firstly, without even acknowledging the fact that this is a stepbrother trope which already makes it better than most books—it’s just such a ridiculously amazing couple and story.
I am obsessed with both Jessie, with his doom and gloom attitude, and Luke, with his golden retriever energy and no “fudges” given attitude towards taking life too seriously. The opposites completely attracted here and I was so sat.
And then adding in the fact that it’s stepbrothers, forced proximity, a little bit of dislike to love… Ugh, it was just so good.
Also, THE SPICE?! I mean, Jesse literally never misses but the spice was especially spicing in this book. Jessie’s filthy mouth is literally insane. I highlighted way too much of the dirty things he said to Luke. And then Luke being a virgin and then becoming literally addicted to sex with Jessie. Hot, hot, hot.
No words. This is going towards the top of my stepbrothers romance list and I need more people to read this masterpiece. This deserves way more hype than it’s currently getting.
Another slay for Jesse H Reign. I’ve decided this month I’m finishing up reading all of her books because they’re always a fun time for me.
April 23, 2023
Overall, this was very enjoyable.
I really loved Jessie and Luke together, they just fit so well together. Their chemistry was very very good and I felt those feelings between them.
Luke is sunshine personified basically the whole way through this - unless he's jealous, or during their sexy times - and a total sweetheart.
Jessie was harder to love at first. He's surlier, meaner, broodier, and highly judgemental of Luke and his step-mother - as well as his dad - for no seemingly no reason. Even going so far as to think that orphans are "lucky" they have no parents. Like damn, self-centered much?
But, you come to understand Jessie and his thought process as more of this goes on. He's a little over dramatic, and he likes to assume things about Luke at first, but he has been through a lot and parents separating - especially parents who fought so much - is never easy.
And his dad, seemingly, moved on from him and his mom and found a new family, from Jessie's POV. Although we see later how much his dad actually cares and how much he wants him in his life.
It's Jessie's mother, who Jessie seemingly sided with, who is a little more....manipulative. Not that she didn't go through her own pain as well, but she seemed to come away from the divorce in worse shape and hates that his dad is happy and seemingly only wants Jessie with her when it can make his dad miserable or when it seems his dad is making Jessie happy in any way.
And he spent the last 3 or so years with her in Australia, and who knows all that she said to really make Jessie dislike his dad and his seemingly 'new' family.
Jessie is complicated and is the rain to Luke's sunshine, but when he's happy...it means everything. When he smiles, it's hard earned and makes all the better when it happens.
Luke is instrumental in making Jessie happy in general, not just in fleeting moments. These two are young when they get together - 19 and 20 - but they're the loves of each other's lives and it showed. This book showed how much they loved each other really well. This is what I found with Sainted as well, another book by this author. The love came through really well, and was very intense and all consuming. I loved that.
The sex was hot AF too. It was done so well. These two were very into each other and the steam leapt off the pages.
Now, my reasons for not giving this 5 stars are two fold:
One, I need authors to stop including the step-sibling trop into their books if they're not going to do anything with the step-sibling trope because honestly, what's the point?
The fact that these two were step brothers was nbd. It was a non-issue. Hell, it was barely even brought up in conversation, with anyone, anywhere. These two have feelings and they never agonize and angst over having feelings for their step-brother. At all. The friends find out and they don't give a shit. In fact, one of Luke's friends cares more that they're together in general because he likes Luke and thinks Jessie might hurt Luke than the fact that they're step-brothers.
The parents? Nah, forget about it. The ones most likely to care and they gave absolutely no fucks. In fact they knew for probably weeks, if not from the beginning, and didn't say anything. Luke's mom said they knew of their crushes on each other since they got married 4 years back and had np with it.
To me, this is a taboo thing. In real life, it's a taboo thing. Yeah, these two barely knew each other and didn't grow up as siblings, blah blah blah, but it's still...step-siblings! Just a step above real incest, which is a very big deal.
So where's the freak outs? Where's the disgust? Where's the parents, at the very least, needing a lot time to come to terms with it? Or a one or both just never coming to terms with it? Like it would be in real life. Because that's the whole...point of this trope? The taboo-ness because in real life it's not an okay thing! lol.
So like...lean into it. Make it forbidden. I didn't even tag that because was this forbidden? Lol no. Not in the least. The sneak around for a time, but the parents knew anyway so they weren't actually sneaking around.
Anyway, another let down in that area. Can I request that authors stop writing step-sibling romances if they aren't going to even make it remotely taboo because seriously...I pick these stories up excited for the taboo and then there's nothing.
If I wanted to read a regular romance book - which there are plenty and can be good in their own rights, but I know not to go into them expecting anything taboo - I would read a regular romance book.
Buttt I didn't give too much off my ratings, because at the end of the day, if the story is good, romance, chemistry, characters, all that, I can get past the lack of taboo in the story. But I am gonna ding stories for including it in the first place when they don't actually really include it at all.
(Like, take away the step-brothers thing, have the parents not be together, have them meet at college, and this could essentially be the same story, except for them being around each other sooo much. It'd just take longer for them to fall in love, is all. Not much would change about the story if there was no step-brother trope, honestly.)
Anywhooo. Two is that this ended a tad abruptly. There's drama with Jessie's mom at the end, he and Luke have a convo and then that's...it. Skip to 5 years later in the epilogue and it's all blown over. It was a little surprising, to say the least. I think a chapter or two more could have been dedicated to really wrapping up the drama with his mom - maybe let her be the one and only person in this whole book who has a problem with the step-brother thing? lol - and then getting these two settled into their HEA.
But, other than those two things, I did really enjoy this, so those two combined is 1 star off for me.
I do really like this author, I really enjoy her writing, so I will definitely read more books by this author in the future.
And I do recommend this, for sure. Despite its lack of focus on the taboo-ness of them being step-brothers, their chemistry is still wonderful, the romance is good, and it's an enjoyable story. So definitely pick this one up for that alone.
Onto the next! 😍
I really loved Jessie and Luke together, they just fit so well together. Their chemistry was very very good and I felt those feelings between them.
Luke is sunshine personified basically the whole way through this - unless he's jealous, or during their sexy times - and a total sweetheart.
Jessie was harder to love at first. He's surlier, meaner, broodier, and highly judgemental of Luke and his step-mother - as well as his dad - for no seemingly no reason. Even going so far as to think that orphans are "lucky" they have no parents. Like damn, self-centered much?
But, you come to understand Jessie and his thought process as more of this goes on. He's a little over dramatic, and he likes to assume things about Luke at first, but he has been through a lot and parents separating - especially parents who fought so much - is never easy.
And his dad, seemingly, moved on from him and his mom and found a new family, from Jessie's POV. Although we see later how much his dad actually cares and how much he wants him in his life.
It's Jessie's mother, who Jessie seemingly sided with, who is a little more....manipulative. Not that she didn't go through her own pain as well, but she seemed to come away from the divorce in worse shape and hates that his dad is happy and seemingly only wants Jessie with her when it can make his dad miserable or when it seems his dad is making Jessie happy in any way.
And he spent the last 3 or so years with her in Australia, and who knows all that she said to really make Jessie dislike his dad and his seemingly 'new' family.
Jessie is complicated and is the rain to Luke's sunshine, but when he's happy...it means everything. When he smiles, it's hard earned and makes all the better when it happens.
Luke is instrumental in making Jessie happy in general, not just in fleeting moments. These two are young when they get together - 19 and 20 - but they're the loves of each other's lives and it showed. This book showed how much they loved each other really well. This is what I found with Sainted as well, another book by this author. The love came through really well, and was very intense and all consuming. I loved that.
The sex was hot AF too. It was done so well. These two were very into each other and the steam leapt off the pages.
Now, my reasons for not giving this 5 stars are two fold:
One, I need authors to stop including the step-sibling trop into their books if they're not going to do anything with the step-sibling trope because honestly, what's the point?
The fact that these two were step brothers was nbd. It was a non-issue. Hell, it was barely even brought up in conversation, with anyone, anywhere. These two have feelings and they never agonize and angst over having feelings for their step-brother. At all. The friends find out and they don't give a shit. In fact, one of Luke's friends cares more that they're together in general because he likes Luke and thinks Jessie might hurt Luke than the fact that they're step-brothers.
The parents? Nah, forget about it. The ones most likely to care and they gave absolutely no fucks. In fact they knew for probably weeks, if not from the beginning, and didn't say anything. Luke's mom said they knew of their crushes on each other since they got married 4 years back and had np with it.
To me, this is a taboo thing. In real life, it's a taboo thing. Yeah, these two barely knew each other and didn't grow up as siblings, blah blah blah, but it's still...step-siblings! Just a step above real incest, which is a very big deal.
So where's the freak outs? Where's the disgust? Where's the parents, at the very least, needing a lot time to come to terms with it? Or a one or both just never coming to terms with it? Like it would be in real life. Because that's the whole...point of this trope? The taboo-ness because in real life it's not an okay thing! lol.
So like...lean into it. Make it forbidden. I didn't even tag that because was this forbidden? Lol no. Not in the least. The sneak around for a time, but the parents knew anyway so they weren't actually sneaking around.
Anyway, another let down in that area. Can I request that authors stop writing step-sibling romances if they aren't going to even make it remotely taboo because seriously...I pick these stories up excited for the taboo and then there's nothing.
If I wanted to read a regular romance book - which there are plenty and can be good in their own rights, but I know not to go into them expecting anything taboo - I would read a regular romance book.
Buttt I didn't give too much off my ratings, because at the end of the day, if the story is good, romance, chemistry, characters, all that, I can get past the lack of taboo in the story. But I am gonna ding stories for including it in the first place when they don't actually really include it at all.
(Like, take away the step-brothers thing, have the parents not be together, have them meet at college, and this could essentially be the same story, except for them being around each other sooo much. It'd just take longer for them to fall in love, is all. Not much would change about the story if there was no step-brother trope, honestly.)
Anywhooo. Two is that this ended a tad abruptly. There's drama with Jessie's mom at the end, he and Luke have a convo and then that's...it. Skip to 5 years later in the epilogue and it's all blown over. It was a little surprising, to say the least. I think a chapter or two more could have been dedicated to really wrapping up the drama with his mom - maybe let her be the one and only person in this whole book who has a problem with the step-brother thing? lol - and then getting these two settled into their HEA.
But, other than those two things, I did really enjoy this, so those two combined is 1 star off for me.
I do really like this author, I really enjoy her writing, so I will definitely read more books by this author in the future.
And I do recommend this, for sure. Despite its lack of focus on the taboo-ness of them being step-brothers, their chemistry is still wonderful, the romance is good, and it's an enjoyable story. So definitely pick this one up for that alone.
Onto the next! 😍
April 12, 2023
"It’s the kind of kiss that starts with a hand on a chest, and a hand on the back of a neck, and it ends with his hands knotted in my hair and my hands under his top. By the time we step back, we’re drawing ragged breaths through wide open mouths, both shocked by the power of what just happened."
Awwwww The Step Bro Situation was such a cute read from Jesse H. Reign! I've really enjoyed Jesse's darker, angstier books but this one was like a summer breeze on a hot day, stuffed full of candy and fluffy clouds.
Luke and Jessie are step-brothers and they couldn't be more different if they tried. Luke is a big old teddy bear, always seeing the good in everyone and saving all of his first times for his idea of Mr perfect. Which comes in the shape of his step-bro Jessie, who is all manner of messed up and logically is totally sure he'd be nothing but wrong for Luke. Except his heart - and his body - have other ideas....
You're gonna love this if you adore opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, step-brothers without the angst and all the steamy first times!
4 stars
Awwwww The Step Bro Situation was such a cute read from Jesse H. Reign! I've really enjoyed Jesse's darker, angstier books but this one was like a summer breeze on a hot day, stuffed full of candy and fluffy clouds.
Luke and Jessie are step-brothers and they couldn't be more different if they tried. Luke is a big old teddy bear, always seeing the good in everyone and saving all of his first times for his idea of Mr perfect. Which comes in the shape of his step-bro Jessie, who is all manner of messed up and logically is totally sure he'd be nothing but wrong for Luke. Except his heart - and his body - have other ideas....
You're gonna love this if you adore opposites attract, grumpy/sunshine, step-brothers without the angst and all the steamy first times!
4 stars
March 12, 2024
2.5 stars
This had some elements I liked but overall I found it disappointing.
It's very sunshine x very grumpy. Jessie is so grumpy, I suppose in a way that only a 19 year old can be: woe-is-me, super judgmental, etc. It took me quite a while to warm up to him.
I appreciated the moments where Luke stood up for himself, it's nice when the softer sunshine character isn't a total doormat.
What really got on my nerves in this was the family elements. Jessie's mum is toxic, very codependent. I did not understand the discovery of his father sending emails to immigration about coming to visit - did you know that Americans can just...visit Australia??? You only need an ETA. Not sure what that whole drama was about, all of the adults in this act like children.
I found the ending particularly dissatisfying, they just fast-forward 5 years through the fallout of the big decision that gets made in the last chapter.
I totally zoned out during the last sex scene, this really failed to keep my attention at the end.
This had some elements I liked but overall I found it disappointing.
It's very sunshine x very grumpy. Jessie is so grumpy, I suppose in a way that only a 19 year old can be: woe-is-me, super judgmental, etc. It took me quite a while to warm up to him.
I appreciated the moments where Luke stood up for himself, it's nice when the softer sunshine character isn't a total doormat.
What really got on my nerves in this was the family elements. Jessie's mum is toxic, very codependent. I did not understand the discovery of his father sending emails to immigration about coming to visit - did you know that Americans can just...visit Australia??? You only need an ETA. Not sure what that whole drama was about, all of the adults in this act like children.
I found the ending particularly dissatisfying, they just fast-forward 5 years through the fallout of the big decision that gets made in the last chapter.
I totally zoned out during the last sex scene, this really failed to keep my attention at the end.
January 4, 2025
My favorite thing is when 19/20 year olds declare things like 'I'm going to love you forever.'
I see why everyone around them would roll their eyes and say, 'yeah, right.'
Love it regardless.
Jesse's mom, though? Yikes.
Luke was the absolute sweetest. Most patient. Most understanding. Most horny. 💀 Tens across the board.
Jesse was absolutely the luckiest.
That said, I haaaaaaaaate when it's a stepbrother romance and there's literally no fallout from the revelation. I sat through HUNDREDS of pages for this😭😭😭
Come ON.
Also, I wanted to create a brothers to lovers shelf but I'm still worried someone I know could land on my account one day so.....sigh.
Sometimes, I'll read a book and it'll be formulaic and I'll be mad. Other times, like today, I'll read it and the same thing that would have annoyed me another time is exactly why it feels like a well-loved warm blanket.
I see why everyone around them would roll their eyes and say, 'yeah, right.'
Love it regardless.
Jesse's mom, though? Yikes.
Luke was the absolute sweetest. Most patient. Most understanding. Most horny. 💀 Tens across the board.
Jesse was absolutely the luckiest.
That said, I haaaaaaaaate when it's a stepbrother romance and there's literally no fallout from the revelation. I sat through HUNDREDS of pages for this😭😭😭
Come ON.
Also, I wanted to create a brothers to lovers shelf but I'm still worried someone I know could land on my account one day so.....sigh.
Sometimes, I'll read a book and it'll be formulaic and I'll be mad. Other times, like today, I'll read it and the same thing that would have annoyed me another time is exactly why it feels like a well-loved warm blanket.
March 2, 2025
Jesse’s books bring me so much joy! This was no exception!!
Normally the “I’m a virgin cause I waited for you” is irritating cause you still want them to live their life. BUT Jesse included Covid as a big reason why things had happened the way they did. The characters basically had their lives put on hold - just like real life. So I actually appreciated it!!
Luke - what a cute, sweet puppy!! He was just so happy but not without dimension. He was so appreciative for his life and his family. He was quite the open book. He never deviated from who he was and was happy with himself.
Jessie - poor, sad Jess. He was carrying such a burden feeling responsible for his mother emotionally, while trying to figure out how to have a relationship with his dad. He also tried so hard to not fall for Luke but that just wasn’t in the cards. I loved how he ended up being such a cuddle slut!!
The edging and mutual masturbation was wild and so hot!! It was kind of funny that they were both like - What am I doing???? But I also loved how emotional their intimacy became and how much support they gave each other.
Ooh Jesse gives us another book with such lovable boys!!!
Normally the “I’m a virgin cause I waited for you” is irritating cause you still want them to live their life. BUT Jesse included Covid as a big reason why things had happened the way they did. The characters basically had their lives put on hold - just like real life. So I actually appreciated it!!
Luke - what a cute, sweet puppy!! He was just so happy but not without dimension. He was so appreciative for his life and his family. He was quite the open book. He never deviated from who he was and was happy with himself.
Jessie - poor, sad Jess. He was carrying such a burden feeling responsible for his mother emotionally, while trying to figure out how to have a relationship with his dad. He also tried so hard to not fall for Luke but that just wasn’t in the cards. I loved how he ended up being such a cuddle slut!!
The edging and mutual masturbation was wild and so hot!! It was kind of funny that they were both like - What am I doing???? But I also loved how emotional their intimacy became and how much support they gave each other.
Ooh Jesse gives us another book with such lovable boys!!!
April 29, 2023
I just came across this and went right in. it was beautiful from page one and I couldn’t put it down. Luke was such an amazing character and so perfect for Jess. I usually hate when a character says all the right things, it makes me roll my eyes but Luke was just so intuitive and amazing I had zero chance not loving him.
I will definitely check other books by this author.
I will definitely check other books by this author.
July 20, 2023
2.5/5 stars
It was okay. I was bored a lot throughout the book. Luke was unbearable sometimes. He was too sunshiny if that’s even possible? Also the family was a little bit too much. Too much second hand embarrassment. Just too much stuff.
It was okay. I was bored a lot throughout the book. Luke was unbearable sometimes. He was too sunshiny if that’s even possible? Also the family was a little bit too much. Too much second hand embarrassment. Just too much stuff.
April 27, 2023
If pizza night at your house doesn't elicit the same amount of carefree jubilation as it does in the Lewis/Bennet household, you are doing it wrong. 2.75 stars
April 19, 2023
"I had no way of knowing that what he gave me that day was everything in life that’s ever been worth having."
Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
POV: Dual, First Person
HEA: Yes
Spice Rating: 3/5 🔥🔥🔥
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
Overall Opinion
Another epic book from Jesse, this one has to be my favourite so far! I love a good stepbrothers story and this one did not disappoint. It was low on angst and high on steam and was the definition of the grumpy/sunshine trope. Luke was the sweetest sunshine boy who always has Jessie's back and Jessie is our strong broken boy who always stands his ground, and they simply could not be better fit for one another. Jesse H. Reign has such a way with words that you feel fully immersed in all her books and they have the perfect flow, nothing is drawn out, and this was overall a stunning book!!
Read if you like:
❣️ MM Romance
❣️ Stepbrothers
❣️ Biggest Himbo Ever
❣️ First Times
❣️ Grumpy/Sunshine
❣️ HEA
Trigger and Content Warnings: N/A
Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
POV: Dual, First Person
HEA: Yes
Spice Rating: 3/5 🔥🔥🔥
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review
Overall Opinion
Another epic book from Jesse, this one has to be my favourite so far! I love a good stepbrothers story and this one did not disappoint. It was low on angst and high on steam and was the definition of the grumpy/sunshine trope. Luke was the sweetest sunshine boy who always has Jessie's back and Jessie is our strong broken boy who always stands his ground, and they simply could not be better fit for one another. Jesse H. Reign has such a way with words that you feel fully immersed in all her books and they have the perfect flow, nothing is drawn out, and this was overall a stunning book!!
Read if you like:
❣️ MM Romance
❣️ Stepbrothers
❣️ Biggest Himbo Ever
❣️ First Times
❣️ Grumpy/Sunshine
❣️ HEA
Trigger and Content Warnings: N/A
March 8, 2025
Ok, I really didn't expect to LOVE this!!
I almost didn't read it at all, purely because the cover put me off.. Then, I almost DNF during the 3rd chapter because I was hating one of the MCs with a fiery passion.
BUT, I ended up loving the book, both MCs, and the majority of the side characters. Luke was my favourite, because he's a big gorgeous dork, with the heart of a pure little angel.
The step-brothers didn't grow up together, which always makes it a bit easier for me to read without getting squicked.
This was funny, sweet, and holy shit! HOT!
I was grinning like an idiot through a lot of this book.
I listened to the audiobook, and thought the narrator for Jesse was PERFECTION! I struggled a bit with the narration of Luke, but I think that was just on me, wanting him to sound a certain way (the narrator makes him sound like a grown man, when he'sactually19). That said, I got used to it, and thought the audiobook was amazing.
I almost didn't read it at all, purely because the cover put me off.. Then, I almost DNF during the 3rd chapter because I was hating one of the MCs with a fiery passion.
BUT, I ended up loving the book, both MCs, and the majority of the side characters. Luke was my favourite, because he's a big gorgeous dork, with the heart of a pure little angel.
The step-brothers didn't grow up together, which always makes it a bit easier for me to read without getting squicked.
This was funny, sweet, and holy shit! HOT!
I was grinning like an idiot through a lot of this book.
I listened to the audiobook, and thought the narrator for Jesse was PERFECTION! I struggled a bit with the narration of Luke, but I think that was just on me, wanting him to sound a certain way (the narrator makes him sound like a grown man, when he'sactually19). That said, I got used to it, and thought the audiobook was amazing.
April 3, 2023
☀️ARC Review☀️
“I smile and whisper, “This is it, Jess.” “Mmm?” “Right here, right now–this is what good feels like.””
Be still my damn heart!!! I just spent all day binging this book and now I want to start all over agin. The Step Bro Situation, by Jesse H. Reign, was fantastic. I’ve loved everything Jesse has written—and I’m pretty convinced she has magical powers. 💫
Highlights:
☀️step brothers
☀️virgin MC and first times
☀️grumpy/sunshine
☀️freaking hot
☀️swoon moments
☀️did I mention hot?? 🥵
Ok—hands down, Luke might be the happiest character ever. He was pure sunshine and rainbows, but with a dirty side—I was here for it. 😏I kept picturing his smile and found myself smiling, ugh…can’t get over the perfection that was Luke. Jessie was damn perfect too, with his broody, grumpy self. Luke brought out so much happiness in Jessie, and their HEA gave me butterflies. Have I said how much I loved these two yet?? 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Favorite quote(s):
“He leans back into the hand I still have on his neck. I press my fingers into the taut sinews I find there and inhale again. This time it hits me. I know that smell. Sea salt, fresh air, and something I want.”
“I can’t tell where I end and he starts. I sigh into his chest and feel myself sinking deeper and deeper into something that makes me feel like my bones are bendy, and nothing can hurt me. It slows my thoughts and makes me feel like all I’ve got to do is stay right here and everything will be okay.”
I will definitely be singing the praises of this book for a long time, so get ready for that. I loved it, and cannot wait for everyone to read it!! 🤗🤗
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
“I smile and whisper, “This is it, Jess.” “Mmm?” “Right here, right now–this is what good feels like.””
Be still my damn heart!!! I just spent all day binging this book and now I want to start all over agin. The Step Bro Situation, by Jesse H. Reign, was fantastic. I’ve loved everything Jesse has written—and I’m pretty convinced she has magical powers. 💫
Highlights:
☀️step brothers
☀️virgin MC and first times
☀️grumpy/sunshine
☀️freaking hot
☀️swoon moments
☀️did I mention hot?? 🥵
Ok—hands down, Luke might be the happiest character ever. He was pure sunshine and rainbows, but with a dirty side—I was here for it. 😏I kept picturing his smile and found myself smiling, ugh…can’t get over the perfection that was Luke. Jessie was damn perfect too, with his broody, grumpy self. Luke brought out so much happiness in Jessie, and their HEA gave me butterflies. Have I said how much I loved these two yet?? 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
Favorite quote(s):
“He leans back into the hand I still have on his neck. I press my fingers into the taut sinews I find there and inhale again. This time it hits me. I know that smell. Sea salt, fresh air, and something I want.”
“I can’t tell where I end and he starts. I sigh into his chest and feel myself sinking deeper and deeper into something that makes me feel like my bones are bendy, and nothing can hurt me. It slows my thoughts and makes me feel like all I’ve got to do is stay right here and everything will be okay.”
I will definitely be singing the praises of this book for a long time, so get ready for that. I loved it, and cannot wait for everyone to read it!! 🤗🤗
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
April 24, 2023
Well, this was cute as hell.
This was a super low angst, low stakes story where everyone treats everyone nicely, there are no surprise villains AND it can boast having the sweetest cinnamon roll / golden retriever / marshmallow mc to ever exist.
It’s a cute grumpy/sunshine, semi-forced proximity romcom (that could have been between any two guys because for better or worse, the step-brother thing was barely necessary for the story).
The guys meet through their parents (obviously) and are just as complementary to each other as their parents are. They bring out the best in each other (ok, Luke brings out the best in Jess and Luke is just the best regardless). Luke helps Jess recognize the trauma he’s been through and breaks down a lot of the walls Jess had up and the narratives he’s created about himself. Luke is relentlessly kind and honest; and through him, Jess learns that vulnerability isn’t a weakness when your relationships and boundaries are healthy. Relational drama? We don’t know her.
The only whiff of drama in the whole story sneaks in at the end but is resolved immediately and the story doesn’t bother taking you through the aftermath in anything more than a summary in the epilogue because it’s *that* low drama.
It’s an easy read and fast-paced in the sense that it only covers about 9 weeks before it flies forward 5 years in the epilogue. Normally, I love that structure - a good get in & get out kind of read - but honestly… this couple was so pleasant, I could have read a heaping ton more before I was ready to move on from them.
This was a super low angst, low stakes story where everyone treats everyone nicely, there are no surprise villains AND it can boast having the sweetest cinnamon roll / golden retriever / marshmallow mc to ever exist.
It’s a cute grumpy/sunshine, semi-forced proximity romcom (that could have been between any two guys because for better or worse, the step-brother thing was barely necessary for the story).
The guys meet through their parents (obviously) and are just as complementary to each other as their parents are. They bring out the best in each other (ok, Luke brings out the best in Jess and Luke is just the best regardless). Luke helps Jess recognize the trauma he’s been through and breaks down a lot of the walls Jess had up and the narratives he’s created about himself. Luke is relentlessly kind and honest; and through him, Jess learns that vulnerability isn’t a weakness when your relationships and boundaries are healthy. Relational drama? We don’t know her.
The only whiff of drama in the whole story sneaks in at the end but is resolved immediately and the story doesn’t bother taking you through the aftermath in anything more than a summary in the epilogue because it’s *that* low drama.
It’s an easy read and fast-paced in the sense that it only covers about 9 weeks before it flies forward 5 years in the epilogue. Normally, I love that structure - a good get in & get out kind of read - but honestly… this couple was so pleasant, I could have read a heaping ton more before I was ready to move on from them.
July 13, 2023
I… I don’t even know…
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