Wet

by Riley Nash

When a retired pro swimmer and his arrogant, reckless rival are forced to take a trip together, things get wet in every sense of the word.

​Contains enemies to lovers, forced proximity, hurt/comfort, bi awakening, an age gap, and humiliation/praise kink.

Available exclusively on the author's website. Previously published as part of the Anti-Valentine novella, contains an all new bonus scene.

Spinoff of book 4 from the series, Water, Air, Earth, Fire.

Genres: M M Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Novella, Sports, Sports Romance, LGBT, Romance

ebook

Published February 2, 2024

About the author

International bestselling author Riley Nash (he/they) is based in the rainy PNW and writes stories about broken boys who find home in each other, hurt/comfort, and mental health rep.

Reviews

[Mug · Rating 4 out of 5]

darius is a WHIMPERER okay….nuff said

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish this was a whole book and not just a novella.

[dj&books · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow, this was cute af! i loved it 😭

[Celine Ong]

petition for this to be a full novel !!

[Miki_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a SLAY novella tbh

I'm not even someone who loved hold me under and it's sequel (I haven't read the other 2 yet) but I ate this the fuck up.

[Colleen (colleenreads40) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wet is a standalone novella, but it does have ties to the Water, Air, Earth, Fire series (I haven't read these yet and ran into no issues). Wet is a MM enemies to lovers novella with a guaranteed happily ever after. It was originally published as part of the Anti-Valentine novella, and is now available on the author's website with a bonus scene. It's told from a dual first person point of view. You can expect forced proximity, hurt/comfort, a bi-awakening, an age gap, and a humiliation/praise kink.

This was such a beautiful and unique novella and just reminds me that I need to read more Riley Nash stories! This story almost had a dark edge to it with the hurt/comfort coming out to play. Darius and Tate both had more going on underneath the surface than they let the public and those around them see. The submission and humiliation/praise kink in this book was just incredibly fascinating and well done. I loved watching the push and pull as these two found their footing with each other as well as took what they needed. Although watching Darius fight against his inexplicable draw towards Tate, the shift in his demeanor when Tate settled him was everything. And the spice in this book was just refreshingly on point.

If you're looking for something short with an edge of hurt/comfort, look no further!

All I can think about is getting his hands on me again. How I’d crawl if it meant he’d fuck me. How I might crawl anyway, because it felt so good.

[Alexis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when it came out in the anti valentine collection of short stories and now I am just patiently waiting for a full length book PLEASE 😭

[Ellie ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riley Nash really makes me love all the swimmers! It was a cute story. Very intense and touching but with a beautiful happy ending. Dare reminds me a lot of Victor (who has a cameo in this book!!) and I have a thing for broken boys so I instantly loved him and felt protective of him. Tate was perfect for him and vice versa. These boys truly deserve a full-length novel, just saying!

[Chloe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wet by Riley Nash

💙 Enemies to Lovers
💙 Forced Proximity
💙 Bi-Awakening
💙 Hurt/Comfort
💙 Age Gap
💙 Novella
🔥 Humiliation Kink, Praise Kink, Shower S*x

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Humour: 🤭🤭
Intimacy: 🫂🫂🫂🫂
Angst: 🥺🥺

First person dual pov 👀

Content Warnings
On page: alcohol abuse, minor self harming behaviour, mild internalised homophobia, symptoms of depression, medical content
Mentioned: injury, homophobia

[Krissreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

5/5⭐️ 2/5🌶️

——• 🖤

A cute little novella that was sweet and straight to the point!


This book is to be read after the “Water, Air, Earth, Fire” series as Tate is mentioned throughout book 4 🙃

[areadsbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

excuuuuuse me. i fcking loved this and now fully feral to read riley’s water, air, earth and fire series bc wtf was that! this was so good. perfect little novella <3

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

He tastes warm and sweet and strong and I’ve just been ruined, robbed of the ability to settle for anything less than this.

Really hot novella that started off a little uneven as their first encounter felt a little too forced, but finished strong. I could definitely get on board with more bonus scenes of Tate and Darius 😈 I love a good degradation kink.

[Jess Shades · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was absolutely obsessed with both Tate and Dare!! I am really hoping they get a full length novel eventually. And to be able to get more crumbs of my sweet, snarky, baby Victor was everything!!!! I need more!

[prerana · Rating 4 out of 5]

wait no i’m so sad, i wish they had a whole book and not just a novella

lowk shocked this is by the same author who wrote hold me under bc why is this so much better and in like a fifth of the pages… GIMME THE FULL BOOK I WANNA SEE THEM HAPPY

the angst, the smut, the love…the way tate comforted him, i wanna see them be soft, i just want them, they’re so cute and adorable and i just hope tate kept darius forever 🫶

[Lb [worlds longest slump] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humiliation kink go brrrrrr

Short and spicy 👏🏼

[Jordan Fischer | julietfoxreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

OMG y'all, this little novella is SPICY! Riley Nash is one of my FAVORITE authors, so I've been working through their backlist. Wet was one of the few books by them that I haven't read. It's set in the same world as the Water, Air, Earth, Fire books, and tells the story of two swimmers. Tate was forced into retirement when he got too slow for his team, and Dare is his younger replacement. Though they haven't really met in person, they have a contentious online relationship. Things come to a head when Tate is forced to drive Dare to a swim meet - and he finds out that he's injured his shoulder. The two men dance around their attraction to each other (Dare is very closeted) for a while. However, when Dare's shoulder injury gets worse during his race, he ends up finding comfort he's never found anywhere else with this man he claims to hate.

I read this in an afternoon, and I loved jumping back into Riley's spectacular writing. It was also fun getting to see the characters from Lang Aquatic Center again! If you, like me, are craving more Riley - you need to check this out. Wet is only available on Riley's website, but it's definitely worth buying.

[Lauri MissDysfunktion · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wet is a short novella from the Anti-Valentine anthology, which I thankfully have on my kindle to devour these shorts.

This! this is the kinda vibes I need! Why is there no more of this? Can we have more please?!

I was literally hooked within the first chapter and I wanted more. The tension is perfection. But I loved their back and forth chemistry. I absolutely want a full length of this, please!

[Annabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella is exactly why Riley Nash has become one of my favorite authors this year. I loved it so much!!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

perfection in novella form

[Booked.on.a.feelin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novella is exactly why I needed to keep me on track with the tandem read of Tower of dawn and Empire of Storms! It was spicy enough and short to give me that jolt of energy to continue.

Tate a newly retired swimmer, goes back to teaching swim lessons, he also has a degree in physical therapy. He was replaced on his relay team but his biggest rival Darius (dare2believe). When Darius is injured he asks the team if they need him to come back. To much delay they say no they are going to pull the relay from the meet. However his former coach asks if he will help him out and they road trip from Seattle to Vancouver for the meet.

On the way there the tension between Tate and Dare are hugh. Tate comments on dad’s dive and how inconsistent they are and if he doesn’t believe him to record them and they can go over it. He does but he also includes one of his other videos for a former girlfriend honestly to get a rise out of Tate. This increases the hostility between them which turns into humiliation play.

The meet continues, unfortunately Dare injured his shoulder more and needed to go the hospital. Tate was right there by his side because the dynamic between them changed. Tate is his supporter. As they get back to Seattle Tate realizes this is what he needs and kolas Tate in a kiss and they continue to work together and develop their relationship.

[Betty Loves Books Galore · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a rivals to more sports romance, featuring Tate and Darius, and is a standalone novella. I purchased this directly from Riley’s website.

Tate and Darius have been rivals in the pool for a while until Darius takes Tate’s place on the relay swim team. Not long after this, Tate ends up having to take Darius to a competition, and it all unfolds as their attraction to each other is undeniable.

This is pretty low angst and the dominance and power play is quite interesting, they have amazing chemistry. It doesn’t take much for Darius to become putty in Tate’s hands. I really liked seeing Darius finally have someone in his life that cared for him too.

This book is linked to the Water, Air, Earth, Fire Series, which is brilliant- must read!

Things to expect in this MM romance are:
Rivals to more
Professional swimmers
Reviewing video performance 🤣
Denying one’s true self
Submission
Humiliation/Praise kink
Hurt/Comfort
Little bit of spice
HEA

[Kiki Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wet is an expanded version of the story that appeared in the Anti-Valentine anthology. As you might have guessed, this veers more on the dark, angsty side - and what a ride it was!
Take one recently retired pro swimmer, throw in the upstart NCAA champion who broke all his records, stir in antagonism, one-upmanship, and UST. It’s hate at first, second, and third sight.
Set in the Water, Earth, Air, Fire universe, Tate works at the Lang Aquatic Center. He’s asked to escort/babysit rehabbing Darius “Dare” Matthews to an upcoming meet. Never mind Dare is the hotshot newbie who took his spot on the relay and just totally slagged him off in an interview. When his boss, Victor Lang, asks for a favor, you don’t say no.
After a disastrous performance reaggravates Dare’s injury, Tate sees there’s more to Dare than his cocky facade.
I didn’t realize I had a humiliation kink. (Don’t judge.) Together Tate and Dare are raw and hot. It’s wrong. But also all kinds of right. I loved this beautiful disaster and how he begged Tate to give him what he needed.
Wet has everything I love about Riley’s writing - broken boys fighting through their pain to be together. I wonder if Riley was a swimmer because he writes so vividly about the camaraderie, competition, the joy of relays, and love/hate relationship with water.
I loved the push and pull of Tate and Dare’s relationship. The bonus scene was wonderful, and I’d happily read more about these fascinating, complicated men. Another absolutely compelling read. Definitely add to your TBR.

[Lia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rereading this beautiful novella ☺️

Tate is retiring from swimming, and he’s watching the young athlete who replaced him on the team with a toxic mix of frustration, jealousy, and… curiosity.
Darius might share a name with a magnificent Persian king of old, but he’s nothing more than an arrogant brat who loves trashing Tate both on- and offline because he feels insecure in Tate’s presence. Only Tate sees right through Darius’s bullshit and knows immediately that this boasting kid is actually vulnerable and lonely. Tate keeps pushing him—not to watch him fall apart and crumble, but to help him break out of his walls and discover what he truly wants in life. What he wants, not his family or his coaches. And that’s exactly why Tate is perfect for Darius.

Their interactions felt organic and made perfect sense. I expected heavy angst when I saw “humiliation” in the synopsis, but Riley approached it from a fresher, subtler angle, and I was thrilled because both characters already had enough on their plates.

This novella is sweet and carries the quiet promise that two more people have found their happiness in each other’s arms. And the first kiss between Dare and Tate is still one of my favourites among MM books 😍

[ꫝye-jeenu꠹ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story and writing are really FANTASTIC!!
I WANT MORE OF THEM!! I Hope they get their Full-Length Novel <3
Wanna know their pasts, starting of their feud.... completely about them.
From starting to ending it got me hooked up!!
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POV: Dual (Tate,Darius)
Spice:4.5/5
HEA: Yes
Bonus scene: Yes (its really cute and hot)
Fav quotes:

I’ve created a monster.

I close my eyes and relax my head on the pillow, my nose in his hair and his soft skin moving a little under my hands. I grin to myself when he does the sixties twice without realizing it, pauses, then jumps all the way back to eighty-seven, voice so slurred I can barely understand it. Just before he drops off, he hooks one foot back around my leg, spreading his toes against my calf like he’s trying to make sure I’ll never leave.

"You know me, Tate. I’m a very busy boyfriend. Things to see, people to do." He sticks his tongue out playfully, daring me to put him in line.

--------------------------
100% recommended

[caffeinated.crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

SO GOOD, but too short. There's just never enough time with Riley's characters. But he's the king, he makes the rules.

Wet is a devestating look into the lives of Tate and Darius.

Tate is a retired relay swimmer. But he aged out. He never wanted to be the best. He was happy to be part of the team. But he's replaced by the hot shot, young and stupidly hot Darius "Dare" Matthews. He's cocky and a serious ass. They have Twitter fights and talk trash about each other.

Tate works at Victor's swim club. Darius hurts his shoulder and is being helped by Alek *Victor's club co-owner*. It's not a surprise when Tate and Darius' paths cross.

What follows is Tate seeing who Darius is and Darius submitting to what he's always known.

There's some humiliation kink and "little disaster" and crawling. Yeah, it's a thing.

Darius. Someone give him a hug and help him! At different points in the story my heart was breaking for both of these guys. And also, for the record, the relay team guys are complete assholes. Just saying.

This story was great, I just wish we had more time with them.

[Daje1968 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just putting this here to remind myself I read it. It’s not bad, pretty forgettable. I thought Darius was too big of a dick to be a likable MC but I got over it. Mild D/s, fun humiliation kink.

I am such a NYer though, I spend these books wondering how the hell these people are making money as “professional swimmers”? I assume there are a handful of very accomplished, like gold medalist, swimmers who can maybe live off of sponsorships, but who is paying these guys to swim? It bothers me more than it should.

[Emily Bierman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omg I need more Darius & Tate! A quick novella within the Anti-Valentine Anthology and part of Riley Nash's Water, Air, Earth, Fire series. Darius aka Dare is the young hotshot swimmer who's taken over Tate's relay spot on the Swim Team. But when Tate is forced to road trip w/ injured Darius to the next meet, they realize maybe they don't hate each after all. This is a yummy enemies to lovers, one bed, sports romance with a touch of humiliation/praise kink.

[Carly Molinar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Veteran relay swimmer Tate & hotshot newcomer Dare share nothing but contention and online barbs, which only get worse when Dare takes Tate’s place on the team, sending him into early retirement. When fate throws them together, without a screen to hide behind, they learn they both are more than what meets the eye. Hurt/Comfort, closeted/in denial MC, D/s dynamics. Pet names and degradation. Ties into the Water, Air, Earth, Fire Series.

[Sara Husser · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading the Water, Air, Earth, Fire series, I knew I had to get Tate's short story. This was a short but spicy story about Tate and his younger enemy/rival Darius. I loved their animosity and the sexual chemistry they had 🥵🔥🔥🔥. Def some good kinks in this as well. Glad to see them both get their HEA.

[Cleo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty sure I’ve never and probably will never read degradation kink like this. It was absolutely brilliant but I think it needed to be a lot longer. The transition into them being together felt a little fast and jarring. I literally don’t care though because it was so good but still. Give me 200 more pages of it, thanks.