The Revenge Game

The Revenge Club #1

by Jax Calder

Andrew
I’ve come a long way since being the gawky, geeky, gay kid who was constantly picked on growing up. Having just sold my tech start-up for so much money it broke my phone calculator, I’m now at a loose end wondering what to do next in my life.
Then I run into Justin. Justin, the golden boy from high school. Justin, the popular jock who turned my life into a living hell for four years.

And do you want to know the kicker? He doesn’t even recognize me.

Even worse, it looks like karma hasn’t done its thing because Justin definitely doesn’t seem to have been punished for his previous sins.

Maybe my next mission in life is to give karma a helping hand…

Justin
My life looks perfect from the outside – good job, good friends, no worries. Only I know it is all based on a lie. I’ve never been honest with anyone about my sexuality.

Then I meet the new IT guy at work who has just moved into my apartment building too. Given I seem to be having an extraordinary run of bad luck with technology at the moment—like having my email randomly decide to spam the entire company with images of trolls in intimate embraces —Drew’s been a lifesaver. And the more I get to know Drew, the more I want to confess my secret in the hope we can become something more.

But I can’t help the niggling feeling Drew is hiding something from me…

The Revenge Game is a laugh-out-loud journey through misadventures in revenge and the unexpected twists of fate. It’s where old grudges spark new attractions, where secrets unravel, and where two men learn all about redemption and love.

Genres: Romance, M M Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary, LGBT, Contemporary Romance, Queer

452 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 11, 2025

About the author

Jax's stories are all about light-hearted conversations and deeply-felt connections. She loves exploring exactly why two characters are the only ones who’ll make the other truly happy, and the journey they take to reach their happily-ever-after.

Jax lives in New Zealand and is a rabid sports fan, a hiking enthusiast and has a slightly unhealthy addiction to nature documentaries. As an extrovert who spends way too much time in her own head, she loves to connect with readers. To read her exclusive novella Being Set Up, sign up to her newsletter: https://jaxcalder.com/newsletter-sign.... You can also join her Facebook group Jax's Crew (www.facebook.com/groups/jaxcaldercrew) for bonus stories plus exclusive excerpts from her upcoming books.

Reviews

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me?! 5 starring a contemporary romance?!
Who is sheeeeeeeeee??!


BUT LIKE, HEAR ME OUT, JUSTINNNNNN IS JUST A LIL DARLING BABY BOI DEALING WITH HIS FIRST BIG BOI CRUSH AFTER KEEPING HIMSELF IN THE CLOSET FOR HIS WHOLE LIFE 🥹🥹🥹

And Andrew, a bullied lil baby his whole life, who plots and plans revenge on his child hood bully, who’s forgotten him but they accidentally fall in love n kiss instead 🤭

AND I WAS INTO IT. HOT DIGGITY DAMN.

I really resonated with Andrew at, because I reckon my childhood bully would have no idea who I am today, and so I felt his pain on a soul deep level, and even as an adult, we carry around those stupid teenager pains and experiences, MEANWHILE those people probably have no idea that they fucked us up this deeply??? SO I WAS TEAM ANDREW......... Until I realised Justin was just a baby, and he now has my undivided loyalty forever n eva.

I understand how people can say this book is too long, but to be 100% honest, I was luxuriating in their development???

I was eating up their banter.

I was swooning in the wake of their cats taking over the world jokes.

I was laying around lavishly in each of their domestically blissful moments.

AND BOY DID THEY NAIL THAT DOMESTIC BLISSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

Every interactions between just built this homey picture that felt very authentic and realistic (even considering the whack reasons they met and etc). I think the fact they actually have a great mix of conversations and growth on page, AS WELL AS a nice amount of recollecting moments of like "we chatted the night away" and "oh like that time we did this" IS SO CRUCIAL TO GREAT CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT for me, and where authors ultimately fail a lot for me too.
I can't stand when the intimacy is expressed through recollections and memories instead of letting us live in that fucking moment with the characters we enjoy. Like bro? HOW AM I MEANT TO EXPERIENCE AND FEEL THIS IF YOU DIDN'T EVEN INVITE ME TO BE THERE IN THE SPECIAL MOMENT??? (as the reader)
I HATE too much recall, instead of just showing us the beautiful moments, but this book didn't let me down on that front.


AND YES I STILL WANTED TO PUNCH ANDREW FOR LIKE 40% OF THE END, I WANTED TO SHAKE THE FUCK OUT OF THAT LIL PEANUT OF A BRAIN AND MAKE HIM OWN UP TO HIS LIFE CHOICES AND SAY SORRY AND COME CLEAN AND WALK THROUGH GLASS FOR JUSTIN…

But I was satisfied with how it resolved. 😇😇😇
I just felt happy reading this.
I was along for the ride. I was just happy to be hanging out with my boys tbh.

If you told me i'd love this as much as I did, I'd have laughed (internally), because contemporary romance is generally the most lack lustre genre for me, but the world has got me in a lack lustre mood and I WILL STAN JUSTIN BB FOREVER.

[Snjez · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This story was such a great mix of entertaining and emotional moments. What I loved the most about it is that it gave me what I find is missing from so many romance books – an actual character and relationship development.

I don't even believe in a relationship between bully and victim, and even less in a relationship based on a lie, but there are so many layers to Andrew and Justin that I loved learning more about them and watching their relationship slowly and naturally transform throughout the story.

Even though learning about Andrew's high school experience made me angry, I'm glad that the revenge part of the story didn't last long. It was definitely funny, but the way Andrew started doing all those kind things for Justin without him knowing was so adorable. And so was their friendship, the tentative romance, Justin's cooking, the cats and exploring London together.

Honestly, if they had been just colleagues from work - without the shared history, the pretending and grand gestures that always make me cringe, this would have been the most perfect romance for me. It did bother me that Andrew's lying lasted as long as it did, but obviously there wouldn't have been a story otherwise.

I'm still rounding up my rating because of how much I enjoyed this story and all its characters, and how much it made me feel.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh I loved this book so much! I couldn't put it down.

The mocking of British culture was hilarious and so completely accurate - the whole bit about everyone rushing outside to a patch of grass as soon as the sun comes out was so real, but can you really blame us when we only get a few good days of weather a year? If you miss it then it can be a bloody long time before you feel the sun again 😂

The Wimbledon scene had me giggling but the mention of Pimm's gave me awful flashbacks - no drink should have chunks of fruit and veg in it, it's like drinking alcoholic vomit and I will die on that hill!!! Also what was with the Marmite hate?!? Mortally offended, it's the only acceptable toast topping!

Honestly there were so many cultural references that just made me laugh so hard, I'd give an extra star if I could for how entertaining I found it!

There's also a lot of emotional moments that triggered my tear ducts. I really liked the message that you never know what someone else is going through. Justin and Drew have both survived incredibly traumatic and mentally damaging experiences but this journey sees them coming to terms with everything and finding true love along the way.

There were times when I was shouting 'Noooooo, what are you doing???' when Drew was on his revenge mission, and the reveal of his true identity and the repercussions broke my damn heart.

My favourite part of the story though was the relationship building. We get to see so much of who these characters are, as well as seeing them learning about each other and building their relationship from bully and victim to colleagues to friends to lovers. There are so many layers to the ties between these two and I could happily read more about them.

I can't wait for Leo's story - the little hints we got through this book have me so intrigued!

*****
I received an ARC of this book from Neon Rainbow, and this is my honest review

[Lau ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

What would happen if you meet the kid who made your high school years a nightmare and you have the power to make their life a living hell?


After selling his software for a lot of money, Andrew arrives in London with no clue about how to bring some meaning to his life and find a job that he actually enjoys. What he finds is his high school bully, Justin. Andrew has fantasized about this moment for so long: showing Justin how far he has reached and letting him beg for forgiveness. But that’s far from the reality: Justin doesn’t even recognize him.


Angry and frustrated, Andrew decides to spend his money and time crafting the best revenge game to deliver the karma Justin deserves. Only that, the more he gets to know Justin, the harder it is to remember why he’s doing this in the first place.


As you can imagine from the blurb, The Revenge Game is a fun and light mm romance with some ridiculous scenes that aren't meant to be taken seriously. I often struggle with that, but I actually didn’t mind this time. I think Andrew was immature enough to do a revenge game at the age of twenty-seven, but mature enough to realize that sometimes he was taking things too far and fixed the problems before they escalated. He was also aware that he liked Justin, so he had mixed feelings about what he should do instead of the unrealistic hatred you often see in these kinds of scenarios.


The most interesting part of this book for me was the discussion of morality shown in Andrew’s POV. The anger he felt moved him to get closure in the form of revenge, but he was also aware he would just become a bully like Justin was. Another thing I like was Justin’s reaction when he finally realized Andrew was the guy he used to torment in high school.


Justin’s character ARC was great. He isn’t even out at the beginning of the book because the homophobia he experienced from his stepfather made him feel he would lose everything if he came out. In fact, he doesn’t even have friends because he doesn’t want to lie to people when they ask about his dating life (which is zero) and try to set him on dates with women, but he also isn’t ready to tell them the truth. It shows how seeing someone out and proud (Andrew, in this case) can really set a precedent in other queer people who are afraid of the consequences of being themselves.


To be honest, I requested this one because I’ve been reading/rereading novellas by the author, Jax Calder, and really enjoying them, so I decided to give her full novels another try. While I loved other novels by her (the YA ones, especially Attractive Forces), I didn’t finish her most famous book, The Unlikely Heir, because I was bored to tears. I had a similar experience with certain parts of The Revenge Game. While I found it more entertaining, it was way too long for me. According to goodreads, this is 450 pages. I sound like a broken record but I really don’t think we need romances to be that long (but I’m also aware that I used to LOVE long romances, so maybe that’s me getting old and wanting to get to the point).


I was dreading the moment Justin realized who Andrew was. I was hoping it was going to be before the third act break up, but I knew it was going to be very unlikely taking into account this is 450 pages and, once they fixed that lie, it was basically going to be over. I ended up liking how the author executed this more than I thought I was going to, but I would still have preferred it to be earlier on the book (and the book to be shorter).


Overall, this was cute but I think I just prefer the pacing of her shorter work (novellas and YA novels). So, if you enjoyed The Unlikely Heir, you’re probably going to enjoy this one way more than I did. I found this one a bit more entertaining and I liked how the author executed the idea presented in the blurb, because it ended up being more a strangers to friends to lovers than an enemies to lovers.


I kindly received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Revenge Club features:

- a geeky tech millio(billio?)naire;
- a former jock turned sports equipment salesman;
- two judgmental cats;
- one very large dog;
- dreary London weather;
- M&Ms (the brown ones suck apparently);
- the best chili in Texas (outside of Texas);
- smokin' hot kisses; and
- a perfectly calibrated HEA.

Um, I hate to be that guy, but:

- This book was far too long at almost 500 pages - a bit boring and unfocused tbh.

- The whole "revenge" plot was silly and unbelievable. Drew purchased multiple companies in a matter of weeks to set his dastardly plan in motion. Yeah, sure he did, never mind the contracts, liabilities, financial/privacy regulations, and international tax laws.

- Also, who actually plots revenge besides King Lear? This bizarre capacity to hold grudges felt like a massive character flaw. You know, like in King Lear where everyone dies at the end.

- The MCs didn't feel particularly American, more like actors playing an American on TV. Dunno. It all felt a bit scripted to me, and the America vs. UK thing was just this side of eye-roll inducing. Language and culture evolve when countries are physically and logically separated for some 250 years. It's not bad or good or particularly funny. It just is.

- I'm 100% over stories about rich people who can spend 75K at an auction without blinking an eye. How utterly quaint and also disgusting considering some 700 million humans are at this very moment living in extreme poverty, surviving on $2/day. NO MORE, PLZ & TY.

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

sorry for screaming, but i had to get it off my chest.
OH MY FUCKING GOD
THIS IS SO FUCKING AMAZING
jax always manages to transform me into a rabid squirrel.
if you’ve ever seen me say that revenge is petty and you need to leave your high school issues in the past, you’re confusing me with someone else. i’ve never said that shit.
or maybe i did, call me a hypocrite. i don’t give a fuck.

the only fuck i give is about jax calder and her AMAZING books.

i love you jax <3

[Meags · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

This turned into a really lovely, worthwhile read for me, despite the fact that I don’t usually like bully romances and the whole revenge theme of this series is generally disagreeable to me and my personal tastes.

The saving grace comes in the form of Calder’s strong writing and rich character development. Even though I was put out by MC Andrew’s methods of “revenge” against his once high school tormentor Justin, I still thought the way both character’s backstory was explored, as well as their real time personal growth, was remarkably complex and emotionally tangible, making normally avoidable themes and character archetypes much more relatable, and in this case, very lovable.

I think it helped a lot that I just really adored Justin's character. He may have behaved in a problematic way in his youth (reasons explored keenly within) but in his present state I just wanted to bundle the guy up and shelter him from all the bad in the world. He was a pure and sweet MC, with a bit of a golden retriever nature. And the way he quickly fell for Andrew, was really heartwarming to witness.

Andrew was a good guy too, despite his initial choices to seek revenge against one of his perceived childhood bullies. The deception weighed heavily on my overall experience, because it carried on until well past the point the two men were heavily involved in a romantic relationship, but I also completely understood and felt for Andrew’s dilemma, particularly in the way his viewpoint slowly shifted and how his new connection to adult-Justin did wonders to heal his past hurts.

Truthfully, this probably had no right being 450 pages long—because I personally don’t feel like any contemporary romance needs to be so robust—but despite the slight-slog, and the personally troublesome themes (bullying, revenge and ongoing deception), there were so many moments in this one that warmed my heart, teared me up, and definitely left me smiling when all was said and done, that I have very little in the way of regrets, which is a huge win in my book.

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I was getting a fun enemies-to-lovers story. Instead, I got emotional damage, cat conspiracy theories, and two boys learning how to heal. It’s tender, messy, and full of heart - and I loved it.

In her latest newsletter, the author shared that she wrote this book while parenting her child through school bullying - something that also resurfaced her own experiences with it. And honestly, that care, that depth? It shows. The way bullying was portrayed here was sensitive but unflinching; heartbreaking without being dramatised, raw without being hopeless. What Andrew went through is shown with the gravity it deserves, and the long-term consequences aren’t glossed over either. I really appreciated that.

What stood out just as much, though, was how Justin was written. Yes, he has a past. Yes, he hurt someone. But this story doesn’t just write him off, but explores his shame, his regret, and his drive to be better and do better. It explains what he did, without ever excusing it. And that nuance was very well done indeed.

And to be fair, Andrew’s revenge plan wasn’t exactly innocent either, so that helped keep the emotional scales from tipping too far in one direction 😅

Their reluctant friendship-turned-something-more was so beautifully done: slow, tender, and so emotionally charged. The shy crushing, the lingering glances, those first hesitant touches as well as their sexual exploration made me feel all the tingles 🥰

Also: there were two awesome cats. I’m a simple woman. Give me emotionally complex men and some quality feline content, and I’m yours. 😻

That said, it did drag a little in the middle, and it got uncomfortable watching Drew keep the lie going for as long as he did. When the reveal finally came, it hurt. I genuinely wouldn’t have blamed Justin if he hadn’t been able to forgive the deception. But THANK GOD he did because these two are just perfect for each other.

All in all, the book struck a really lovely balance between emotional depth and humour - the witty banter in this was so good - and that epilogue was everything. Can’t wait to see what Leo’s story is gonna be in the next book of the series ☺️


Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this lovely ARC!

[Morwen · Rating 3 out of 5]

5 Things about my experience with this
👍🏻 Depth of themes (toxicity and acceptance)
🧀 A bit too cheesy for my taste
😮‍💨 Why in these books all the friends go through the same exact plots?
🆗 The writing style was nice. The pacing was off.
✂️ Dragged/unnecessarily long

0%-22%
A bit slow to build, setting seemed
a bit too convenient, but OK.

✨ “I would have thought working a crowd would be second nature to you.” I catch myself after the words leave my mouth, but Justin doesn’t seem to find my words suspicious.
“That’s the problem, everyone assumes that.
So when I mess up, it feels ten times worse.” He gives a self-deprecating laugh. “Like I’m failing at being myself.”

23%-52%
Cute and interesting enough.
Went deeper on the long lasting effects of bullying and abuse.

✨ “Uh…do you want to? I mean, we could…?”
Drew stands under the streetlight, the small furrow on his forehead growing deeper as I prove incapable of navigating through a sentence.
Suddenly, the whole world goes dark.
It’s like the universe was cringing so hard at my stumbling that it couldn’t bear to watch any longer.
“Power cut,” Drew says.
Which is potentially a less egocentric explanation.

✨ Well, that was great. There’s nothing like kissing the object of your crush and having him flee the scene like you’re a flesh-eating alien who just revealed your true form.

✨ How to describe exactly how it happened? The slow change in Bobby Ray’s behavior, the way his smile tightened when I got excited about things he didn’t approve of, and how his praise always came with conditions attached.
At first, all you see is the surface, the perfect stepdad doing all the right things. Then, suddenly you can’t unsee what’s really there: criticism disguised as concern, control masked as care.

53%-100%
It may be me, but I felt this part dragged a bit too much, and I found myself losing interest slowly. It was still nice, and full of important themes, but the pace felt a bit off and there wasn't enough tension to keep me wondering what was to come.

✨ Home.
The word hits me like a sucker punch. Because somehow, without me noticing, home has stopped meaning my carefully curated fake apartment. It means Justin’s apartment, with Cassie’s judgmental stare and Tabitha’s noisy demands for attention, with the specific way he arranges the coffee mugs and that comfortable spot on his couch where I always sit.

IG reel version

Pre-read
I'm trying to prioritize ARCs (feeling guilty about my first 6 NetGalley naive requests sitting there for the longest time that I can't bring myself to start) and this one seems both cute enough, and a good balance for how dark Sinful is 🥷 (dark romance newbie here, I need coping techniques 👀😂)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

[Jackbees · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a crime that I left this on my TBR for so long!

RTC

[Mir · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was genuinely so cute and I recommend it absolutely. I was SO into it for the first 50%.

However, for me personally, the deception went on waaaaaaaay too long and it made me so anxious I started skimming trying to get to the reveal and conclusion. It ruined a lot of the book for me.

[Papie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Andrew and Justin. I would not normally pick this up because I hate pranks, bully romances and deception and lies.
And it was sweet, and cute, and full of feelings.
But still. Deception and lies.
Is my rating unfair since I should have known?
I do what I want.

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

For some reason, I had thought this was gonna be a novella, so I was pleasantly surprised in when I saw it was a full-length book.

Justin was a good and complex character; nobody is totally good or bad, and I think the author did a great job of showing it and having him grow as a person. Andrew, on the other hand, like I’m not gonna say he was justified, but after everything he went through, I can empathize with his need for payback.

Even though I knew it was coming and it was 90% sure how it was going to happen, it still made me sad and angry when Justin found out about Drew/Andrew.

The ending was really nice, and I can’t wait to read Leo’s story, that sounded wild!

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

I did not know I was capable of thoroughly disliking (hating?) a main character as much as I did Andrew, and still like the actual story. I was a spamming menace in the group chat, complaining while reading this book. I felt constantly torn between understanding Andrew’s feelings and motivations, and just wanting to yeet the whole man into the sun. His excuses were understandable for a while, but he just. kept. fucking. up. Every single time he had the opportunity to make the right choice, he did the opposite, and if there’s one thing I have zero patience for, it’s a dumb main character who chooses to hurt someone else to avoid taking responsibility for their own actions.

On the other hand, we have Justin. Andrew’s former bully. You’d expect that he’s the one you’d have trouble forgiving or liking, but Justin has been working on himself for years already, and is simply a beautiful person who has been working through trauma that made him into a person he didn’t like, and that he regrets being.

Actually, I’ll post some of the messages I sent the group chat down below, that way you can really feel how angry I got, lol. I did enjoy the ending and I was happy to see the MCs together and in love, but I certainly didn’t feel that way the whole way through. Spoilers galore ahead:


Ugh, I want to yeet Andrew into orbit

I don’t know if I’ve ever read a book with a character who makes so many shitty choices. I wanna scream

I hope Justin dumps him lol

My god Andrew is awful

Yeah he deserves a good smack at this point

Lying, manipulating, fucking with people’s feelings

The latest is knowing full well he shouldn’t be sleeping with Justin because Justin has real feelings for him and continuing to do so anyway

At this point, what Andrew is doing feels worse than what Justin did to him as a teenager. They were *kids*. Now he’s an adult and he’s doing something horrible to someone who 1) has no idea he’s being lied to and manipulated or why, and 2) a man who Andrew KNOWS has changed and is not even remotely the same person who hurt him in the past, as well as knowing damn well why he did so in the first place. To me it’s pretty much unforgivable what he’s doing now

And every excuse is a shit one, because he *knows* he’s in the wrong, but doesn’t care enough (clearly) to come clean and stop doing it

It’s a shame because I love Justin and the writing is good, but Andrew needs to take a long walk off a short pier

Not wanting to hurt him is a cowardly excuse too, because it’ll only get worse. Andrew seems to keep going to avoid the fallout on himself

shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up shut up

*taps mic* I’m back with more Andrew complaints

Like, Justin is very clearly falling in love, being happy for the first time in his life, and Andrew is planning on fucking off and leaving him to avoid taking responsibility

And I don’t expect anyone to just get over the damage from being bullied (I certainly haven’t), I just don’t think having been treated badly in the past is an excuse for mistreating others later

He’s manipulated other unsuspecting people who have nothing to do with his past too, including throwing around money to get his way

A very — in my humble opinion — generous 3 stars.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Bully redemption
‘He doesn’t remember me’
Nerd/jock
Neighbors
Cat dad
Past trauma
Closeted MC
Slow burn
Secrets and lies
First times

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
Details of past physical and verbal bullying of MC (by other MC and other students)
Manipulation with money
Alcohol consumption
Details of past child abuse (emotional and verbal, mild physical)
Financial abuse (MC’s parent)
Homophobic parent (past, details)
Toxic masculinity (repeating comments made by abuser, past)
Explicit sexual content
Internalized homophobia and toxic masculinity (relatively mild)

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: Yes, sort of
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 27 and 27
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 445
Happy ending: Yes, miraculously


There’s no simple if-then statement that can fix four years of systematic humiliation, no algorithm that can calculate the cost of learning to hate yourself before you’ve even figured out who you are.

If there was anyone I would want to be stuck in a dark pocket universe with, it would be Drew. I’ve never had this absolute craving to know everything I possibly can about someone.

His hands are trembling slightly against my skin, and that small tell of his nerves does more to turn me on than any confident touch could. “I don’t know what I’m doing,” he whispers against my mouth.

And that anger forces me to steel myself when I see the devastation on Drew’s face. Because I want to comfort him, and that betrayal cuts deeper than any other. That he’s made me love him so much that I still want to ease his hurt even while he’s breaking my heart.

Ethically, morally, I can’t take this further with Justin, can I?
NO YOU FUCKING CAN’T



You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[Evelyn Bella (there WILL be spoilers) · Rating 4 out of 5]

My submission will be brief. I'm an Andrew 'Get Your Lick Back' Yates apologist. Lol. Lied. My submission will NOT be brief. I have written a thesis on this shit.

Right off the jump I'll say that I was never going to be calm about this book. I hate the 'falling in love with your bully' trope. HATEEEE. So, additionally, I was never going to be objective.

Could probably write epistles on how that shit alters your brain chemistry but I'll stick to just what we have in the book. Andrew grew up to achieve things beyond what even he thought possible for himself and in his field and it took just one meeting with his high school bully to send him into a spiral.

One.

And I'm going to go so far as to say that even if Justin had recognized him, it probably wouldn't have altered how Andrew's nervous system reacted to that encounter.

That's how much bullying sticks.

“Do intentions actually matter if the impact on people is the same?” Justin asks quietly.

Thank you, Justin, for asking this very important question.

I won't get into the details but Andrew infiltrates Justin's life(and tech), fiddles around, fucks up some shit and then they get physical.

"You can’t be some kind of sex therapist to your high school bully, Andrew.”

Excuse you, Leo, but Andrew can be whatever he wants to be, through vengeance which strengthens him.

Philippians 4.13.

Anyway. Long story short, they fall in love just in time for the whole thing to come out into the open. Then the fun begins. For me. THEY are both dramatic about it.

Figures.

'But trust, once shattered, leaves edges sharp enough to cut. And I can’t get my head around the depth of his betrayal.'

Justin. Take SEVERAL seats.

As for Andrew with his 'I don’t think I can ever forgive myself.' 🙄

Why not? Isn't this what you wanted? At the risk of being a vindictive petty bitch, this is actually the only way I can support them being together. If you go bar for bar, it cancels out and you can start from a clean slate💀

I'm not a fan of his whole 'I'm a terrible person' thing because baby you got revenge on the person who bullied you for four years. If he fell in love with you in a couple of months, that's on him, boo. Tighten up.

I will forever be a vocal supporter of matching energy because people must know they can't play with you. Sure, have grace and forgive each other across the board afterwards if you must but before this happens, they have to know you're not the one to play with.

The only way this is a happy ending is because Justin felt humiliated and betrayed. Sorry but you don't get to be the victim because your former victim fought back.

And I hateeeeeeeeeee this whole thing where we must feel pity for Justin because he was also bullied. My grace can only stretch so far.

I know he was a kid too and all but so was Andrew??? So Justin doesn't get a pass on that. He of all people should have felt more empathy.

I don't even know if him bullying a gay kid in his class is made better by the fact that he ALSO knew he was gay himself. Because once again (TO ME) that makes it much worse.

I'm okay with the reader thinking it's a nuanced situation and Justin deserves grace (I very vehemently didn't think this, FYI) but I draw the line at any expectation that Andrew should have thought it too.

They can both be people who did terrible things at different stages of their lives. I'm alright with that spin.

I don't care what sort of heartache Justin felt on realizing Andrew played him, he deserved that shit.

Now if Andrew SHOULD move past the bullying because Justin did it at 14-18 and he was just a kid (boo hoo) then in the same spirit, Justin should move past the silly little games Andrew played on him because it's happened when he's 27 so be just as able to move on from it.

Since people can 'just' move on from things. Right? RIGHT?

Why would you let a little (well deserved) revenge ruin an epic love story?

'It’s so much to forgive. The sabotage, the lies, the deception.'

Lol but HE was supposed to have easily moved on from being bullied for 4 years.

Cry me a river, Justin.

I've said it before but I HAVE NO TEARS FOR JUSTIN.

In true romance fashion, they find a way to fix shit. And sure, I don't love Justin but since Andrew exacted his pound of flesh, I'm alright with it.

Though......

Kissing him against a locker which he'd get his hands slammed into was supposed to magically rewrite the experience? Lol. This is the sort of performative bullshit I hate. Andrew was right to seek revenge. Emotional damage for the win. Sorry not sorry.

In summary, I do think it's best to start a relationship with a Hurting The Other score of 0-0. But if you ABSOLUTELY can't do that, then I'm a firm believer that 1-1 is the next best thing.

[Cat the bookworm (still at the cottage in AO3 land) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of fun, but around 100 pages too long.

I’ve read quite a few books by Jax Calder, and I usually rate them between 3 and 5 stars. I’m one of those who LOVED The Unlikely Heir. And thankfully, I found quite a few things I loved about that book in this one, too. London, for example, one of my favourite cities. Or British humour.

And other ingredients I love in romances, too - like the nerd/jock pairing. Cats. And texting/emailing.

I’m not even questioning the likelihood of having the (Texan) nerd (Andrew) turned millionaire meet his former highschool bully Justin in London. I admired how he set his revenge plan in motion- sometimes you just have to roll with it. Their pining before giving in to their desires was SO WELL WRITTEN. And I loved how torn Andrew was, knowing that their relationship was based on a lie. My heart broke a little for Justin when he found out eventually.

“My mom used to say that loving someone means trusting them with your broken pieces,” I say, the words scraping my throat raw. “I thought you were helping put mine back together, but you were just… collecting evidence of the cracks.”

And yes, the finale with the big speech at the school reunion is very American, but who cares? It’s fun, and gave me all the feels I love feeling when reading.

The thing about forgiveness is that it’s not about forgetting. It’s about choosing to build something new on top of the ruins.

The only thing keeping me from rating it with 5 stars is the length. Over 450 pages? Honestly, once it reached 50% and they started being together, it laggggggggeddddd. 100 pages less, and I would have been the happiest reader.

Also - and please excuse me for being nitpicky and nerdy myself - I’m not sure what Jax thinks ctrl-alt-delete stands for. It’s usually just a shortcut on Windows based laptops to shut it down, lock the screen or go to the task manager. Don’t judge me, but I kept stumbling in my reading flow to roll my eyes, because from a technical point of view, it just doesn’t make sense 😅 (yes, working with computers is my daily business in real life 😅). Other than that, she nailed the tech speech and the common issues people working IT Helpdesk have to deal with every day. And yes, turning it off and on again solves most of them 😂

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn’t feel realistic 2 stars ⭐️⭐️
Andrew is a multi millionaire (or billionaire) tech mogul in London. He was bullied in high school. He runs into Justin, one of his bullies, in a pub. Justin doesn’t recognize him. Andrew is even more outraged, and sets up a revenge plan to mess with Justin.

Justin reveals why he was the way he was. But it makes it even worse you were bullying someone for their sexuality, while having the same sexuality. Justin was part of the group that bullied Andrew everyday for YEARS. He’s saying he can’t get over Andrew’s deception, but Andrew is supposed to get over being bullied because Justin isn’t that person anymore. Bullying sticks with you, and he was bullied EVERYDAY.
BUT saying that, Andrew was a stalker and manipulator moving into the same apartment building and befriending him. He wants revenge but also likes the man. I don’t get how you would ever want to be with your bully. Forcing himself into Justin’s life purposefully knowing who he was. No one deserves that invasive, manipulative behavior. Then there was the wealth gap between them. Andrew messing with Justin’s work I didn’t like at all. A lot of his plan was improbable as well. I lost sympathy for Andrew as the story went on.

I understand what Calder was going for. Forgiveness and healing from the past. Justin following Andrew’s example with being your true self. Finding trust and love in unlikely people. The tentative friendship to slow-burn romance.
I appreciated that there was no OM drama or drama with any secondary character. It focused on the main couple. I loved their cats.
However, the extremes of what both characters did, didn’t work for me.

Bully and bullied meet 10 years later, hidden identity, become friends then lovers.

[Melly · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5🌟 this was cute 🥰

[Vanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars!! Loved it!! ❤️❤️ Wasn’t sure how I’d feel about a story where the person who was bullied, falls for the bully while exacting revenge.. it sounded impossible.. but the writing was great and the characters were sweet and had enough vulnerability that it made them relatable. Enjoyed it!! Looking forward to Leo’s story

[Em Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story felt like my heart was in a tiny vice over half the time, but my god the feelings and slowburn were SO GOOD. Jax Calder has pretty much shot up on my ‘favorite authors list’ and this story continues to showcase her excellent storytelling and characterization skills.

The story follows 27yr old Andrew, multimillionaire tech mogul CEO, who executes a very immersive plan to get revenge on Justin, the 27yr old sales lead and former high school jock, who made his life a living hell in high school. When Andrew happens upon Justin in a pub in London, and Justin doesn’t recall who Andrew is, Andrew’s long pent up fury against Justin boils over. Justin was terrible to Andrew in high school. He wasn’t physically violent, but he enacted 4 years of emotional abuse that impacted Andrew psychologically and created scars that were not easy to get rid of. So what does someone with endless money, time, and resources do when they want payback? Well he creates an insane elaborate plan to repay the humiliation he suffered all those years ago.

Andrew’s plans start going awry when he realizes high school Justin and adult Justin are not the same. Adult Justin was such an amazing character, that despite his past I loved him fully from start to finish. He was so warm and kind, he wore his heart on his sleeve and just emanated vulnerability and sincerity with every word and action. I enjoyed Andrew too, and I felt a lot of empathy for what he went through. But boy oh boy as time kept going on my empathy for Justin grew and my anxiety for Andrew spiked. There are few pivotal moments in the story where I could feel Andrew’s anguish as easily as I could feel Justin’s heart. Honestly it was really well done.

Parts of the story, primarily at the beginning, are a bit silly but I had fun with it. There were also some very small lulls that I think a few shaved pages could’ve remedied, which is why I’m rounding down but overall I really loved this. There were so many wonderful moments and once I started reading I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for Leo’s book next 👀❤️

[oshiiy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ⭐️

I’m giving this book 4 stars simply because I enjoyed it so much. The story is about Andrew Yates getting revenge on the person who used to bully him in high school, but the revenge plan unexpectedly turns into a romance.

I loved how unique the story was and how the relationship between Andrew and Justin developed. Justin is so sweet, and he’s a cat person, which made me like him even more. The way he loves Andrew made me swoon. I also liked how Andrew slowly let go of his revenge and fell for Justin naturally and effortlessly. It was such a great relationship to watch unfold from the beginning.

What I didn’t love were the unrealistic parts of the story, but honestly, I didn’t mind them too much because I enjoyed the book overall.

[Liya · Rating 5 out of 5]

~4.5 Emotional and funny. The slow burn and relationship development was perfect. I have some niggles, but the book gave me all the feels so rounding up

[Renae Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aww... this story is everything. I could not get enough of this perfect second-chance romance. Andrew and Justin embark on a personal journey of forgiveness and self-discovery. This wonderful story completely caught my eye with its incredibly unique premise, prompting me to read it rapidly.

An aspect of this story I enjoy is how Andrew and Justin heal the broken parts of themselves with time, trust, and patience. Andrew quickly realizes he isn't fully prepared for his Revenge Game when Justin is not the same bully he remembers. This initiates a beautiful journey of learning to forgive while acknowledging one's past and transforming their future.

Another great aspect of this story is how Justin and Andrew begin as co-workers, then progress to friends as they both realize how easy it is to talk to one another. Their connection is natural and completely unassuming. Their easy-going connection made their progression into a romantic relationship completely believable and inevitable.

Overall, I love this story and cannot wait for Leo's story. The little hints are adorable, and I cannot wait.

[⋆｡°✮ Lucy InTheSky ✮°｡⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

With the bonus chapter you'll get about 500 pages of a very boring, dragged out, un-sexy story. 2.5⭐

Considering there's a bully who was a football captain, the nerd who's now a millionaire and the whole thing with not recognizing faces, so they are seeing each other without one knowing who the other is - I'd expect this to be interesting, funny and sizzling hot.

Newsflash, it wasn't.

🔵 2 American guys working in London, but there's not a hint of american accent between them
🟣 Bully jock/nerd
🟡 Both 27
🟢 Both gay
🟠 Quite a lot of side characters
🌶️ Wait until page 200 for anything; some smut, some off page, oral, penetrative; both vers

This book is set in London and is written in BE - what's funny is both of the main characters are American and they're talking like they're two Brits. That threw me off, the author tried to make them sound american, but it didn't work most of the time.

I really like bully books and the bullying Andrew experienced in highschool was well described, Justin was you typical popular jock bully that was pretty bad, but the story isn't too focused on that, it does mention their past, but has a lot of unnecessary stuff on-page, plenty of dialogues and events that were just thrown in there to fill the 450 pages of the book.

This shouldn't have been as long, this book should've had 250 pages, at most. 300 if it were really good.

Andrew and Justin live in the same building and work at the same office where Andrew is undercover, since he's a millionaire, where no one knows what he looks like, Justin doesn't recognize him because he's got face blindness, so they just go to work, get together, cook, go sightseeing and in the second half of the book start hooking up.

“What, the British Museum’s ancient artifacts aren’t as appealing as my morning breath?” Drew asks.

“Well, your morning breath is practically a cultural artifact on its own.”



The thing that stood out the most to me was Andrew leading Justin on, lying to him, always saying how he can't come clean because he'd just took away the experience of Justin being with a man for the first time and he just can't do that, while the guy was opening his heart and talking about his bad childhood.

Their chemistry wasn't that good, I wasn't impressed. Just complete boring storytelling that made me want to finish the book as soon as possible.

Nowhere near the Hired by the Enemy. Nowhere near that.

I did like the snow globes part and when Justin announced in front of his former class at the reunion that he's with Andrew. But that's about it, that's all of it.

They get engaged in the epilogue and married in the bonus chapter.

I don't know, I was just completely and utterly bored, bored out of my mind. If the story at least focused intensely on Justin and Andrew and leave out all the noise, but so many thing were written that could've been completely left out because it had absolutely no particular importance for the main love story.


Leo's book is coming next and I'm definitely not reading it if it has 400 pages and tons of pointless chatter.

[Nelly S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

”I’m developing feelings for Justin Morris. Not friendship feelings, not revenge-plot feelings, but actual heart-racing, palm-sweating, completely inappropriate romantic feelings.”

I’m not usually a big fan of bully romances because I generally find it difficult to read bullying scenes, especially if they’re graphic. But this book was perfectly written for squeamish people like me because the bullying descriptions weren’t graphic—just enough of past experiences were outlined to give you a sense of Andrew’s trauma and how it shaped him into the person he is today. I loved the bully-to-friends-to-lovers arc of his relationship with Justin. The relationship development was wonderful. The steam was great. Justin’s and Andrew’s experiences at work with their British colleagues were a hoot. My quibble with the story was how long Andrew’s deception dragged on before the huge reveal. I was ready for the deception to be over by the halfway point, but otherwise I enjoyed everything else.

[Paulina | bitofabookcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Justin & Andrew so much 😭
Jax just never misses 🤌🏻

[Monikat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Omfg, I love this book. I cannot emphasize that enough. But I am so torn. Seriously torn. Having a bully shape your life, no matter his reasons cannot be taken lightly. These are years of a person's life that have been devastating, that have bruised the victims psyche.
I totally get that the bully also has a difficult past but who we are at each stage of our life matters a lot.
This was such a journey for both of them. Justin and Andrew had such a long path to healing and ultimate love.
Just beautiful.
This was probably the best book I've read this year.
All the stars
✨✨✨✨✨🪄✨✨✨✨✨

OH, And one more thing. I'd watch this movie 100%

[Caz · Rating 4 out of 5]

B / 4 stars

The first book in a new series from Jax Calder, The Revenge Game is a tender, messy and heartfelt romance featuring two emotionally damaged but likeable leads, plenty of humour and lots of solid, genuine character growth. It’s entertaining while also addressing some serious issues in a sensitive but honest way, looking at the long-term effects of bullying (on both parties) in a nuanced manner that never excuses or glosses over the consequences. It’s a good read, although I’ll warn potential readers now that if deception in a romance is a no-no for you, you might want to give this one a miss, because it’s a big part of the story.

Tech genius Andrew Yates recently sold his company for silly money after realising that his beloved baby had grown to the point where it was threatening to consume him, the simple joy of building something that works replaced by endless board meetings and talk of profit margins. He decides to take some time for himself and has travelled to Europe in the attempt to work out what he wants to do next, hoping that maybe the answers he’s looking for will come to him along with the change of scenery. When the story begins, he’s reached London and has gone for a drink in a pub down the road from the Natural History Museum when he sees a familiar face in a crowd on the other side of the bar. He can’t quite believe his eyes, but the man at the centre of the group really is Justin Morris, the star quarterback and class president who, together with his cronies, had made Andrew’s high-school life a misery for over four years. He’s spent a fair bit of time over the years working out exactly what he’d say to Justin if he ever saw him again, how he’d cut him down to size with a devastating bon mot or orchestrate a perfect dose of payback. When Justin separates from his group of friends and heads towards the toilets, Andrew decides to confront him then and there – only for Justin to look right through him, showing absolutely no signs of recognition or shame.

Andrew is stunned. For years, Justin Morris shaped pretty much every decision he made, from which route to take to class or which college to choose – and he doesn’t even recognise him. And it hurts to realise exactly how unimportant he must have been, that he, Andrew, was simply some sort of mild entertainment to amuse Justin when he was bored. The unfairness of that is devastating – and determines Andrew’s next course of action: his revenge game. He finagles himself a job in the IT department of the company Justin works for, moves into the flat three doors down from Justin’s, and starts coming up with ideas as to how to make him feel a little of the humiliation Andrew was subjected to, to make Justin understand what it feels like to be the butt of someone else’s jokes.

Justin moved to England a few years earlier to take up a better-paying job so he’d be able to send more money home to his mother, who was left in dire financial circumstances when she finally left his abusive step-father. Justin likes his job in sales for a sports equipment company and he’s popular and well-liked, but he’s not close to anyone and doesn’t have any real friends. He’s spent most of his life hiding who he really is from everyone around him and it’s a hard habit to break, especially working in a very male-dominated industry. It’s easier to keep people at a distance than it is to lie to them when they ask him about his love life or try to set him up on dates.

When he suddenly starts experiencing some serious technical issues at work – his powerpoints go on the fritz in the midst of important sales pitches, his email has randomly spammed his colleagues with troll porn (!) – new IT guy, Drew Smith, is his saviour, setting everything to rights with a dry quip and a hesitant smile, and for the first time in a long time, Justin finds himself developing a little bit of a crush. Drew is seriously cute with a deadpan sense of humour and the kind of nerdy-vibe that pushes all Justin’s buttons. He’s also comfortable in his own skin in a way Justin has never been, and he can’t help wondering what it might be like to finally live an authentic life. Maybe, with Drew’s help, he can find the courage to be himself and like who he is for the first time in his life.

Drew really doesn’t want to like Justin – but it’s impossible not to once he begins to realise that adult Justin is a very different person to the Justin he knew at school, and to see that he’s a kind and generous man who, while popular with those around him, is nonetheless rather lonely. The more he gets to know Justin, the more Drew realises that maybe he’s taking this whole revenge thing too far – although he can’t bring himself to give it up altogether. The progression of their relationship is beautifully done, full of lingering looks and glancing touches as they move slowly from a reluctant (on Drew’s part at least) friendship to something more, and their mutual attraction blossoms into love.

Their character arcs are really well written with both men learning important things about each other and themselves along the way, and I was impressed with the in-depth exploration of the issues around bullying. What Andrew went through as a teen is never dismissed or belittled, and the long-term effects of his experience are clearly shown, as is his growing realisation that in giving in to his desire for revenge, he’s in danger of becoming just as big a bully as Justin ever was. The Justin we meet is clearly a very different man to the boy Andrew knew, but he’s also just as clearly still haunted by the things he did back then, his shame and regret motivating him to do better and be better. I liked that the story explains why he acted as he did without ever excusing it.

So why haven’t I given the book a higher grade? I hear you ask. While the romance and character arcs are superbly done, the book is a bit overlong (the pacing is somewhat stodgy around the middle) and I struggled with the premise; the whole idea of getting revenge on someone you haven’t seen for over a decade for things they did at school is rather petty and, honestly, seems like a waste of time and energy. The author does a great job of showing that Drew has become so deeply entrenched in his lies that he doesn’t know how to extricate himself without losing everything he’s ever wanted, together with his dawning realisation that he’s become the very thing he despises, but for a supposedly intelligent man, he doesn’t take a moment to consider that the twelve years or so since high school might have changed Justin, or that his revenge plan is rather immature. Drew’s deception goes on for so long it makes for uncomfortable reading, and while that possibly has the effect of making the truth-bomb hurt even more, it also made me think I might not have blamed Justin if he hadn’t been able to forgive the lies.

The Revenge Game is a well-written and emotional story that explores the bully/victim trope in a thoughtful way and shows its characters accepting their mistakes and taking responsibilty for their actions, whether they’re Justin’s in the past or Andrew’s in the present. The romance is lovely – Jax Calder puts in the work to show us exactly how and why these two people are right for each other - and the HEA is extremely satisfying. I’d have liked Drew to have fessed up earlier than he does, but I enjoyed the book despite my reservations and am planning on picking up the next in the series.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everything I read from this author I bloody love! I love the couples, the settings, the friend circles… everything is just such a mood lifter. When you want something that will bring you out of your current funk, go to Jax Calder.

There are so many British references that I absolutely loved. Being English myself, it’s always nice when you have someone write us so well and you can chuckle along to the little idiosyncrasies of our culture.

At 30%, she could have been done. We knew where it was all heading anyway, but it keeps going and gets better and better. The animals! The learning curve and the way they both handle their mistakes was so good. The relationship building, the revenge plot, the background characters, the inevitable fallout, and makeup—aaaaahh, perfection!

I could go on, but honestly, I couldn’t put it down. It was brill as usual.

P.S- Pete and Dave?! ⭐️

P.P.S - FYI, Marmite is the best. I have it every day on toast. 😂

[Nanilya · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐ (version FR ci-dessous)

What a treat this book is! A feel-good romantic comedy with an admittedly classic plot based on a lie about Andrew's secret identity, but I loved it. I laughed and I was moved. It was perfect!

Of course, we wait a long time for the lie to be revealed... and I would have preferred it to have happened earlier in the book. But I really liked how Jax Calder handled that part and it only made me love the characters more.

And what can I say about that perfect epilogue? It raised my rating because I finished with a smile on my face and butterflies in my stomach.

There are very few hot scenes and there really was no need for more. Perfect dosage!

The subject of bullying is very much on the agenda and touched me personally. I thought the author's message about it was very good. Even though it's obviously fiction, I found Andrew's career path inspiring after his personal story.

Justin was way too cute. We follow his first steps and his first relationship in his life with another man and that too was very touching.

I really liked everything about it and I can only recommend this book if you want to have a good time and have your heart filled with love and butterflies.

____________
5 ⭐

Quel bonheur que ce livre ! Une comédie romantique feel good avec un plot certes classique qui se base sur un mensonge sur l'identité secrète d'Andrew mais j'ai adoré. On rit, on est ému. C'était parfait!

Évidemment, on attend que le mensonge soit révélé pendant longtemps... et j'aurais préféré que cela arrive plus tôt dans le livre. Mais j'ai vraiment aimé comment Jax Calder a géré cette partie et cela ne m'a fait qu'aimer davantage les personnages.

Et que dire de cet épilogue parfait ? Il m'a fait réhausser ma note car j'ai terminé le sourire aux lèvres et des papillons dans le ventre.

Il n'y a que très peu de scènes hot et ce n'était vraiment pas nécessaire d'en avoir plus. Dosage parfait !

Le sujet du harcèlement scolaire est très abordé et m'a touché personnellement. Le message que transmet l'autrice était très réussi selon moi. Même si c'est une fiction évidemment, j'ai trouvé le parcours professionnel d'Andrew inspirant après son histoire personnelle.

Justin était beaucoup trop mignon. Nous suivons ses premiers pas et sa première relation de sa vie avec un autre homme et, là aussi, c'était très touchant.

Vraiment, j'ai tout aimé, je ne peux que recommander ce livre si vous voulez passer un bon moment sans prise de tête et avoir vous aussi, le cœur rempli d'amour et de petits papillons.