The Crease

For Puck's Sake #4

by Crea Reitan

Always protect the heart of the ice.

Max

This wasn’t supposed to happen to me. I’m supposed to be at the top of my career. Untouchable. Worshiped. Finally proving to all the jerks in my life that I made it. I’m at the top.

Then a video that shouldn't exist leaks and everything comes crashing down. I’m about to lose it all and I can’t seem to get out of my own way. My agent banishes me to a place that technology can’t touch while he tries to salvage my career.

I’m caught between rage and deep depression, lashing out at everyone and everything around me. I have myself to blame but right now, all I want is to drown in my misery. Even when something unexpected and good comes along, all I can do is push and push until I’m once more drowning all alone.

Deryke

I don’t know what’s come over me. Why does this disaster of a hockey player suddenly call to my heart and everything inside my body and mind? I mean, the world knows what’s in his pants and I’ve never been even slightly turned on by that! Why now? Why him?

Even when he’s bratting so hard I want to break him, I can see that he acts the way he does because he’s hurting somewhere deep inside. He won’t let me in, but for some unknown reason, I can’t let Maximus Latham go.

He needs me. He needs someone to believe in him and not disappear the minute he messes up. He needs someone to love him for him, not for being the hockey god he is. Except I’m not sure I can reach him in time before he self-destructs.

But damned if I’m not going to try.

***

This is a LGBT+ story with content not intended for those under 18 years of age due to graphic scenes and situations.

Genres: M M Romance, Sports, Hockey, Sports Romance, Romance, Mental Health, LGBT

348 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 7, 2024

About the author

Crea lives in upstate New York with her dog and husband. She has been writing since grade school, when her second grade teacher had her class keep writing journals. She has a habit of creating secondary, and often time tertiary, characters that take over her stories. When she can't fall asleep at night, she thinks up new scenes for her characters to act out. This, of course, is how most of her meant-to-be-thrown-away characters tend to end up front and center - and utterly swoon-worthy! Don't ask her how many book boyfriends she has...

When not writing, Crea is an avid reader. Her TBR pile is several hundred books high (don't even look at her kindle wish list or the unread books on her tablet). Sometimes, she enjoys crafting; sometimes, exploring nature; sometimes, traveling. Mostly, she enjoys putting her characters on paper and breathing life into them. Oh, and sleeping. Crea loves to sleep!

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

There was a lot I liked in this, a few things I didn’t, but most of all I just found myself wishing I could have the stamina and fortitude in my every day life that Max’s asshole has in this book.

[Lilly [Hiatus due to School] · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Yep. There’s no doubt in my mind. I am so deeply in love with this man that I can’t catch my breath."

We met Max in the previous book, and he came off as a devil may care, playboy/fuckboy type who wasn’t serious. He got into trouble with his NHL team a few times due to getting caught in some naughty antics, but when a video of him at a sex club gets leaked and goes viral, his career is in trouble. His manager sends him off to the island to hide away from the media, but he’s hurt, depressed, and seems to have given up on life. Deryke is on vacation visiting his friends when he runs into Max. He doesn’t know him off the ice; they’re just acquaintances, but seeing him in such a pitiful state, he can’t help reaching out to him.

I enjoyed this book! I loved the codependency between Max and Deryke; it was unhealthy, but it’s exactly what Max needed. He’s depressed and barely functioning, and Deryke assumes a sort of “Daddy” role. He takes care of him, making sure he’s showering and eating and slowly helping him get his will to live again. Max needs physical connections - sex, cuddling, touching - and Deryke is ready to provide it to him. Is it the best coping mechanism? Absolutely not, but Max grew up neglected by his family.

He was isolated and pushed away; he felt like he didn’t deserve any love and acted out as a way to protect himself. Deryke understands that he needs these physical reassurances and connections in order to feel grounded and cared for. I think Deryke’s presence, love and his ability to really see the true Max behind his public facade also made Max want to better himself. He got the strength to come out of the darkness of his mind and start on his path to healing.

“I got you,” I say quietly. “I won’t let you go until you’re ready to face the world again. You can fall apart and I’m right here. You’re not alone.”

Besides, I kind of like Max. Seeing that he’s human rather than the larger-than-life public menace makes me like him more. I don’t mind being there for him. I don’t even hate fighting with him to eat or shower. It’s making me realize I’m a bit of a natural caregiver.

“Please don’t let yourself get lost in the darkness inside you. Remember that I really fucking want you to be there with me when you’re convincing yourself you’re all alone. Remember that I will be back no matter what. Can you do that for me?”

I loved the possessiveness we get between the two, especially the leashing! Max craves it as a way to stay connected to Deryke.

The spice!! This book is very very heavy on the spice as it’s something that Max needs. I personally loved it and Crea writes some of the best steamy and kinky scenes.

Overall I really enjoyed The Crease and can’t wait for the next book!

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked Max and Deryke!!

I'm pretty sure this book worked better for me than the previous hockey books because a lot of this one was set in Kala. I loved seeing Eli, Laiken, Cash and Onyx again and the friendships that Deryke has with all of them.

Max made my heart hurt because he was in such an awful place for so much of this book. Going on his journey with him was really cool to read and I loved the bonus content on Patreon where he's just so much happier in himself.

I actually liked Deryke's bi-awakening too, and the way their relationship built. Deryke is like the calmest person ever, I don't know how he does it!

The drama around Max's antics were ongoing for pretty much the whole book which I actually liked because a lot of books that have a PR scandal seem to move on from it pretty quickly, but we got to see the lasting impact of what happened to Max and it emphasised that he's just a person dealing with something really traumatic. I would have liked to have seen an actual outcome from the legal issues though.

It was also funny seeing Tavis in this book and remembering that his age gets changed so that he's not geriatric in Project FU!

[Monikat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. I loved the love story and care given and getting through the really difficult time Max was going through. My instincts just kept getting in the way of totally enjoying it because I felt Max needed more help, Deryke took it upon himself to help Max (but I get it).Deryke was a total angel, he was everything, he did everything. The GFY was ...sudden, it felt easy from the first time they were together which is another thing you just have to accept. Crea Reitan is one of those authors that you know is going to give something outside the box. It doesn't have to be 'scientifically' correct, you just accept and enjoy the story. And I did.


Thoughts while reading:

**This is going to be a journey.
I'm already liking it. The premise is inventive and different.

**I'm just going with it because it's fiction and it's their story. And for their story to work like this it has to develop as written by the author.
But... I have strong issues about the way Max is not getting the professional help he needs especially following the state he is in the first few days on the island. He would have been rushed to a hospital immediately. So let this be MY trigger warning to you and my urge for you to CALL for HELP when in need of assistance with mental health issues!

**Needed to know more about WHY Max's family acted the way they did.
It was important and was just skimmed through even though it was talked about a lot. I understand we don't always get closure in life but it would have been nice to know what exactly was going on with that. Obvs, he was not a 'true' sibling, but how and why....

*****The extra epilogue from Crea Reitan's site (Just Say yes) was a beautiful extra ending.
The true HEA.

[book_reader_addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book and their love story! The bi awakening was just glorious! Max is just so low and Deryke is perfect when he gets Max out of his spiralling ❤️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Romance Recs · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will NEVER forget these two!

Wow! Mind blown because let me just say... this book is absolutely AMAZING if you love romance and love love! I'm one of those people who adores a book about two soulmates who find each other and have magical moments of true love that you really understand if you've been in love yourself.

When going into Crease you already know Max from books 1-3. If you don't already know who Max is, let me stop you now and say you should probably go back and read at least book 1 Shiver (it's also amazing). Book 2 is a 3 person relationship which I don't like so I skipped. I really only like and find palatable 2 person relationships but that's just me. We all have our own kinks and preferences which speaking of... back to Max and Crease. My GOD is this book HOT!!!

Deep, passionate, loving, surprisingly epic and HOT AF are only a few of the adjectives that come to mind when I think about this book. It doesn't even begin to cover how passionate this was.

This is not your regular MM hockey romance. In fact, there's very little hockey.

I wish more books were like this. Less background stupid unnecessary story line and more focus on the 2 main characters! I love when romance novels have scenes where the 2 MC's just find each other's souls and connect on a deep level. That's what you'll find here.

The way Deryke who's German (yass) loves Max is the kind of love I think every person in the world wants. A deep soul touching love.

Crease is a:
Hockey
Hurt/Comfort
Gay/Bi-awakwning

Romance that starts when a straight hockey player, Deryke is on vacation in Kala, the well known gay island that's meant for fun and freedom from cameras runs into Max Latham, who's also a well known hockey player. They've always known each other on a surface level, but something happened to Max recently and it changed him. He just wants to be left alone to dwell in his own misery.

What he doesn't expect is to find himself so suddenly needy and craving for his NFL rival.

You guys... this book seriously hot hot hot! If you love hurt/comfort, there's no better book than this.

I am in love with everything about this story and everything about Deryke and Max.

I LOVE in a gay romance novel where the characters are obsessed with each other on a super needy/clingy level! Crease is all about codependency and I am ALL about that!

Codependency to me, is the best part of a romance. In a novel as well as real life. I was in awe of how well the author wrote the codependency between Max and Deryke! I love when an author writes UNAPOLOGETIC codependency! I can't stress that enough!

I know there are alof of exclamation marks used here but my God, I'm tired of reading about independence and not about neediness. I love neediness in men! It's my absolute favorite part of a romance story where one person is literally obsessed and willing to give everything to the other person. Max was open and raw. Just how I like them! This story was EVERYTHING!

I wish I could live in this book honestly. I would read about these two every day for the rest of my life. I could read about these two just eating breakfast and doing nothing all day and I would be happy due to how openly raw and obsessed with Deryke Max is! Gahhh I'm just so sad it's over now.

[Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

I dont know, I guess I'm disappointed
Some of this book was great. Some of it had me asking WTF.
I feel like the story lost traction towards the end, like a bunch of it was just filler.

[Ky · Rating 4 out of 5]

* 4.5 stars *

I decided to read this book because the blurb sounded interesting and because I liked book #2 of the series but I'm not very familiar with the author yet so I wasn't sure what to expect.

I was pleasantly surprised by what turned out to be a very interesting story with unique characters.

Max and Deryke start as nothing more than acquaintances but when Max is at a bad place and Deryke happens to be there, their relationship starts evolving and they grow closer.

Their story spans many months and I liked that there was time for their relationship to change.

Max's mental health was suffering when they met at the beginning of the book. He didn't have a happy childhood as he was emotionally neglected by his family who ended up completely abandoning him once he was an adult.

I never understood why they acted that way towards him. It was a big family but he was the only one who was an afterthought, if even that. I don't think that was a plot hole though, I think we're left without an answer deliberately, because the reason behind their behavior doesn't really matter and it doesn't make a difference. Max's childhood shaped him and their neglect left him with some very deep scars and a need for attention.

Deryke decided to support Max and help him the best way he could until the off-season ended and they had to report back for training camp. But the months they spent together, basically secluded and away from the world, left their mark and even though they both knew their time together would come to an end, neither was willing to let the other go at the end of summer.

There are some side characters from previous books but it can be read as a standalone.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I've liked both of them so I think I'll keep an eye out for the next one in the series.


~ Copy provided by Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn't a requirement. ~

[Sid · Rating 2 out of 5]

look just don't think too much about character development and their actions and enjoy the smut it's fun

[Betty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oof. My heart. I don’t think I can adequately capture all the feels from this story.

First, I loved the authors preface to this story. Read it before you start. ‼️ You have to put reality a bit aside and just go with the author’s intention.

❤️‍🩹. Third act breakup - there is a third act separation. Not really a breakup. I hate these, but I guess it makes sense for the story.
🗣️. Communication - These two really break down each others walls and talk through all the hard stuff. It’s not an easy road, but they truly earn each other’s trust. But they are with each other the whole way.
👬 Max is a 26 yr old professional hockey player in the middle of a professional crisis as the result of a viral sex video. He’s sent away to exile himself on an island called Kala. At that same island is another pro hockey player, Deryke, 28, who sees him struggling and steps in to help. They both grow so much during the course of this story.
🏝️ Kala - this island is portrayed as a gay haven where there is no technology allowed at all and gay couples are truly allowed to be themselves without judgement. I loved this aspect of the story and all the different things that it allowed Max and Deryke to explore; particularly the leash. Lol
🧠 The mental health crisis that Max is struggling with is heart wrenching. The depression, the unleashed anger at times, the refusal to seek help, the feelings of worthlessness. It’s all beautifully portrayed. Deryke steps in initially bc he can’t watch another human struggle when it’s clear he has no one else who seems to care. His care, affection and respect grow as he learns more about Max and his past.
🌶️. Deryke is straight and describes himself as only gay for Max. He is unwavering in his support, admiration, and love for him. The spice is not your typical spice; it’s deeper and each of its varieties carry deeper meanings for this couple. It started early and continued throughout. The sex is never just sex.
🫣. No OM/OW drama.
👥. Dual POV; HEA. epilogue 2 months in the future.

The book really affected me. I have no idea whether Deryke’s approach to handling Max’s depression would be considered appropriate. I don’t really care. In the context of this story, it was simply beautiful. He offered Max support and essentially unconditional love to a person who had never been supported or loved in his life. Even with the heavy subject matter there is humor and light within this story.

Max starts as an attention seeking person driven by his need for physical affection and getting it in various private sex clubs. (We don’t see any of this first-hand; Max describes it and we see the aftermath in the context of the leaked sex tape). It becomes clear that this is a mask for a deep seated hurt and hides a need for genuine love and affection. Much of the story is driven by the unraveling of Max’s past and his learning to trust in Deryke, Deryke’s love, and feeling worthy of this love. And lots of sex.

The story follows the growth of their relationship for two months on Kala and then when they return to the US. We see Max play hockey again, his relationship w the other players, and how Deryke continues to be by his side, no matter what.

🥹🥹. All the feels; I can’t say enough.

I dropped a star bc I felt that the ending was abrupt. I needed another peek further in the future. I also, personally, wanted closure on what the deal was w Max’s family and why he was treated so differently.

Memorable parts (in no order)
- the various couples on Kala.
- the way Max just instinctively knew how to give Max what he needed, even when was being “bratty”.
- the whole sexual punishment/reward thing - how max needed so much physical touch to feel calm and grounded and how, even from the beginning, Deryke gave it to him.
- seeing Max refuse to eat and spit his food, refusing to shower, curled into a ball and Deryke seeing this and reacting in such a loving and yet firm way.
- the leash and how it grounded Max to be connected to Deryke in public on the island
- Deryke trading to Philly to be near him
- the connection they feel when they have sex
- all the hugs, head holds, hand holding, entwined fingers. The comfort they feel in each other’s presence. How Deryke never once flinched and was only proud to be w Max.
- max finally getting serious therapy

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

All of the stars. ⭐️X♾️

I blubbered. Uncontrollably. Beware of the pain. I’ll be sending my therapy bill for this week to Crea 😭

Anywho, this book was amazing. It can be read as a standalone (it’s how I read it) but I’m now invested and will be backtracking the other books.

Max unfortunately has an unfavorable video leak and gets sent to Kala to hide in exile basically. While there he, understandably, isn’t doing well. Deryke, another hockey player for a different team, recognizes him and decides to keep tabs on him.

Keeping tabs turns into helping Max with basic needs and comfort. That eventually turns into more.

The support and love that radiates from Deryke is palpable. Almost as palpable as the pain felt in Max. Sweet, sweet Max just broke my heart over and over.

This isn’t a hockey book in a traditional sense so if you’re looking for that, just know there’s no actual hockey until near the end.

Max deserves the world and Deryke is the world. I love them both. I will not entertain any bad mouthing of these beautiful men 😭😭

I received a complimentary copy of this book but this is my honest and voluntary review! 🖤

[prarthita · Rating 4 out of 5]

The hurt/comfort in this book is unhealthy and dependency is also on the next level but I still ate it up. The way Deryke took care of Max, (physically, emotionally and mentally) I had an unhealthy liking for it. And the way Max's family was emotionally unavailable throughout his life was so heartbreaking. The things he went through led to his weak mental health and feeling isolated from the world it was so painful to witness. I loved this and I will surely continue reading the other books in this series.

[Romantically Inclined Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had a lot of things I really, really love, but man I kept not wanting to keep reading. I don't know what it was. Maybe it was the fact that almost everyone had a really weird name/name spelling.

Definitely had really hot moments. I just couldn't connect with the characters.

[Rombutan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes love can’t fix everything. Sometimes you need to seek professional help.

[VicReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the last book we learned all about Max's escapades and tnat something major blew up in his life. This book is his and the followup. 


Max has always been a wild child, in the spotlight and never in a good way. Something major happens tonhim that should havd never happened and now he has to lay low to save his career. He goes back to Kala Island. Honestly i knew it wasnt going to be a good idea to send him thsre by himself. Hes his own worst rnemh and being there himself caused nothing but for him to get in his head even more. Depression, anxiety, loneliness and so much more only seemed to het worse for him. My heart truly broke for him do many times while ready this. 


Deryke senses something in Max and just cant seem to leave him alone. Hes able to see the real him. Deryke never thiught he would be attracted to a man but something about Max draws him in. 


Through their journey together they come to heal, experience new things and find love.

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

4-4.5 stars, rounded. I’m kinda indecisive on my rating, but it’s anywhere between 4 and 4.5 stars. This might be Crea’s best book since Shiver, and it honestly surpassed even that, especially with the characters. A couple problems I’ve had with this author’s books before was the lack of descriptive writing plus mediocre characters. This book solved those issues, fortunately.

Max was honestly very tragic, insecure, and far more complex than I expected. His self degradation was heartbreaking because none of it was truly his fault. He was dealt a shitty childhood surrounded by horrible people, and it was hard for him to cope. I loved seeing his slow progression into finding himself after meeting Deryke. Speaking of that man…wow. He was a perfect hero in my opinion. Imagine being that understanding, open-minded, and so dependable—he hit all of those traits with ease. The way he treated Max was so bloody endearing and full of love, so much so that I could genuinely feel the adoration coming off the page. He was steadfast and loyal throughout the book, and I admired him as a character. This couple was very entertaining to read for various reasons: I loved the angst, the reassurance, the passion. I just really liked this book.

So why exactly am I unsure about my exact rating? It’s mainly because the story was significantly stronger before the hockey season started again. I felt as if the writing was better during that portion of the book too. Once pre-season began, it wasn’t as enjoyable as the previous chapters. The love between them, while still great, wasn’t giving me the same vibes, which was understandable in its own way. Also, some of Max’s issues felt as if they weren’t elaborated on enough. The last chapter described why this was the case, but I wished there was further explanation and confrontation about all the shit that hurt him. Time also seemed to fly way faster near the end of the book. We zoomed through a few months within a few chapters, and there was the classic case of telling over showing (less prevalent than previous books, thankfully). Additionally, the side characters weren’t all that interesting to me.

Regardless, I’m glad I found another book by this author that I actually liked. I was afraid I wouldn’t, but this was damn good.

[Andi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Trying this one again...we will see. Restarting January 23, 2025




Original thought:

DNF.

Got to page 78. I think it is definitely my mood and not the book. Will try again soon.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

God I loved them so much 🥹🥹

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There’s a lot that never gets resolved, it drowns in the small stuff, and yet it’s a unique story in Deryke never faltered and goes that extra mile for Max consistently.

From this point forward spoilers 🚨🚨🚨🚨


Deryke is solid, friendly, socially at ease. In previous encounters Max appears to be a devil may care, reckless, party boy; here we have a broken, depressed, nearly suicidal, anxiety stricken Max who’s deeply traumatized.
Deryke is drawn to Max and miraculously adapts the everything Max throws out. By the end Max still isn’t diagnosed, doesn’t want closure with his family, has no contact with Deryke’s family, but at least has some true friends

It may be a me thing, the way to much of this series feels exploitative without redemption. In Shiver, it’s Rake’s callous behavior, in Lucky Shot it’s avoidance of addressing Noah’s anxiety, in The Crease it’s never resolving Max’s abandonment. It’s well & good to find a partner who no grounds you or gives you a sense of peace but it’s a disservice to create characters with complex mental health issues and then just step away and let it ride.


I’m about to surrender this series, it’s getting less satisfying as series continues. I’m not a fan of jumping thru hoops and needing a subscription to get additional content

[Book Addict · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know how I feel about this. It's somewhere between a 2-3 star as the past books in this series have been for me. I'm not sure if it's the writing, the characters- their compatibility and growth, or the storyline in general. I finished it just to finish it. 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Elise H · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5⭐️

A really fucked up start of a relationship, not healthy at all; or even logical…

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

“𝑴𝒊𝒏𝒆, 𝑴𝒂𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒖𝒔 𝑳𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒎. 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒇**𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆. 𝑫𝒐. 𝒀𝒐𝒖. 𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅?”
𝑴𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒅𝒊𝒈 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒏𝒐𝒅. “𝒀𝒆𝒔,” 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒍𝒚.
“𝑻𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒎𝒆.”
“𝑰’𝒎 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔,” 𝑰 𝒔𝒂𝒚. “𝑰 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝒀𝒐𝒖. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒎𝒆, 𝑫𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒌𝒆.”

I am OBSESSED with these two!!

I swear, I'm not ready to ever let Max and Deryke go. I could read about their everyday lives forever and never get bored 😆 (Can we have more, please, Crea 😆🙏)

The co-dependency 🫠🥹❤️‍🔥 The spice, the good boy's, the love, the adoration and obsession between them 🥵🫠🥹 And the way Deryke builds Max back up when he's utterly broken is just so beautiful and swoon-worthy. I'm absolutely obsessed!!

Hockey star Max has featured in previous books in the series, and he's the wild child. Uninhibited, reckless, a true party boy... but that's not the real Max Latham. In fact, even he's not sure who he is.

When a video leaks of Max in a compromising position (a video that shouldn't have ever existed, but it ultimately led to Max & Deryke, so I'm glad it does 😆), Max is exiled to the Kala islands, a group of LGBTQ+ islands, where it's straight people who are accepted. It is a true gay paradise, where technology is prohibited, and Max will be free from scrutiny and cameras.

But Max is broken. Utterly broken, and my heart ached for him 🥺

Hockey goaltender Deryke Schneider visits Kala each year for the anonymity it provides, even though he's straight. It's on his visit during the off-season that he sees Max Latham looking a shadow of his former self and grows concerned for him.

For some reason, Deryke was drawn to take care of Max, even when he fought against him.

Deryke literally feeds and washes Max, who's almost catatonic, and as each day passes, Max comes around a little more, although it's his bratty side in control, leading to some sexy punishments from Deryke 🫠❤️‍🔥

“𝑺𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒅, 𝑴𝒂𝒙𝒊𝒎𝒖𝒔. 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒗𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”

As their interactions become sexual, Deryke learns that he's not quite as straight as he thought and completely loses his heart to Max.

“𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒃𝒊𝒏𝒈. 𝑱𝒖𝒔𝒕… 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍,” 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒚𝒔.

Max didn't believe he was deserving or worthy of love. His family treated him horribly, leading to his reckless behaviour and cries for attention. And it took hard work from Deryke to even slightly sway Max of that feeling.

I loved Deryke's patience with Max. He absolutely loves and adores him and was determined to get Max to see his worth.

“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒎𝒆,” 𝑰 𝒑𝒂𝒏𝒕.
“𝑾𝒉𝒚?”
“𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕—𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂 𝒇**𝒌𝒖𝒑, 𝑫𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒌𝒆.”
“𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈. 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒅𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒉*𝒕 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅, 𝑴𝒂𝒙, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇... 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑴𝒂𝒙, 𝑰 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅.
“𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒔𝒐 𝒇**𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒘𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉. 𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏. 𝑨𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔𝒆𝒍𝒇.
“𝑴𝒂𝒙, 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒘𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒔, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒅𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒎𝒐𝒊𝒍. 𝑰𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅, 𝒊𝒇 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒕, 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖.”

The co-dependency of their relationship, how Deryke would literally carry Max around, or lead him by his belt around his neck, how Max craved to be Deryke's good boy... all of it is my kryptonite; it makes me utterly melt and is SO hot 🫠🔥

Do yourself a favour and read or listen to this book (I did both!) You definitely won't regret it 😍🥹🫠

“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆, 𝑴𝒂𝒙,” 𝑰 𝒕𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕. “𝒀𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒔𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒘. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒎𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒕. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒆 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒇**𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒐𝒖𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝒎𝒆. 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒐 𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒑 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍-𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚. 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒅𝒅𝒂𝒎𝒏 𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒍𝒆𝒚 𝑪𝒖𝒑 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒕 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑴𝒂𝒙? 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒈𝒐.”

[Ay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet intense romance with some lazy plotting. Also one of the MCs is extremely mentally unwell and
readers may not appreciate that proper help is not obtained for him when it should have been. As a reader with a bit of a family history like Max's, I can add that the author's decision not to provide any reason for his family's treatment of him, or an explanation for Max is a bad idea. It can be part of the recovery from that sort of past, accepting that it is not Max's fault.

I wish Reitan would do more to think through her plot elements. Not just "so, this person is just....bad? and ...."

[Natalie H · Rating 3 out of 5]

March 2025
Kindle edition

Read for a group challenge week 8. Damn this one was touch. Max had a lot of shit to work through. That was one awful family, glad they didn't crop up. Felt sorry for Max getting outed in what was supposed to be a safe space. I'm surprised none of the friends picked up on who he was. Guess they had no interest in gossip. The friends were nice. I liked that Deryke never let him go.

[Bex ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars. These guys are sole mates, I don’t really have much more to add apart from the fact these two have my heart!!
If the bonus scene in the authors website was in the book it would easily be a 5 star read.

[Amani · Rating 3 out of 5]

always a sucker for a hurt x comfort story but this one was just…a lot. i don’t think i was in the right space to give the emotional energy it needed. might’ve been a 4 star if i read it at another time but for now, it was just okay.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Max and Deryk might be my favorite couple so far in this series, they were so precious and perfect for each other 💗 The fact that Max was treated so horribly by his own family was so sad to hear about it 😭 Glad to hear that Max had friends holding his back 😀

[Caroline Forrester · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️

[Yanadeyaert · Rating 5 out of 5]

obsessed with Deryke and Max!! this one is a true hurt/comfort book and I ate it up!!

[Kari Lake · Rating 5 out of 5]

I swear, Crea puts some kind of magic in her books. Max and Deryk...😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️.