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ECB: Enemigos con beneficios
Marshall
Odio a Valentine Tye.
Lo odio desde que teníamos diez años. Odio todo lo que es, todo lo que representa. Incluso la mención de su nombre me desanima.
¿Y cuándo lo veo?
Mi sangre hierve. Mi mandíbula se presiona y mis manos se cierran en puños. Eso es lo mucho que lo odio.
Quiero causarle dolor. Quiero sujetarlo y realmente hacerle daño.
Y si eso no es suficientemente malo, eso es exactamente lo que quiere que le haga.
Valentine
Sé lo que la gente piensa de mí. Sé lo que suponen. Todos piensan que soy un hombre rico mimado al que le han dado todo.
Para nada me conocen.
Detrás de mis muros cuidadosamente construidos hay un vacío tan oscuro que ahuyenta a los hombres. Me gusta el dolor. Me gusta que me utilicen. Por alguna rara razón, me valida. No necesito amor, ni afecto, ni, maldita sea, apego emocional.
Lo que necesito es un hombre que me odie, un hombre que me desprecie.
Un hombre como Marshall Wise.
Porque nunca en un millón de años, alguna vez, él sentiría algo por mí.
¿Verdad?
Odio a Valentine Tye.
Lo odio desde que teníamos diez años. Odio todo lo que es, todo lo que representa. Incluso la mención de su nombre me desanima.
¿Y cuándo lo veo?
Mi sangre hierve. Mi mandíbula se presiona y mis manos se cierran en puños. Eso es lo mucho que lo odio.
Quiero causarle dolor. Quiero sujetarlo y realmente hacerle daño.
Y si eso no es suficientemente malo, eso es exactamente lo que quiere que le haga.
Valentine
Sé lo que la gente piensa de mí. Sé lo que suponen. Todos piensan que soy un hombre rico mimado al que le han dado todo.
Para nada me conocen.
Detrás de mis muros cuidadosamente construidos hay un vacío tan oscuro que ahuyenta a los hombres. Me gusta el dolor. Me gusta que me utilicen. Por alguna rara razón, me valida. No necesito amor, ni afecto, ni, maldita sea, apego emocional.
Lo que necesito es un hombre que me odie, un hombre que me desprecie.
Un hombre como Marshall Wise.
Porque nunca en un millón de años, alguna vez, él sentiría algo por mí.
¿Verdad?
410 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 29, 2023
772 people are currently reading
2969 people want to read
About the author
N.R. Walker
133 books5,261 followersAuthor also writes as A. Voyeur
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.
She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
She’s been writing ever since...
https://www.facebook.com/N.R.WalkerAu...
N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn't have it any other way.
She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things...but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.
She’s been writing ever since...
https://www.facebook.com/N.R.WalkerAu...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 791 reviews
June 26, 2024
Well, this went from wanting to dnf it to not wanting to put it down.
I didn't enjoy the beginning. I knew what to expect going in, but I still found the whole thing cringey and off-putting, especially Marshall's dirty talk. It's just not my thing and I skimmed through some parts.
However, once the things between Marshall and Valentine started to change, the story got so much better. I liked both of them more, once I got to know them better. I really liked how their relationship grew slowly. It was sweet and funny at times. I think that the hurt/comfort aspect was well done. And I absolutely loved Enzo. He was the best part of this story.
The story became a bit sappy towards the end and the situation with Valentine's dad felt one- dimensional, but I'm going with four stars for this one because I really liked the whole middle part of the book. It has the depth of feeling that I used to love in this author's books, but found missing in most of her more recent releases.
*******
Re-read 6/2024 via audiobook
I didn't enjoy the beginning. I knew what to expect going in, but I still found the whole thing cringey and off-putting, especially Marshall's dirty talk. It's just not my thing and I skimmed through some parts.
However, once the things between Marshall and Valentine started to change, the story got so much better. I liked both of them more, once I got to know them better. I really liked how their relationship grew slowly. It was sweet and funny at times. I think that the hurt/comfort aspect was well done. And I absolutely loved Enzo. He was the best part of this story.
The story became a bit sappy towards the end and the situation with Valentine's dad felt one- dimensional, but I'm going with four stars for this one because I really liked the whole middle part of the book. It has the depth of feeling that I used to love in this author's books, but found missing in most of her more recent releases.
*******
Re-read 6/2024 via audiobook
September 30, 2023
Yeah ok, this was not great but weirdly I didn’t hate it. It’s true that it’s quite silly and very juvenile- it has a high school antics feel to it even though the guys are almost 30 what with “I kick that guy’s ass because he hurt you and because I’m the only one who can hate you and hurt you, growl growl “
Soooo, what we have here is enemies to lovers with a humiliation kink both done quite terribly. I didn’t have expectations for the enemies to lovers because they’re rarely done properly and this wasn’t an exception- the same ol’ “I hate you since 7th grade because you looked handsome and you were cocky and you beat me at *insert sport”. Also, apart from the totally unrealistic reason the enemies to lovers here failed to work because of the sudden change of heart. One minute they hated each other and the other everything became a sap-fest.
Now, about the kink, Valentine loved rough sex, he loved a bit of pain and degradation. Their encounters were explosive but …look, I LOVE dirty talk , I rarely encounter good dirty talk in books so I was so happy to see Marshall talking dirty to Valentine but then he kept saying the same things over and over again , the same “piece of shit” and “whore” and “take my cock” . It was so …unimaginative and disappointing I wanted to cry😭
Another issue I had with the kink was that Valentine wanted rough sex with some degradation and ok Marshall delivered in the beginning but then feelings happened and love and shit and suddenly they were making love instead of what Valentine really needed. And I could feel Valentine’s frustration. He even tried to tell Marshall that he was afraid he will stop hating him and he won’t be fucked how he liked it. And it was true, because in the end Marshall told Valentine that he couldn’t hurt him and that it’s better to make love 🤦🏻♀️
And STILL I was enjoying it. And then @ 80% out of the fucking blue Valentine’s telenovela theatrics happened and it was so cringe I shuddered . That’s when the almost 4 stars became 3 stars.
I have to be honest, this still isn’t NR Walker’s full potential from her earlier work. It’s not awful because her books,even when not great they’re still better than most books released nowadays but it’s not impressive either. It’s entertaining, I enjoyed the hurt comfort, I enjoyed how Marshall (who was a nurturer at heart) took care of Valentine, I loved Enzo the cat to death and his relationship with Marshall and I loved the weird and funny proposal . All those bits I loved make this book entertaining enough to rate it 3.5 ⭐️ rounded down.
Soooo, what we have here is enemies to lovers with a humiliation kink both done quite terribly. I didn’t have expectations for the enemies to lovers because they’re rarely done properly and this wasn’t an exception- the same ol’ “I hate you since 7th grade because you looked handsome and you were cocky and you beat me at *insert sport”. Also, apart from the totally unrealistic reason the enemies to lovers here failed to work because of the sudden change of heart. One minute they hated each other and the other everything became a sap-fest.
Now, about the kink, Valentine loved rough sex, he loved a bit of pain and degradation. Their encounters were explosive but …look, I LOVE dirty talk , I rarely encounter good dirty talk in books so I was so happy to see Marshall talking dirty to Valentine but then he kept saying the same things over and over again , the same “piece of shit” and “whore” and “take my cock” . It was so …unimaginative and disappointing I wanted to cry😭
Another issue I had with the kink was that Valentine wanted rough sex with some degradation and ok Marshall delivered in the beginning but then feelings happened and love and shit and suddenly they were making love instead of what Valentine really needed. And I could feel Valentine’s frustration. He even tried to tell Marshall that he was afraid he will stop hating him and he won’t be fucked how he liked it. And it was true, because in the end Marshall told Valentine that he couldn’t hurt him and that it’s better to make love 🤦🏻♀️
And STILL I was enjoying it. And then @ 80% out of the fucking blue Valentine’s telenovela theatrics happened and it was so cringe I shuddered . That’s when the almost 4 stars became 3 stars.
I have to be honest, this still isn’t NR Walker’s full potential from her earlier work. It’s not awful because her books,even when not great they’re still better than most books released nowadays but it’s not impressive either. It’s entertaining, I enjoyed the hurt comfort, I enjoyed how Marshall (who was a nurturer at heart) took care of Valentine, I loved Enzo the cat to death and his relationship with Marshall and I loved the weird and funny proposal . All those bits I loved make this book entertaining enough to rate it 3.5 ⭐️ rounded down.
October 27, 2023
3.5/5
Who cares about the fact that the word 'hate' was used two hundred times, and 'fuck' around six hundred, I liked it anyway.
Who cares about the fact that the word 'hate' was used two hundred times, and 'fuck' around six hundred, I liked it anyway.
Read
October 14, 2023Skimmed, no rating.
I'm a NRW fan, but this book was a big miss for me.
First of all, Marshall doesn't hate Valentine; he's JEALOUS of Valentine. And the negative feelings aren't returned. Valentine is fascinated with Marshall.
The pseudo-enemies with benefits scenario involves humiliation/degradation kink, which is not my cuppa at all.
I skipped through the sex scenes and couldn't connect with the MCs at all.
Even the epilogue didn't win me over.
I'm a NRW fan, but this book was a big miss for me.
First of all, Marshall doesn't hate Valentine; he's JEALOUS of Valentine. And the negative feelings aren't returned. Valentine is fascinated with Marshall.
The pseudo-enemies with benefits scenario involves humiliation/degradation kink, which is not my cuppa at all.
I skipped through the sex scenes and couldn't connect with the MCs at all.
Even the epilogue didn't win me over.
October 24, 2023
✦ i was fully aware that this book will most likely not work for me because of the bad enemies to lovers plot, however, due to the promise of hot smut and humiliation kink, i decided to read it anyway, purely for the sex.
✦ after getting through some of the smut scenes, it has become clear that the quality of them is severely lacking. it was all just yawn worthy. anyway, what i'm trying to say here is that i am dnfing this. i am also simply not prepared to endure any more of this nonsensical enemies to lovers storyline.
✦ after getting through some of the smut scenes, it has become clear that the quality of them is severely lacking. it was all just yawn worthy. anyway, what i'm trying to say here is that i am dnfing this. i am also simply not prepared to endure any more of this nonsensical enemies to lovers storyline.
October 6, 2023
hear me out, I read the reviews before going into this book and it was the best thing I’ve ever done.
I’ve been more hesitant in picking up enemies to lovers recently because of the jaw dropping disappearing I’ve read so I’ve been going through the reviews of my most trusted GR friends if they’ve read it. It’s the only reason I knew to push through the first few awful chapters that made me cringe.
We start off with a real baseless enemies plot of two people who need to constantly remind themselves that they hate each other.
I liked that there wasn’t a leap for me? I didn’t feel rushed into their relationship or that they immediately went from enemies to lovers. Valentines character was so sweet to read. I love when cold people crack.
I’ve been more hesitant in picking up enemies to lovers recently because of the jaw dropping disappearing I’ve read so I’ve been going through the reviews of my most trusted GR friends if they’ve read it. It’s the only reason I knew to push through the first few awful chapters that made me cringe.
We start off with a real baseless enemies plot of two people who need to constantly remind themselves that they hate each other.
I liked that there wasn’t a leap for me? I didn’t feel rushed into their relationship or that they immediately went from enemies to lovers. Valentines character was so sweet to read. I love when cold people crack.
October 5, 2023
Enemies with benefits ❌
Benefits with imaginary enemies ✅
I started to like this book at 70% so idk what to say to that hahahah
This is porn, written in a way that is very typical and inexperienced enemies to lovers formula. It feels like a chore finishing it. Why didn’t I dnf, you ask, because I didn’t want to 🤷 I kept coming back bcs I have nothing else to read and I feel slumpy.
I was bored to death the first half I feel like I’ve blacked out the whole time LOL. It “kinda” picks up for me around 47% but they weren’t enemies anymore (if that’s even possible from the non-existing rivalry) they were already being very sweet with each other. It then became so porny again that it bores me. Again. And thennnnnn it finally pick up a little bit at 70% (which was too fucking late) where it gets so swoony. So that’s the journey.
Otherwise, there are so much sex scenes and nothing else. No chemistry, no development, boring plot and boring characters. Very lacking, very disappointing, and this coming from a dedicated NRW reader with an average rating score of 4 stars, so I am not bullshitting. Imo, NRW should stick to her old style books. This erotica kinky shit is not doing it for me.
One mc has anxiety and obviously, poorly and lacks proper representation. Reading it, made Pieces of You series seems so unbelievable because NRW could write that well represented masterpiece, and then this? 🥴
And the father is apparently a biatch, seeing we never see him at all in this book until the epilogue. Again, lacking of backstory.
The climax was ridiculous. Seriously, it made me feel stupid reading this. The argument they had (as if they both didn’t see it coming) and then the whole issue with Tye being jealous. Very very overrated. you can find this trope in those popular 2021 books. I’m not suggesting these tropes should no longer be written, but I believe they can be enjoyed more effectively.
Also, imo, their relationship is soo sex oriented it makes them look so immature. if you know what i mean.
2 star for me liking arooouuundd 15% of the book? and Valentine for coming out. I love when MCs choose to come out on their own terms, very refreshing.
Benefits with imaginary enemies ✅
I started to like this book at 70% so idk what to say to that hahahah
This is porn, written in a way that is very typical and inexperienced enemies to lovers formula. It feels like a chore finishing it. Why didn’t I dnf, you ask, because I didn’t want to 🤷 I kept coming back bcs I have nothing else to read and I feel slumpy.
I was bored to death the first half I feel like I’ve blacked out the whole time LOL. It “kinda” picks up for me around 47% but they weren’t enemies anymore (if that’s even possible from the non-existing rivalry) they were already being very sweet with each other. It then became so porny again that it bores me. Again. And thennnnnn it finally pick up a little bit at 70% (which was too fucking late) where it gets so swoony. So that’s the journey.
Otherwise, there are so much sex scenes and nothing else. No chemistry, no development, boring plot and boring characters. Very lacking, very disappointing, and this coming from a dedicated NRW reader with an average rating score of 4 stars, so I am not bullshitting. Imo, NRW should stick to her old style books. This erotica kinky shit is not doing it for me.
One mc has anxiety and obviously, poorly and lacks proper representation. Reading it, made Pieces of You series seems so unbelievable because NRW could write that well represented masterpiece, and then this? 🥴
And the father is apparently a biatch, seeing we never see him at all in this book until the epilogue. Again, lacking of backstory.
The climax was ridiculous. Seriously, it made me feel stupid reading this. The argument they had (as if they both didn’t see it coming) and then the whole issue with Tye being jealous. Very very overrated. you can find this trope in those popular 2021 books. I’m not suggesting these tropes should no longer be written, but I believe they can be enjoyed more effectively.
Also, imo, their relationship is soo sex oriented it makes them look so immature. if you know what i mean.
2 star for me liking arooouuundd 15% of the book? and Valentine for coming out. I love when MCs choose to come out on their own terms, very refreshing.
December 27, 2023
***3.5 rating ***
This had potential. What a lost opportunity.
This had potential. What a lost opportunity.
October 9, 2023
4.5 Stars!! Can't explain.. but absolutely Loved it!! ❤️ ❤️ I was really apprehensive getting started after seeing some low ratings and DNFs.. 😳 But OMG this book just sucked me in; the intense hatred that Marshall had for Valentine😡; the icy cool vibes from Valentine.. it was all very potent. I don't know what this says about me🤷♀️, but I was hooked from when they were enemies to when they became frenemies and then later were lovers.. 💞 I loved the intensity of their feelings, the possessiveness, the competitiveness; but also the hurt-comfort part, the tenderness and care that developed between them. I also loved that there was no long drawn additional misunderstanding and separation between the MCs.... Valentine had a ton of issues.. 💔 but they fought through and communicated. It wasn't the best, but it worked. 💖
I wanted to kiss him, make sure he ate properly. I wanted to make him smile. I wanted to fix him. So I held him tighter and fucked him slower. I lost myself to the warmth of his body, to the feel of him underneath me, to the sounds he made, to the gasps and moans. I lost all track of time. And maybe for the first time, I lost myself. All that existed was him.
😍I do love this trope and NRW is one of my favs; so no surprise that I loved it so much. Need more books like these!! 👏Highly recommended!! 👍 👍
I wanted to kiss him, make sure he ate properly. I wanted to make him smile. I wanted to fix him. So I held him tighter and fucked him slower. I lost myself to the warmth of his body, to the feel of him underneath me, to the sounds he made, to the gasps and moans. I lost all track of time. And maybe for the first time, I lost myself. All that existed was him.
😍I do love this trope and NRW is one of my favs; so no surprise that I loved it so much. Need more books like these!! 👏Highly recommended!! 👍 👍
October 3, 2023
I almost, ALMOST, picked this one as the best book of the year for me...
ALMOST!
This was a total surprise, I had cero expectations! CERO! The blurb read as if the characters were stupid or immature, and the story is not a typical one of N.R. Walker. HA! Shame on me.
It worked in my opinion. Yes, it did have a stupid reason for the feud, and yes, they were immature at times, but if you like this kink... This was awesome. *wipes her drool*
The stupid situation was necessary, people! You will understand!
And then we got to the feelings part, they went deep sometimes and the vulnerability 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻 I can't, this convo is my weakness, this sunshine bitch and even colder bitch is perfect for me. THEY WERE AWESOME!!!!
Why I can't name this one as the best book of the year for me? At 60% or 70%, I can't remember... We were going great! Awesome! And then I felt that Walker took one step forward and one back. Suddenly, we were having the same conversations that were resolved in two chapters ago? Instead of moving on with the story.
The worst is that it took time from their relationship, meaning we enjoy it in very few chapters
So it hurted damn it! But still, ma God! Walker, what have you done?
*Disclaimer: If you don't like this kink, you won't enjoy this.
ALMOST!
This was a total surprise, I had cero expectations! CERO! The blurb read as if the characters were stupid or immature, and the story is not a typical one of N.R. Walker. HA! Shame on me.
It worked in my opinion. Yes, it did have a stupid reason for the feud, and yes, they were immature at times, but if you like this kink... This was awesome. *wipes her drool*
The stupid situation was necessary, people! You will understand!
And then we got to the feelings part, they went deep sometimes and the vulnerability 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻 I can't, this convo is my weakness, this sunshine bitch and even colder bitch is perfect for me. THEY WERE AWESOME!!!!
Why I can't name this one as the best book of the year for me? At 60% or 70%, I can't remember... We were going great! Awesome! And then I felt that Walker took one step forward and one back. Suddenly, we were having the same conversations that were resolved in two chapters ago? Instead of moving on with the story.
The worst is that it took time from their relationship, meaning we enjoy it in very few chapters
So it hurted damn it! But still, ma God! Walker, what have you done?
*Disclaimer: If you don't like this kink, you won't enjoy this.
January 22, 2024
Wow! Based on the reviews I've read, I was totally prepared to not like this story. The fact that the guy on the cover reminds me of David from Schitt's Creek did not help. 😂 Since I knew not to expect an actual enemies to lovers story, I was able to look past that and enjoy this story for what it was. If I went in expecting that trope, I would have been very disappointed.
Once I was able to get past the first few chapters, I couldn't stop reading. Marshall turned out to be so much more than the jealous man-child he appeared to be in the beginning.
I was shocked by how much I ended up loving his character and rooting for his and Valentine's happy ending. He was so patient, so caring, and thoughtful... and the way he refused to give up on their relationship despite Valentine's resistance made me swoon. 🥹🧡
I enjoyed this immensely. I had a lot of fun reading it, Marshall and Valentine had a great relationship, and that second epilogue was both hilarious and sweet. 5 stars 🌟
Once I was able to get past the first few chapters, I couldn't stop reading. Marshall turned out to be so much more than the jealous man-child he appeared to be in the beginning.
I was shocked by how much I ended up loving his character and rooting for his and Valentine's happy ending. He was so patient, so caring, and thoughtful... and the way he refused to give up on their relationship despite Valentine's resistance made me swoon. 🥹🧡
I enjoyed this immensely. I had a lot of fun reading it, Marshall and Valentine had a great relationship, and that second epilogue was both hilarious and sweet. 5 stars 🌟
February 24, 2024
4.5 stars
This was so cute. Plenty of spicy. Perfect transition from enemies to lovers. Really enjoyed it.
This was so cute. Plenty of spicy. Perfect transition from enemies to lovers. Really enjoyed it.
April 2, 2024
Audio - 4.5 Stars
Story - 4 Stars
Story - 4 Stars
October 5, 2023
Holy shit I love this book so hard!! I might be married but I’d ditch my husband for Marshall!!
Ok so I have so many thoughts about this book. First is that I wasn't expecting this at all! I'm not sure if I thought it was going to be rom-comy or what but this was such a complex and deep book. And I am not mad about it at all. This one really shook me!
I cannot get over Marshall and I never want to! He was such a dick to start out and one might think his issue with Valentine and his dad was silly or not serious enough to hold that kind of grudge but it really turned their world upside down. He was a teen and it was traumatic. and he really seemed to want to hold on to those negative feelings. He almost thrived on the animosity but it was definitely one-sided. I really didn't see him turning into the world's best boyfriend but good god he was a dream!
Valentine was such a lost sad man. He was harboring such sadness from a childhood filled with neglect and adulthood filled with disappointment and anxiety. Nothing he did seemed to be good enough for his father. He was actually an excellent leader and good person. He may have lived a life with luxuries but he had never experienced love and acceptance. His penchant for rough and degrading sex was manifestation of how he truly viewed himself. But it also provided him an escape, a moment of peace from his intrusive thoughts.
While their initial agreement gave them what they wanted their relationship evolved to one of need. Marshall ended up being this nurturing, kind man who gave Val what he needed. Marshall was so strong and provided Val a space of safety and protection. And they just kind of fell into it unsuspectingly. What had started as hate sex shifted into these moment of intense and slow lovemaking and I was here for it all!!
This is definitely one of the hottest books I've read but it was also so beautifully emotional.
Ok so I have so many thoughts about this book. First is that I wasn't expecting this at all! I'm not sure if I thought it was going to be rom-comy or what but this was such a complex and deep book. And I am not mad about it at all. This one really shook me!
I cannot get over Marshall and I never want to! He was such a dick to start out and one might think his issue with Valentine and his dad was silly or not serious enough to hold that kind of grudge but it really turned their world upside down. He was a teen and it was traumatic. and he really seemed to want to hold on to those negative feelings. He almost thrived on the animosity but it was definitely one-sided. I really didn't see him turning into the world's best boyfriend but good god he was a dream!
Valentine was such a lost sad man. He was harboring such sadness from a childhood filled with neglect and adulthood filled with disappointment and anxiety. Nothing he did seemed to be good enough for his father. He was actually an excellent leader and good person. He may have lived a life with luxuries but he had never experienced love and acceptance. His penchant for rough and degrading sex was manifestation of how he truly viewed himself. But it also provided him an escape, a moment of peace from his intrusive thoughts.
While their initial agreement gave them what they wanted their relationship evolved to one of need. Marshall ended up being this nurturing, kind man who gave Val what he needed. Marshall was so strong and provided Val a space of safety and protection. And they just kind of fell into it unsuspectingly. What had started as hate sex shifted into these moment of intense and slow lovemaking and I was here for it all!!
This is definitely one of the hottest books I've read but it was also so beautifully emotional.
February 28, 2024
3.75⭐ for the story and I was going to round it up, because I honestly like the MMCs and their journey in this book, but the ending with the epilogue wasn't what I'd consider a strong finish, the much wanted resolve on many fronts didn't come and the hype that might have been there at the beginning, was lost, so not a particularly fantastic read for me.
So, you can expect
🟢 Enemies to lovers, the kind that don't hate each other after first time having sex, you know the kind
🔵 Both MMCs in their 20's
🟣 Both MMCs gay (out/closeted)
🟡 White collar/blue collar
🟠 Boss/employee
🟢 Humiliation kink
🔵 Hook-up arrangement
🌶️ It started out fantastic, then kind of stopped and in the end mostly off-page; t/b
As promising as the first half of this book was, it definitely lost its edge in the second half. I think it'd be much better if the story didn't officially use the enemies-to-lovers trope, because then we're all focused on that alone and of course when the story doesn't deliver, you're disappointed.
No, this is actually a simple romance of two guys who've known of each other's existence since they were kids, but didn't really hate each other until Valentine's father, a wealthy corporate guy, bought Marshall's father's company and Marshall had to leave the good neighbourhood, the private school and his family went through some tough times.
"I hated that he had the perfect life— an easy life— while I kept my head down, trying not to be obvious about checking guys out in the dressing rooms."
Marshall understandably hated Valentine, because he seemed to have a perfect life. He was rich, attractive and popular. So that hate was valid, that pain and biterness were valid, I understood why Marshall would feel that way about a guy who's father is guilty for his family's misfortune.
Years pass and now they're both in their late 20's, Valentine home from college and working in the family's company while Marshall working as a construction supervisor in that same company, so after years of not seeing each other now they had to work together, and not only that, they also played rugby on the opposite teams.
The tension between Marshall and Valentine was pretty good, I expected them to jump on each other like animals and they definitely did deliver. They had a lot of hate sex and it was hot, Valentine loves to be humiliated and prefers rough sex, so Marshall with his gargantuan dick that nobody could fully take so far, was the perfect guy for the job. Marshall's lashing out on Valentine - with consent - and his dirty talk was on point, although I did expect him to be more creative than just calling Valentine "a piece of shit" many times over, I wanted him to go deeper and darker, but even so, I very much liked it. I'm a sucker for humiliation kink in books and this one was good, but Marshall could be consistent until the end - he wasn't.
“I want you to hate me. I need you to hate me.” Then he popped the button on my jeans and wrapped his fingers around my cock, pumping me rough and hard. “And when you fuck me with your monster cock, I need you to hate me as hard as you can.”
Marshall was, as I expected, starting to thaw out, he saw there was more to Valentine, and not only that - Valentine was really messed up, he had anxiety and panic attacks, he was painfully closeted (to his own utter detriment) and has never had a relationship. So when Valentine started getting feelings for Marshall when they spent more and more time together, he freaked out and tried to push Marshall away.
For the most part I liked their dialogues and even though that enemy tension fizzled out quite soon, I was here for it, I liked them as characters and I wanted them to spend time together and get to really know each other.
Valentine had a pretty awful past, a past with a hateful father that desperately needed resolve and apart from that quitting the company in the end, his father remained uninvolved and he never found out Valentine was gay. He seemed like an important part of Valentine's life, so not getting more of them hashing things out on-page was very much missing in the story.
What threw me off was the kink and the sex that was the main topic in the first 30-40% of the book, suddenly wasn't there anymore. They still had sex, but were trying out other ways to have it which is fine, because they were getting to know each other and realising they like spending time together, getting more and more attached, but Valentine was constantly saying how he needed that rough part too and they just didn't do it anymore. I think it was once they did the rough part off-page. That was that.
I think Marshall had big potential here, but it wasn't utilised to the fullest. Marshall's character should've given us more of that kink and the fantastic, rough sex he could deliver - but now with an added layer of feelings. By all means, this should've been even better, yet it wasn't. Because it stopped happening.
So now I'm getting to the final 30% and wondering what on earth is even going on. Valentine is coming to a bit of a breakthrough in his life, he's thinking about coming out and leaving his status quo, and that's fine, but as much as the story focused on that, it again forgot about the glue that held these two together, and that should've been the insanely hot intimacy, that sparkling energy that they started out with. It was just completely left out.
The story ended on a very mundane note, I felt like all the relationships Marshall and Valentine had with people around them were superficial, the dialogues with them weren't that good and if you're expecting that grand finale of them coming out as a couple and you being all excited reading about it - forget it. The story tones down dramatically in the last third. All the fire and expectations - gone. Definitely gone.
So, for all the potential in the first third of the book - maybe even half, the final chapters with the ending were anticlimactic. I just wasn't excited anymore. Both were very strong characters starting out, but then it almost looks like the author lost the main thread a little bit. At one point they're talking like a man and a woman even. I don't know what happened. They went from strong men to foggy men with no fire in them.
It's a shame too, because the premise is good, it's a big task, a big undertaking to really deliver this type of a story, so I can completely understand why it didn't really happen. It should've been a more complex story with plenty of emotional nuances and scorching intimacy until the very end, combine that with Marshall and Valentine not losing their edge and I can maybe finally explain to myself why I can't read any decent enemies-to-lovers books, because it's really hard to put it together, I imagine.
So, you can expect
🟢 Enemies to lovers, the kind that don't hate each other after first time having sex, you know the kind
🔵 Both MMCs in their 20's
🟣 Both MMCs gay (out/closeted)
🟡 White collar/blue collar
🟠 Boss/employee
🟢 Humiliation kink
🔵 Hook-up arrangement
🌶️ It started out fantastic, then kind of stopped and in the end mostly off-page; t/b
As promising as the first half of this book was, it definitely lost its edge in the second half. I think it'd be much better if the story didn't officially use the enemies-to-lovers trope, because then we're all focused on that alone and of course when the story doesn't deliver, you're disappointed.
No, this is actually a simple romance of two guys who've known of each other's existence since they were kids, but didn't really hate each other until Valentine's father, a wealthy corporate guy, bought Marshall's father's company and Marshall had to leave the good neighbourhood, the private school and his family went through some tough times.
"I hated that he had the perfect life— an easy life— while I kept my head down, trying not to be obvious about checking guys out in the dressing rooms."
Marshall understandably hated Valentine, because he seemed to have a perfect life. He was rich, attractive and popular. So that hate was valid, that pain and biterness were valid, I understood why Marshall would feel that way about a guy who's father is guilty for his family's misfortune.
Years pass and now they're both in their late 20's, Valentine home from college and working in the family's company while Marshall working as a construction supervisor in that same company, so after years of not seeing each other now they had to work together, and not only that, they also played rugby on the opposite teams.
The tension between Marshall and Valentine was pretty good, I expected them to jump on each other like animals and they definitely did deliver. They had a lot of hate sex and it was hot, Valentine loves to be humiliated and prefers rough sex, so Marshall with his gargantuan dick that nobody could fully take so far, was the perfect guy for the job. Marshall's lashing out on Valentine - with consent - and his dirty talk was on point, although I did expect him to be more creative than just calling Valentine "a piece of shit" many times over, I wanted him to go deeper and darker, but even so, I very much liked it. I'm a sucker for humiliation kink in books and this one was good, but Marshall could be consistent until the end - he wasn't.
“I want you to hate me. I need you to hate me.” Then he popped the button on my jeans and wrapped his fingers around my cock, pumping me rough and hard. “And when you fuck me with your monster cock, I need you to hate me as hard as you can.”
Marshall was, as I expected, starting to thaw out, he saw there was more to Valentine, and not only that - Valentine was really messed up, he had anxiety and panic attacks, he was painfully closeted (to his own utter detriment) and has never had a relationship. So when Valentine started getting feelings for Marshall when they spent more and more time together, he freaked out and tried to push Marshall away.
For the most part I liked their dialogues and even though that enemy tension fizzled out quite soon, I was here for it, I liked them as characters and I wanted them to spend time together and get to really know each other.
Valentine had a pretty awful past, a past with a hateful father that desperately needed resolve and apart from that quitting the company in the end, his father remained uninvolved and he never found out Valentine was gay. He seemed like an important part of Valentine's life, so not getting more of them hashing things out on-page was very much missing in the story.
What threw me off was the kink and the sex that was the main topic in the first 30-40% of the book, suddenly wasn't there anymore. They still had sex, but were trying out other ways to have it which is fine, because they were getting to know each other and realising they like spending time together, getting more and more attached, but Valentine was constantly saying how he needed that rough part too and they just didn't do it anymore. I think it was once they did the rough part off-page. That was that.
I think Marshall had big potential here, but it wasn't utilised to the fullest. Marshall's character should've given us more of that kink and the fantastic, rough sex he could deliver - but now with an added layer of feelings. By all means, this should've been even better, yet it wasn't. Because it stopped happening.
So now I'm getting to the final 30% and wondering what on earth is even going on. Valentine is coming to a bit of a breakthrough in his life, he's thinking about coming out and leaving his status quo, and that's fine, but as much as the story focused on that, it again forgot about the glue that held these two together, and that should've been the insanely hot intimacy, that sparkling energy that they started out with. It was just completely left out.
The story ended on a very mundane note, I felt like all the relationships Marshall and Valentine had with people around them were superficial, the dialogues with them weren't that good and if you're expecting that grand finale of them coming out as a couple and you being all excited reading about it - forget it. The story tones down dramatically in the last third. All the fire and expectations - gone. Definitely gone.
So, for all the potential in the first third of the book - maybe even half, the final chapters with the ending were anticlimactic. I just wasn't excited anymore. Both were very strong characters starting out, but then it almost looks like the author lost the main thread a little bit. At one point they're talking like a man and a woman even. I don't know what happened. They went from strong men to foggy men with no fire in them.
It's a shame too, because the premise is good, it's a big task, a big undertaking to really deliver this type of a story, so I can completely understand why it didn't really happen. It should've been a more complex story with plenty of emotional nuances and scorching intimacy until the very end, combine that with Marshall and Valentine not losing their edge and I can maybe finally explain to myself why I can't read any decent enemies-to-lovers books, because it's really hard to put it together, I imagine.
October 1, 2023
So good!
I loved this relationship and how it progressed, but I have to say that Enzo was actually my favourite character, the little scene stealer😺
Also, I hate proposals - real life and fictional, I don't discriminate! No matter how it's done they always make me want to peel my skin off because I find them so cringeworthy and uncomfortable, BUT this proposal scene was perfection! I'd recommend reading this book just based on that epilogue scene alone 😂
I loved this relationship and how it progressed, but I have to say that Enzo was actually my favourite character, the little scene stealer😺
Also, I hate proposals - real life and fictional, I don't discriminate! No matter how it's done they always make me want to peel my skin off because I find them so cringeworthy and uncomfortable, BUT this proposal scene was perfection! I'd recommend reading this book just based on that epilogue scene alone 😂
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
October 4, 2023Soooooo, I don’t think I’m going to rate this one. I knew I was going to struggle because I usually stay away from hate sex/hurt comfort books, but since it was NRW I wanted to give it a try. I did read the first 20% and then started skimming A LOT. I made it to 70% and I started reading it again. Of course, I loved the last 30% but I still feel it’s unfair of me to rate it since I read only 50%.
Please read other reviews!! Many of my friends loved this one, plus it NRW
Please read other reviews!! Many of my friends loved this one, plus it NRW
November 13, 2023
This rating shocked me more than anything else but it felt right deep down and I couldn’t even see myself giving it anything lower. This was well written and i connected with the story, with the characters and the cat (if the pet is a cat that’s a no brainer for me. Ultimate weakness). This is my first book by this author and if her other books are written like this or even better then i would be on board for the long haul. Really enjoyed this🥹💕
I never realised I needed him to fight for me.
And fight for me he did.
I never realised I needed him to fight for me.
And fight for me he did.
Read
December 19, 2024Dnf 20%. Seems like this type of humiliation kink isn’t for me, I honestly hate reading the sex scenes.
No kink shaming here, but it’s just not for me. I guess I’m more into praising 😅
No rating - it’s probably just not the right kind of book for me.
No kink shaming here, but it’s just not for me. I guess I’m more into praising 😅
No rating - it’s probably just not the right kind of book for me.
January 31, 2025
3*** stars
dropped @50%
I put this down to read smth else a while ago but cannot bring myself to pick it back up. *sorry not sorry But here’s what I already typed out when I was still somewhat interested:
-----------
Let’s talk about sex.
I LOOOOVE a romance that features a blooming love story that is built entirely on sex. So [insert your word choice here] with benefits is my kinda trope.
But here’s the thing: it’s quite important to me that sexual encounters are not used to just put the smut on the page (bc that’s just boring) but does, each time, add to the main characters’ connection to each other and built the relationship so that at some point it stops being only about sex but becomes more.
That being said, of course I don’t mind a lot of sex in my romances, I’m an out and proud smut reader after all, but… and that’s a huge but(t)… while the sex scenes here were hot, no question, and each time propelled the relationship forward (check), they sadly gotten repetitive as fuck! Even more sad: the dirty talk was so bad. *shudder And repetitive as well.
I mean, how is it possible for a guy to repeatedly hate-fuck someone he always despised and only come up with two sentences to degrade him (consented)? And he repeats them over and over again during the sex and does that for the first five or six encounters (until their dynamic starts to change). I mean how uncreative is that?
You know how often I read in your reviews for various books that there were too many meaningless sex scenes, that they got boring and repetitive and you started to skim/skip them altogether? OFTEN! Like a lot.
So please, dear authors, stop filling your books with countless sex scenes when you can’t add meaning to them and come up with variety in the act itself and the dirty talk that accompanies it. Please! 🙏
-- sex talk ends here. rant over --
Anyhow, not all was bad about this book so far, of course, but I start suspecting that I’m not really vibing with NR Walker's writing. Her stories don’t really hit me right.
Still, I liked the general idea of this story and how the relationship progressed over time. Valentine’s (god I love his name) and Marshall’s verbal back and forth was entertaining and I enjoyed watching the change from short, rough hate-sex to extended stays to more and more sweeter moments and intimacy they shared.
dropped @50%
I put this down to read smth else a while ago but cannot bring myself to pick it back up. *sorry not sorry But here’s what I already typed out when I was still somewhat interested:
-----------
Let’s talk about sex.
I LOOOOVE a romance that features a blooming love story that is built entirely on sex. So [insert your word choice here] with benefits is my kinda trope.
But here’s the thing: it’s quite important to me that sexual encounters are not used to just put the smut on the page (bc that’s just boring) but does, each time, add to the main characters’ connection to each other and built the relationship so that at some point it stops being only about sex but becomes more.
That being said, of course I don’t mind a lot of sex in my romances, I’m an out and proud smut reader after all, but… and that’s a huge but(t)… while the sex scenes here were hot, no question, and each time propelled the relationship forward (check), they sadly gotten repetitive as fuck! Even more sad: the dirty talk was so bad. *shudder And repetitive as well.
I mean, how is it possible for a guy to repeatedly hate-fuck someone he always despised and only come up with two sentences to degrade him (consented)? And he repeats them over and over again during the sex and does that for the first five or six encounters (until their dynamic starts to change). I mean how uncreative is that?
You know how often I read in your reviews for various books that there were too many meaningless sex scenes, that they got boring and repetitive and you started to skim/skip them altogether? OFTEN! Like a lot.
So please, dear authors, stop filling your books with countless sex scenes when you can’t add meaning to them and come up with variety in the act itself and the dirty talk that accompanies it. Please! 🙏
-- sex talk ends here. rant over --
Anyhow, not all was bad about this book so far, of course, but I start suspecting that I’m not really vibing with NR Walker's writing. Her stories don’t really hit me right.
Still, I liked the general idea of this story and how the relationship progressed over time. Valentine’s (god I love his name) and Marshall’s verbal back and forth was entertaining and I enjoyed watching the change from short, rough hate-sex to extended stays to more and more sweeter moments and intimacy they shared.
January 17, 2025
“I want you to fuck me . . . hard. And my problem is that I’m not face down on my bed with your horse-cock inside me, that’s what the fuck my problem is.”
This isnt really enemies to lovers trope, which I appreciate because Im personally not a big fan of that trope so yay me? But maybe thats what youre looking for and if so, I think maybe you should skip this. This is more, two dudes who cant stand one another fuck, because one dude has a degradation kink and likes rough sex. But anyways, Im not into degradation but hey I made it through the book because for a sexy as fuck book that is like cut to the chase like show me them fucking rough and hard and all that shit, after a while, when actual emotions start going on, the sex scenes are like fade to black. NR WALKER how can you do that to me? If you are going to write a bunch of raunchy sex scenes in the beginning Im gonna need them middle and end as well. Please and thank you. I still lvoe you though. The middle to the end part is what really kicked this up to 4 stars for me. I got ot know the characters more, their insecurities and flaws and I just loved seeing Valentine and Marshall together by the end and they were fucking adorable as shit. Fuck, so cute. But anyways, this is actually a cute book about two boys who fall in love in a weird but cute way okay? Dont look for enemies where they wanna kill each other, beat the shit out of each other and shit, that aint happening sis.
This isnt really enemies to lovers trope, which I appreciate because Im personally not a big fan of that trope so yay me? But maybe thats what youre looking for and if so, I think maybe you should skip this. This is more, two dudes who cant stand one another fuck, because one dude has a degradation kink and likes rough sex. But anyways, Im not into degradation but hey I made it through the book because for a sexy as fuck book that is like cut to the chase like show me them fucking rough and hard and all that shit, after a while, when actual emotions start going on, the sex scenes are like fade to black. NR WALKER how can you do that to me? If you are going to write a bunch of raunchy sex scenes in the beginning Im gonna need them middle and end as well. Please and thank you. I still lvoe you though. The middle to the end part is what really kicked this up to 4 stars for me. I got ot know the characters more, their insecurities and flaws and I just loved seeing Valentine and Marshall together by the end and they were fucking adorable as shit. Fuck, so cute. But anyways, this is actually a cute book about two boys who fall in love in a weird but cute way okay? Dont look for enemies where they wanna kill each other, beat the shit out of each other and shit, that aint happening sis.
February 1, 2025
This was pure fun, hot, rough , sexy, sweet, adorable and cute 🥰.If you overanalyze, you'll find a flaw or ten, and sure, some things won’t make sense. But honestly, NR Walker's books always bring such good vibes—low on drama, and exactly what I need every now and then.
The story follows Marshall Wise and Valentine Tye, whose lifelong animosity has simmered since childhood. Marshall’s deep-seated hatred for Valentine is mirrored by Valentine’s craving for pain and degradation, drawing them into a tangled dynamic that forces them to confront their perceptions of each other—and themselves.
So this book buzzed with that sharp-edged hate we know will turn into intense, powerful love—I’m here for it! Valentine and Marshal set these pages on fire with all that hate-fueled fucking. Yum yum! 🤤Seeing Marshall pretending to hate everything and Valentine pretending not to care, LOVED IT! Serious build up and after 131 hated/hate him/hate you/hate me the I love you felt🤌
" Goddammit, Valentine fucking Tye,” he murmured, then stepped back and shook his head. “I must be out of my damned mind.”
I put my hand to my forehead and let out a breath. “Same. Marshall fucking Wise.”
Things I loved and made me licked my fingers:
🔪 the “I hated him” and hate fucking in any form
🔪 the fucking teasing and provoking
🔪 the power balance “use me in any way”
🔪 the desperation and need
🔪 the tension like an elastic band ready to snap
🔪 the degradation during sex (what’s wrong with me?)
🔪the thin line between pain and pleasure
🖤 the moment we know it’s more than just hate, but they don’t
🖤 that it took them ages to kiss, but when it happens—boom
🖤 the moment when hate isn't enough
🖤 the “You need to eat”
🖤 the hickeys and bite marks—proof left behind.
🩶 the grey silk robe
❤️ the secret stitched in red.
🐈⬛ the Enzo situation—almost too adorable to handle
🖤 the make a wish and blow
🖤the cooking, 80’s action movies and cuddling in the couch
🖤Valentine blushing
🖤Marshall going all neanderthal
🖤the trouble of feeling things
🖤the breakdown and the putting back together
🖤then!
Some dislikes:
The rugby felt unnecessary since it was barely acknowledged in the plot. Authors always make friends annoyingly pushy and nosy—why? As in all Walker’s books, the tension fizzled out too quickly, making the hate-to-love shift feel rushed. Plus, Valentine’s issues… .Why does Valentine need to work for this dad? Or need his approval to be himself? And what did his father do to him? We have no information about it, just that it was awful and demeaning and both the parents didn’t care about him. Nothing concrete. I also didn’t like that we got pages of rough sex scenes, but the slow and sweet ones just a brief description 😢 I also think Valentine should had therapy, nothing heals with love alone 🤷🏻♀️
”I won’t always get it right.”
“I don’t expect you to. I won’t get things right all the time either. But we’ll try. And we’ll talk like adults.” Then he shrugged. “And fuck like animals.”
I barked out a teary laugh. “Deal.”
Marshall slid his hand along my jaw, kissing me softly, before pulling me in for a long, warm hug. “I don’t hate you, Valentine.”
I nodded into his neck. “I don’t hate you either.”
The story follows Marshall Wise and Valentine Tye, whose lifelong animosity has simmered since childhood. Marshall’s deep-seated hatred for Valentine is mirrored by Valentine’s craving for pain and degradation, drawing them into a tangled dynamic that forces them to confront their perceptions of each other—and themselves.
So this book buzzed with that sharp-edged hate we know will turn into intense, powerful love—I’m here for it! Valentine and Marshal set these pages on fire with all that hate-fueled fucking. Yum yum! 🤤Seeing Marshall pretending to hate everything and Valentine pretending not to care, LOVED IT! Serious build up and after 131 hated/hate him/hate you/hate me the I love you felt🤌
" Goddammit, Valentine fucking Tye,” he murmured, then stepped back and shook his head. “I must be out of my damned mind.”
I put my hand to my forehead and let out a breath. “Same. Marshall fucking Wise.”
Things I loved and made me licked my fingers:
🔪 the “I hated him” and hate fucking in any form
🔪 the fucking teasing and provoking
🔪 the power balance “use me in any way”
🔪 the desperation and need
🔪 the tension like an elastic band ready to snap
🔪 the degradation during sex (what’s wrong with me?)
🔪the thin line between pain and pleasure
🖤 the moment we know it’s more than just hate, but they don’t
🖤 that it took them ages to kiss, but when it happens—boom
🖤 the moment when hate isn't enough
🖤 the “You need to eat”
🖤 the hickeys and bite marks—proof left behind.
🩶 the grey silk robe
❤️ the secret stitched in red.
🐈⬛ the Enzo situation—almost too adorable to handle
🖤 the make a wish and blow
🖤the cooking, 80’s action movies and cuddling in the couch
🖤Valentine blushing
🖤Marshall going all neanderthal
🖤the trouble of feeling things
🖤the breakdown and the putting back together
🖤then!
Some dislikes:
The rugby felt unnecessary since it was barely acknowledged in the plot. Authors always make friends annoyingly pushy and nosy—why? As in all Walker’s books, the tension fizzled out too quickly, making the hate-to-love shift feel rushed. Plus, Valentine’s issues… .Why does Valentine need to work for this dad? Or need his approval to be himself? And what did his father do to him? We have no information about it, just that it was awful and demeaning and both the parents didn’t care about him. Nothing concrete. I also didn’t like that we got pages of rough sex scenes, but the slow and sweet ones just a brief description 😢 I also think Valentine should had therapy, nothing heals with love alone 🤷🏻♀️
”I won’t always get it right.”
“I don’t expect you to. I won’t get things right all the time either. But we’ll try. And we’ll talk like adults.” Then he shrugged. “And fuck like animals.”
I barked out a teary laugh. “Deal.”
Marshall slid his hand along my jaw, kissing me softly, before pulling me in for a long, warm hug. “I don’t hate you, Valentine.”
I nodded into his neck. “I don’t hate you either.”
December 3, 2023
This was a very strange NRW book...the beginning was just weird, past half then you see NRW style back and I started enjoying it and then the end felt rushed... 🥴
March 29, 2024
Well, this was very Meh...
I feel that my loyalty to the author is the only reason I'm not giving it 2 starts, but like, this book is just plain weird.
So, this is supposed to be enemies to lovers, and yet, just one MC (Marshall) "hates" the other one, and all for stupid reasons that never make sense and are clearly not enough to hate someone as much. And then we have MC2 (Valentine) that likes to be fucked hard so has the clever idea to convince his supposed arch-nemesis to hate-fuck him constantly.
Now, I don't know about anybody else, but that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Anyway, they entered this random agreement and then without any reason after just a couple of times of getting together they catch feelings? Like, how did this happen? We never saw it, we weren't told about interactions were it might allude that feelings were being developed.
So, yeah, I feel this was just a bunch of ideas thrown together and this book was the result.
I feel that my loyalty to the author is the only reason I'm not giving it 2 starts, but like, this book is just plain weird.
So, this is supposed to be enemies to lovers, and yet, just one MC (Marshall) "hates" the other one, and all for stupid reasons that never make sense and are clearly not enough to hate someone as much. And then we have MC2 (Valentine) that likes to be fucked hard so has the clever idea to convince his supposed arch-nemesis to hate-fuck him constantly.
Now, I don't know about anybody else, but that makes absolutely no sense whatsoever. Anyway, they entered this random agreement and then without any reason after just a couple of times of getting together they catch feelings? Like, how did this happen? We never saw it, we weren't told about interactions were it might allude that feelings were being developed.
So, yeah, I feel this was just a bunch of ideas thrown together and this book was the result.
June 17, 2024
glad I took it on
Humiliation isn’t my thing so I put this off for a while but I am so glad I tried it I really liked it and didn’t wanna put it down till it was done nr walker really knows how to tell a good story
I kept reading reviews saying these chargers didn’t hate each other which kinda floors me. Sometimes our feelings are petty or Childish that’s just being human.
updated:
audiobook is perfectly done absolutely loved it and so glad i decided to listen to it, what a great story!
Humiliation isn’t my thing so I put this off for a while but I am so glad I tried it I really liked it and didn’t wanna put it down till it was done nr walker really knows how to tell a good story
I kept reading reviews saying these chargers didn’t hate each other which kinda floors me. Sometimes our feelings are petty or Childish that’s just being human.
updated:
audiobook is perfectly done absolutely loved it and so glad i decided to listen to it, what a great story!
October 3, 2023
2.5 ⭐️
November 15, 2024
Tropes: enemies to lovers, hate sex, secret relationship, hurt/comfort, boss / employee
Feels: 5/5
Steam*: 5/5
Kinks: degradation and mild humiliation kink
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: bad parents, anxiety, disordered eating, homophobia
Nov. 14 2024 - reread! Love this book. There's just something so good about enemies with benefits whoopsing into love accidentally, with a good side of cat daddying.
Wow. This catered so well to my tastes. Lol
Marshall hates Valentine. They went to school together as kids and they've always clashed. Then Valentine's father took over Marshall's dad's company and put him out of a job, causing Marshall's family's finances to plummet and him to leave the private school and enter a public school. They didn't see each other for a number of years. Then they met up again in the same recreational rugby league on competing teams.
The guys are about 27. Marshall is openly gay and has been out since he was a teen. Valentine is closeted because his dad would disown him, and his dad already makes his life miserable. Valentine has issues, he has particular kinks where he wants hate sex. BDSM isn't fulfilling enough for him, Valentine wants his partners to really hate him. To Valentine, Marshall is an absolute perfect candidate for Valentine to hook up with because Marshall hates his guts. Valentine shocks Marshall with a BJ and then proposes an ongoing hate sex arrangement. Marshall is attracted and looks forward to punishing Valentine and getting off on it. They embark on a very smutty but structured enemies with benefits relationship. And it slowly morphs into them getting to know each other and care about each other. They end up so in love.
This just catered so perfectly to me. Obsessive and intense smut from the start, with believable tension and animosity, turning realistically tender over time into hurt him and die. With people hilariously finding out about them over time. It's kind of giving Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid vibes, but over the course of a few months. I loved Marshall's relationship with Enzo, Valentine's cat, every single cat moment was liquid gold. I loved how when people found out about them, the boys had to grudgingly reveal how intertwined their lives were and how basically they were basically loving and committed boyfriends when they had not talked about anything at all before this. And the epilogue with the proposal scene was such a disaster of an accidental proposal in front of their nearest and dearest. It was an epic hilarious disaster. I loved it.
Some notable moments:
"No, because instead of the voice in my head saying, this is the reddest flag to ever exist and this will end so badly there will be no survivors, the voice in my head was saying, you get to show that motherfucker what a piece of shit he is twice a week and you can own him with your cock and treat him like the garbage he is."
"“I told you he was a traitor.” “I’m not buying him any more chicken nuggets.” I laughed. “Good.” Then there was a muted thud on the side of the bed and gentle cat pawsteps up to Marshall. “Yes,” he said. “I knew you liked me, my little guy. I didn’t mean it about the nuggets. Of course I’ll get you some.” Christ."
"“In case you’re as oblivious as he is, he’s got it bad for you. That man is in deep.” I shook my head. “Don’t be ridiculous.” Lleyton laughed. “What time did he leave this morning? Did he cook you breakfast?” Fuck. Fuck. Fucking fuck. “Oh my god,” Lleyton said. “He’s still there, isn’t he?” Then he roared, laughing. “Tell him I said hi.”"
*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.
Feels: 5/5
Steam*: 5/5
Kinks: degradation and mild humiliation kink
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: bad parents, anxiety, disordered eating, homophobia
Nov. 14 2024 - reread! Love this book. There's just something so good about enemies with benefits whoopsing into love accidentally, with a good side of cat daddying.
Wow. This catered so well to my tastes. Lol
Marshall hates Valentine. They went to school together as kids and they've always clashed. Then Valentine's father took over Marshall's dad's company and put him out of a job, causing Marshall's family's finances to plummet and him to leave the private school and enter a public school. They didn't see each other for a number of years. Then they met up again in the same recreational rugby league on competing teams.
The guys are about 27. Marshall is openly gay and has been out since he was a teen. Valentine is closeted because his dad would disown him, and his dad already makes his life miserable. Valentine has issues, he has particular kinks where he wants hate sex. BDSM isn't fulfilling enough for him, Valentine wants his partners to really hate him. To Valentine, Marshall is an absolute perfect candidate for Valentine to hook up with because Marshall hates his guts. Valentine shocks Marshall with a BJ and then proposes an ongoing hate sex arrangement. Marshall is attracted and looks forward to punishing Valentine and getting off on it. They embark on a very smutty but structured enemies with benefits relationship. And it slowly morphs into them getting to know each other and care about each other. They end up so in love.
This just catered so perfectly to me. Obsessive and intense smut from the start, with believable tension and animosity, turning realistically tender over time into hurt him and die. With people hilariously finding out about them over time. It's kind of giving Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid vibes, but over the course of a few months. I loved Marshall's relationship with Enzo, Valentine's cat, every single cat moment was liquid gold. I loved how when people found out about them, the boys had to grudgingly reveal how intertwined their lives were and how basically they were basically loving and committed boyfriends when they had not talked about anything at all before this. And the epilogue with the proposal scene was such a disaster of an accidental proposal in front of their nearest and dearest. It was an epic hilarious disaster. I loved it.
Some notable moments:
"No, because instead of the voice in my head saying, this is the reddest flag to ever exist and this will end so badly there will be no survivors, the voice in my head was saying, you get to show that motherfucker what a piece of shit he is twice a week and you can own him with your cock and treat him like the garbage he is."
"“I told you he was a traitor.” “I’m not buying him any more chicken nuggets.” I laughed. “Good.” Then there was a muted thud on the side of the bed and gentle cat pawsteps up to Marshall. “Yes,” he said. “I knew you liked me, my little guy. I didn’t mean it about the nuggets. Of course I’ll get you some.” Christ."
"“In case you’re as oblivious as he is, he’s got it bad for you. That man is in deep.” I shook my head. “Don’t be ridiculous.” Lleyton laughed. “What time did he leave this morning? Did he cook you breakfast?” Fuck. Fuck. Fucking fuck. “Oh my god,” Lleyton said. “He’s still there, isn’t he?” Then he roared, laughing. “Tell him I said hi.”"
*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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2023
Overall, this was really good.
N.R. Walker has never really done enemies-to-lovers, so this was interesting to see. I liked that it was genuinely hate between them. Well, on Marshall's side. On Valentine was more just annoyed with Marshall at times. He never seemed to actually hate him. Although he did love at first that Marshall hated him, because of his kink.
So did this fully lean into the EtL trope? No, not fully. But for N.R. Walker, it did lean into it pretty heavily, as this author is known for her very romantic writing. It's not often that she writers much nitty gritty stuff. Which is perfectly fine, if that's what you're in the mood for. Sometimes I just want light and fluff and sweetness.
But she deviated with this one, and overall I enjoyed it.
It was still a Walker version of enemies to lovers, but still.
The sex was hot too. The fact that we actually got a good amount, especially near the beginning, was shocking. This author will have sex, but it's usually near the end or fairly glossed over a lot of the time. It's not always the most detailed, I find.
But it was plenty detailed in this, and it was 🔥. Of course, it didn't fully lean into some true rough/hate sex, but what we got was good.
I was bummed that Walker leaned away from the rough sex as these two fell more and more in love. Would have liked to have seen more of a balance, but as more time went on, the less detailed sex we got, actually. Just some vague descriptions of Marshall balancing several ways he could fuck Valentine (rough sex with degradation, rough handling, bruises, etc, regular fucking, and making love). Which is great! I don't need it to be one way all the time. I just wish we hadn't put the rough sex kinda on the wayside, in terms of what we got description wise.
I do wish we gotten a little more drama surrounding their families. It was kind of disappointing how nothing came from them being found out. Marshall's parents were fine with it, even though Valentine's father bought out Marshall's father's business and made their lives so much harder because of it. The majority of why Marshall hates Valentine all these years is because of this main issue, but then it's just kind of a non-event? His mom is cool with it from the get, his dad is just kind uncomfortable for 2 seconds before Valentine says he hates his dad and it's over as easy as that.
I also was a tad confused on the timeline. For a majority of this I thought they were like maybe 21, 22, but at the end after 2 to 3ish years alter in the epilogue, it says they're 30, so that means they were around 27, 28 during the events of this book. But then it says their rivalry started when they were 10. But then it says it's been a bit over 10 years since Marshall has hated Valentine...maybe it meant when he was 13, because that's when Valentine's dad took his father's company? So that would make sense...
But then it says early on that he saw Valentine here and there throughout high school and then "didn't see him 2 years" as Valentine went to a different city for that time...so I assume that was after high school for them, but I guess not?
Ah, well, anyway, the ages confused me. Just wish authors would give a definitive age early so I don't get all twisted up over the continuity of that.
But, otherwise, this was a solid outing by this author, and I really enjoyed these two together. But the hate part and the love part.
This is definitely worth a read. It's very N.R. Walker, and if you've read plenty of her works before, you'll know what I mean. But still pretty solid enemies-to-lovers, at least at first. Marshall's hate was palpable and I appreciated that.
Despite some niggles here and there, this still gets a thumbs up from me. Can't wait for the next Walker romance! 😍
N.R. Walker has never really done enemies-to-lovers, so this was interesting to see. I liked that it was genuinely hate between them. Well, on Marshall's side. On Valentine was more just annoyed with Marshall at times. He never seemed to actually hate him. Although he did love at first that Marshall hated him, because of his kink.
So did this fully lean into the EtL trope? No, not fully. But for N.R. Walker, it did lean into it pretty heavily, as this author is known for her very romantic writing. It's not often that she writers much nitty gritty stuff. Which is perfectly fine, if that's what you're in the mood for. Sometimes I just want light and fluff and sweetness.
But she deviated with this one, and overall I enjoyed it.
It was still a Walker version of enemies to lovers, but still.
The sex was hot too. The fact that we actually got a good amount, especially near the beginning, was shocking. This author will have sex, but it's usually near the end or fairly glossed over a lot of the time. It's not always the most detailed, I find.
But it was plenty detailed in this, and it was 🔥. Of course, it didn't fully lean into some true rough/hate sex, but what we got was good.
I was bummed that Walker leaned away from the rough sex as these two fell more and more in love. Would have liked to have seen more of a balance, but as more time went on, the less detailed sex we got, actually. Just some vague descriptions of Marshall balancing several ways he could fuck Valentine (rough sex with degradation, rough handling, bruises, etc, regular fucking, and making love). Which is great! I don't need it to be one way all the time. I just wish we hadn't put the rough sex kinda on the wayside, in terms of what we got description wise.
I do wish we gotten a little more drama surrounding their families. It was kind of disappointing how nothing came from them being found out. Marshall's parents were fine with it, even though Valentine's father bought out Marshall's father's business and made their lives so much harder because of it. The majority of why Marshall hates Valentine all these years is because of this main issue, but then it's just kind of a non-event? His mom is cool with it from the get, his dad is just kind uncomfortable for 2 seconds before Valentine says he hates his dad and it's over as easy as that.
I also was a tad confused on the timeline. For a majority of this I thought they were like maybe 21, 22, but at the end after 2 to 3ish years alter in the epilogue, it says they're 30, so that means they were around 27, 28 during the events of this book. But then it says their rivalry started when they were 10. But then it says it's been a bit over 10 years since Marshall has hated Valentine...maybe it meant when he was 13, because that's when Valentine's dad took his father's company? So that would make sense...
But then it says early on that he saw Valentine here and there throughout high school and then "didn't see him 2 years" as Valentine went to a different city for that time...so I assume that was after high school for them, but I guess not?
Ah, well, anyway, the ages confused me. Just wish authors would give a definitive age early so I don't get all twisted up over the continuity of that.
But, otherwise, this was a solid outing by this author, and I really enjoyed these two together. But the hate part and the love part.
This is definitely worth a read. It's very N.R. Walker, and if you've read plenty of her works before, you'll know what I mean. But still pretty solid enemies-to-lovers, at least at first. Marshall's hate was palpable and I appreciated that.
Despite some niggles here and there, this still gets a thumbs up from me. Can't wait for the next Walker romance! 😍
Read
October 29, 2023DNF 40%
I’m so bored. So repetitive and shallow. I love NRW but this didn’t do it for me.
I’m so bored. So repetitive and shallow. I love NRW but this didn’t do it for me.
November 29, 2023
Well wow
Okay I'll start off by saying I'm a huge fan of nr walker, I have read almost all of her work and yet here we are and I'm in shock how different this book was from the rest! Now that is an accomplishment, and yeah, it's been a while since a book has made me blush, and yet here we are! The bedroom times are pure fire, the banter is top notch and once these men start letting each other in its sweet and heartwarming, the best possible combination in a romance read.
You want top not hate play times, brutal on the field rugby action, more swearing than you could think possible all the while still having heart and soul this is the book to grab! It so amazing its gonna be on my mind for quite some time!
Audio review
Goodbye sweet Glen , hello dirty growly Glen! I adore Glen in his work with NR Walker but honestly did not know what to expect with him doing this dirtier rawer book, and wow, does he deliver! He has made an amazing real-life workers book even better. The emotions are stronger, more powerful, just everything you want from an audiobook!
Okay I'll start off by saying I'm a huge fan of nr walker, I have read almost all of her work and yet here we are and I'm in shock how different this book was from the rest! Now that is an accomplishment, and yeah, it's been a while since a book has made me blush, and yet here we are! The bedroom times are pure fire, the banter is top notch and once these men start letting each other in its sweet and heartwarming, the best possible combination in a romance read.
You want top not hate play times, brutal on the field rugby action, more swearing than you could think possible all the while still having heart and soul this is the book to grab! It so amazing its gonna be on my mind for quite some time!
Audio review
Goodbye sweet Glen , hello dirty growly Glen! I adore Glen in his work with NR Walker but honestly did not know what to expect with him doing this dirtier rawer book, and wow, does he deliver! He has made an amazing real-life workers book even better. The emotions are stronger, more powerful, just everything you want from an audiobook!
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