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Forbidden Goals #2
Man On
Stepbrothers. Rivals.
They could have been friends- like real brothers, even. Instead, circumstances and an unfortunate incident at soccer camp pitted them against each other. But when they find themselves playing for the same team, their competitive relationship takes an unexpected turn.
Man On is an enemies to lovers MM sports romance.
They could have been friends- like real brothers, even. Instead, circumstances and an unfortunate incident at soccer camp pitted them against each other. But when they find themselves playing for the same team, their competitive relationship takes an unexpected turn.
Man On is an enemies to lovers MM sports romance.
480 pages, Paperback
Published April 24, 2024
704 people are currently reading
3667 people want to read
About the author
Rebecca Rathe
28 books1,072 followersDeliciously dirty, delightfully neurotic, ratchet mess of a daydreamer.
See www.rebeccarathe.com for a full list of books, social media, and trigger warnings.
See www.rebeccarathe.com for a full list of books, social media, and trigger warnings.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 590 reviews
December 17, 2024
How can 482 pages be filled with absolutely fucking nothing?
How is it possible to think:
"wow, can they do anything except have sex?"
AND ALSO
"HOW COME THEY HAVEN'T ACTUALLY HAD SEX YET @ 80% OF BOOK???" simultaneously????????
Crimes this book committed:
✨ The fact they don't flip fuck or become vers, seen as a cheeky finger up the ass changed Noah's life, but apparently Lane is too big to fit 🙄🙄🙄
✨ The fact it was 482 pages (OF NOTHING)
✨ Chewing on foreskin "like bubblegum". JAIL.
✨ A dick's description being: "it's like a baby's arm holding an apple" um......... WOT CUNT???????
✨ The fact it keeps switching between which MC is physically bigger. Keep the facts straight plez.
✨ Saying "I also want my cum embedded in his pores" SIR?
✨ THE WAGGLING OF EYEBROWS. THIS BOOK HAS MADE ME REALISE HOW MUCH I FUCKING HATE THAT SENTENCE. ANY FUTURE BOOKS WAGGLING AT ME WILL HAVE STARS DEDUCTED FOR 👏 EVERY 👏 FUCKING 👏 WAGGLE 👏
✨ "I tremble and suckle Noah's dick like a pacifier" I have said it once, and I will say it again, JAIL.
✨ Having sex after... a morning sex session where you have to keep the cum inside all day, then a whole day of foot ball training in the mud, having terrible body odor and acknowledging that fact but ignoring it anyway and then he eats his ass and says "so fucking tasty". A little dirtied up can be hot, and in the moment, THIS WAS FUCKING GROSS.
✨ Back to back fuck sessions, i'm literally fucking bored bro.
Even for a sports romance, there is NOT A SINGLE CRUMB of fucking plot to be found here.
They don't have like... big championship dreams to work towards, they never go to university/classes or whatever, they barely have a social life, they literally discuss future dreams in the last seconds of the epilogue like that alleviates the lack of plot.....
They just fuck/experiment alot, there is religious trauma attempting to be the plot but failing, they are step bro's.
✨Voila✨
There was 3 waggling of eyebrows, and this book sucked so 2 stars is fair and reasonable.
How is it possible to think:
"wow, can they do anything except have sex?"
AND ALSO
"HOW COME THEY HAVEN'T ACTUALLY HAD SEX YET @ 80% OF BOOK???" simultaneously????????
Crimes this book committed:
✨ The fact they don't flip fuck or become vers, seen as a cheeky finger up the ass changed Noah's life, but apparently Lane is too big to fit 🙄🙄🙄
✨ The fact it was 482 pages (OF NOTHING)
✨ Chewing on foreskin "like bubblegum". JAIL.
✨ A dick's description being: "it's like a baby's arm holding an apple" um......... WOT CUNT???????
✨ The fact it keeps switching between which MC is physically bigger. Keep the facts straight plez.
✨ Saying "I also want my cum embedded in his pores" SIR?
✨ THE WAGGLING OF EYEBROWS. THIS BOOK HAS MADE ME REALISE HOW MUCH I FUCKING HATE THAT SENTENCE. ANY FUTURE BOOKS WAGGLING AT ME WILL HAVE STARS DEDUCTED FOR 👏 EVERY 👏 FUCKING 👏 WAGGLE 👏
✨ "I tremble and suckle Noah's dick like a pacifier" I have said it once, and I will say it again, JAIL.
✨ Having sex after... a morning sex session where you have to keep the cum inside all day, then a whole day of foot ball training in the mud, having terrible body odor and acknowledging that fact but ignoring it anyway and then he eats his ass and says "so fucking tasty". A little dirtied up can be hot, and in the moment, THIS WAS FUCKING GROSS.
✨ Back to back fuck sessions, i'm literally fucking bored bro.
Even for a sports romance, there is NOT A SINGLE CRUMB of fucking plot to be found here.
They don't have like... big championship dreams to work towards, they never go to university/classes or whatever, they barely have a social life, they literally discuss future dreams in the last seconds of the epilogue like that alleviates the lack of plot.....
They just fuck/experiment alot, there is religious trauma attempting to be the plot but failing, they are step bro's.
✨Voila✨
There was 3 waggling of eyebrows, and this book sucked so 2 stars is fair and reasonable.
June 26, 2024
⭐ 5/5 *this book altered my entire brain chemistry* stars
🌶️ 5/5 *this spice will make you clutch all kinds of pearls* peppers
😱 4/5 *at least one of these boys teetering in the edge of a complete mental breakdown* angsty screaming faces
🎧 4/5 *single narrator but great spice reading* headphones
Religious cults have fucked up a lot of people
Looking at the cover and title, you wouldn't know what this book is about, but probably not about heavy topics like Christian cults, conversion therapy (🤢), internalized homophobia, extensive PTSD, semi-taboo step-bro relationship?
I didn't either.
I was looking for a book like Wrath , with spice like in For the Fans , insane amount of trauma and all the feels and a HEA. Found it! This could be a case of "right place right time" but this book and i were having a MOMENT. The spice, the love, the internal turmoil, all blew my mind.
This story is about Noah and Lane. Lane meets Noah when they are both 14, and Lane moves in with them after having lived with his grandfather for the first years of his life. He appears to be a very repressed and closeted person, and Noah exploits the living shit out of this situation. He (Noah) suspects that Lane is in fact attracted to him, and makes him do all kinds of ungodly shit in front of him for a good portion of their growing up. We also understand that Lane has been brought up in an insanely strict christian religious environment and that he is struggling with adjusting to the society. Then they go to college and oh, what do you know, one dorm apartment to be shared.
This is probably a point at which some readers want to give up because so far it's a lot of mutual hate (adjacent really, we can totally tell Noah doesn't hate Lane at all), and filth going on. But then we start to get the whole story of Lane and where he actually comes from and it's... I can't tell you without spoilers but believe it when i say it gets pretty dark in there.
And so hot. And Lane struggles with his internalized homophobia, and basically we understand that something incredibly bad had been happening to him throughout his upbringing. Noah is cool with his sexuality and doesn't mind accepting that their attraction is real. Which was very comforting, because if he was also freaking out i don't think i would have been able to read on. Basically every time they got in on (and that was 🔥🔥🔥 as all hell) Lane would teeter on the edge of a complete mental meltdown and it was like looking at a trainwreck in slow motion.
That's all i have to say on the plot, you should go and read this right now.
Oh, and this was a single narrator who did both POV's with a different voice, and i wasn't expecting much and this was the first audio i have listened to with him, and SOLD.
🌶️ 5/5 *this spice will make you clutch all kinds of pearls* peppers
😱 4/5 *at least one of these boys teetering in the edge of a complete mental breakdown* angsty screaming faces
🎧 4/5 *single narrator but great spice reading* headphones
Religious cults have fucked up a lot of people
Looking at the cover and title, you wouldn't know what this book is about, but probably not about heavy topics like Christian cults, conversion therapy (🤢), internalized homophobia, extensive PTSD, semi-taboo step-bro relationship?
I didn't either.
I was looking for a book like Wrath , with spice like in For the Fans , insane amount of trauma and all the feels and a HEA. Found it! This could be a case of "right place right time" but this book and i were having a MOMENT. The spice, the love, the internal turmoil, all blew my mind.
This story is about Noah and Lane. Lane meets Noah when they are both 14, and Lane moves in with them after having lived with his grandfather for the first years of his life. He appears to be a very repressed and closeted person, and Noah exploits the living shit out of this situation. He (Noah) suspects that Lane is in fact attracted to him, and makes him do all kinds of ungodly shit in front of him for a good portion of their growing up. We also understand that Lane has been brought up in an insanely strict christian religious environment and that he is struggling with adjusting to the society. Then they go to college and oh, what do you know, one dorm apartment to be shared.
This is probably a point at which some readers want to give up because so far it's a lot of mutual hate (adjacent really, we can totally tell Noah doesn't hate Lane at all), and filth going on. But then we start to get the whole story of Lane and where he actually comes from and it's... I can't tell you without spoilers but believe it when i say it gets pretty dark in there.
And so hot. And Lane struggles with his internalized homophobia, and basically we understand that something incredibly bad had been happening to him throughout his upbringing. Noah is cool with his sexuality and doesn't mind accepting that their attraction is real. Which was very comforting, because if he was also freaking out i don't think i would have been able to read on. Basically every time they got in on (and that was 🔥🔥🔥 as all hell) Lane would teeter on the edge of a complete mental meltdown and it was like looking at a trainwreck in slow motion.
That's all i have to say on the plot, you should go and read this right now.
Oh, and this was a single narrator who did both POV's with a different voice, and i wasn't expecting much and this was the first audio i have listened to with him, and SOLD.
Read
March 7, 2025***no rating***
I didn’t want to make a pass on this book because I loved the first one so much but sadly for me, this book is made up with a trope and an issue I usually try to avoid as I don’t like reading them… #1 - the recently totally overused trope of stepbrothers to lovers *eyeroll and #2 - super religious upbringing, internalized homophobia and conversion therapy. (it was horrifying, so heed this as a TW, please)
So I struggled my way through it but I was at least invested in Lane’s and Noah’s love story. This is probably a four-star read in my book if I had enjoyed reading it.
The next ones sound more like my jam again, so I’m looking forward to their releases a lot.
****************
Forbidden Goals Series
Book 1 - Head in the Game - 4.5 stars ♡
Book 2 - Man On - no rating
Book 3 - Choke Up - 4.5 stars
Book 4 - The Try Line - skipped
Book 5 - Off Balance - 4.25 stars
Book 6 - Off The Rim - 4.25 stars
Book 7 - Wrap Around - release 07/25
Book 8 - Full Split - release 09/25
Book 9 - Pinned Down - release 12/25
Noah settles in the space behind me. He doesn’t lie close enough to touch me, but I smile into the pillow that smells like him, knowing he's there.
I didn’t want to make a pass on this book because I loved the first one so much but sadly for me, this book is made up with a trope and an issue I usually try to avoid as I don’t like reading them… #1 - the recently totally overused trope of stepbrothers to lovers *eyeroll and #2 - super religious upbringing, internalized homophobia and conversion therapy. (it was horrifying, so heed this as a TW, please)
So I struggled my way through it but I was at least invested in Lane’s and Noah’s love story. This is probably a four-star read in my book if I had enjoyed reading it.
The next ones sound more like my jam again, so I’m looking forward to their releases a lot.
****************
Forbidden Goals Series
Book 1 - Head in the Game - 4.5 stars ♡
Book 2 - Man On - no rating
Book 3 - Choke Up - 4.5 stars
Book 4 - The Try Line - skipped
Book 5 - Off Balance - 4.25 stars
Book 6 - Off The Rim - 4.25 stars
Book 7 - Wrap Around - release 07/25
Book 8 - Full Split - release 09/25
Book 9 - Pinned Down - release 12/25
February 6, 2025
Sigh 😔 this was way too long, this really was just like For the Fans ft. Wrath but without all the good parts of those books and with lots of weird and cringey dirty talk that was not sexy and just uncomfortable to read. The ending with the trial and the defence lawyers felt extremely rushed and super anticlimactic, also this book has practically no sports happening like it could have been any other activity at all and nothing would have changed, for such a long book they play like 3 times only and it's not relevant to the story at all.
December 6, 2024
6 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Format: ebook
The stepbrother trope will never not be elite, and this is just another example of that. I loved Lane and Noah. At first I was worried I wouldn’t connect with either of them, but they slowly wormed their way into my heart.
The hurt/comfort aspects of this book were just top-tier. The way Noah looked after Lane was the most adorable thing. His protectiveness, his possessiveness, his obsession… Just everything was perfection. And I loved the very slow progression of their relationship. The fact that they didn’t even kiss until 70% in (not counting the first one) just made it even better when they finally did. I was actually feral for them by that point.
The spice in this book was amazing. Dirty, filthy, debauched. Absolutely perfect. And I love the way they were caught by literally everyone because they didn’t know how to keep their hands off each other. But especially the way Miah and their mom caught them; obsessed with it.
This book was downright addicting. I’ve been so busy over the past few days and all I’ve wanted to do was sit down and just devour every page. I woke up at 4 in the morning to pee and was just like, hey why don’t I just read a chapter or two? Then *cue sunrise*.
Rebecca Rathe’s writing just absolutely does it for me. Even when there are tropes I despise, she somehow makes me love the story and characters anyway. I am so sat for the rest of this series.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Format: ebook
The stepbrother trope will never not be elite, and this is just another example of that. I loved Lane and Noah. At first I was worried I wouldn’t connect with either of them, but they slowly wormed their way into my heart.
The hurt/comfort aspects of this book were just top-tier. The way Noah looked after Lane was the most adorable thing. His protectiveness, his possessiveness, his obsession… Just everything was perfection. And I loved the very slow progression of their relationship. The fact that they didn’t even kiss until 70% in (not counting the first one) just made it even better when they finally did. I was actually feral for them by that point.
The spice in this book was amazing. Dirty, filthy, debauched. Absolutely perfect. And I love the way they were caught by literally everyone because they didn’t know how to keep their hands off each other. But especially the way Miah and their mom caught them; obsessed with it.
This book was downright addicting. I’ve been so busy over the past few days and all I’ve wanted to do was sit down and just devour every page. I woke up at 4 in the morning to pee and was just like, hey why don’t I just read a chapter or two? Then *cue sunrise*.
Rebecca Rathe’s writing just absolutely does it for me. Even when there are tropes I despise, she somehow makes me love the story and characters anyway. I am so sat for the rest of this series.
April 10, 2025
I really enjoyed this one - I do love a good stepbrothers romance!
There wasn't really that much football content but I found I actually didn't mind. The religious cult however got me so angry and I just wanted to hug Lane and never let go. I'm an atheist and I generally avoid books with overly religious themes in them these days because it just baffles me that there are people like this who actually exist, yet they claim that everyone else who doesn't believe in their god is evil.... I will never understand religion! If I was going to pick a book to live and die by, it sure as shit would not be a religious text 😂
I found the relationship between Lane and Noah to be really entertaining throughout the whole book too. The antagonisation between them and not realising or accepting why they were always so drawn to each other from pretty much the moment they met was really engaging, and I adored how much of a caretaker Noah actually was when it came to Lane. Lane was so endearing too and he always felt like he was one step away from a complete breakdown until he was finally able to reconcile his faith with his identity.
There were about fifty too many sex scenes for me though - an exaggeration obviously, but it did seem like they were constantly having sex! I'm Ace so I know I'm not the target audience for those scenes, I'm just here for the emotional connections really, but wow there was so much! 😂😂
There wasn't really that much football content but I found I actually didn't mind. The religious cult however got me so angry and I just wanted to hug Lane and never let go. I'm an atheist and I generally avoid books with overly religious themes in them these days because it just baffles me that there are people like this who actually exist, yet they claim that everyone else who doesn't believe in their god is evil.... I will never understand religion! If I was going to pick a book to live and die by, it sure as shit would not be a religious text 😂
I found the relationship between Lane and Noah to be really entertaining throughout the whole book too. The antagonisation between them and not realising or accepting why they were always so drawn to each other from pretty much the moment they met was really engaging, and I adored how much of a caretaker Noah actually was when it came to Lane. Lane was so endearing too and he always felt like he was one step away from a complete breakdown until he was finally able to reconcile his faith with his identity.
There were about fifty too many sex scenes for me though - an exaggeration obviously, but it did seem like they were constantly having sex! I'm Ace so I know I'm not the target audience for those scenes, I'm just here for the emotional connections really, but wow there was so much! 😂😂
May 8, 2024
Rebecca Rathe gagged me with this, I fear. I devoured it. I literally sat my ass the whole day just to finish it. A full 500 pages of a romance book between sporty stepbrothers: one being free-spirited and hotheaded while the other is this closeted and internally-homophobic. I have to deduct a star because I was expecting an enemies-to-lovers romance in a sports setting…. and it wasn’t that. There were barely any sports nor enemies-to-lovers. As a whole, everything was a ride I enjoyed. It was intense. It was crazy.
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May 23, 2024
MM Romance
Stepbrothers
2.5 Stars ⭐️
I can’t be fucked reviewing this book properly because I found it so fucking disappointing. After reading Head In The Game last year I was chomping at the bit waiting for this author to release this series but ugh this is just another book I’ve already read. I feel like every mm romance author thinks they have an obligation to release a stepbrother’s story and it almost never works for me yet I keep picking them up due to the two that rocked my world. Those two would be Wrath by Ella James and For The Fans by Nyla K. Unfortunately, every other one has paled in comparison and the tropes accompanying this one made me dislike it even more.
I absolutely hate religion because I hate how it makes people feel shame in being who they are. Lane grew up in a religious cult and most of this book is him coming to terms with the fact he likes men especially his stepbrother who has always antagonized him into wanting him. While I felt for Lane and the horrors he lived in, I just have read this same thing too many times. I could have probably gotten over the sameness except I didn’t care about the couple. The best part about Noah and Lane were the fuck hot sex scenes and that’s what kept me reading especially that docking scene!! 🥵But other than that I was bored and disappointed. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻 her next release is better now that the obligatory stepbrothers book has been done.
Stepbrothers
2.5 Stars ⭐️
I can’t be fucked reviewing this book properly because I found it so fucking disappointing. After reading Head In The Game last year I was chomping at the bit waiting for this author to release this series but ugh this is just another book I’ve already read. I feel like every mm romance author thinks they have an obligation to release a stepbrother’s story and it almost never works for me yet I keep picking them up due to the two that rocked my world. Those two would be Wrath by Ella James and For The Fans by Nyla K. Unfortunately, every other one has paled in comparison and the tropes accompanying this one made me dislike it even more.
I absolutely hate religion because I hate how it makes people feel shame in being who they are. Lane grew up in a religious cult and most of this book is him coming to terms with the fact he likes men especially his stepbrother who has always antagonized him into wanting him. While I felt for Lane and the horrors he lived in, I just have read this same thing too many times. I could have probably gotten over the sameness except I didn’t care about the couple. The best part about Noah and Lane were the fuck hot sex scenes and that’s what kept me reading especially that docking scene!! 🥵But other than that I was bored and disappointed. Fingers crossed 🤞🏻 her next release is better now that the obligatory stepbrothers book has been done.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 22, 2024
4.5/5 ⭐️
4/5 🌶️
Tropes:
— College soccer
— Forbidden romance
— Rivals to lovers
— Step brothers
— Hurt/comfort
Holy shit. I read book 1 — Head in the Game TWICE and loved it so much. But THIS ONE.. definitely my new favorite. ❤️
I loved the plot & heavy topics in this. Not only that but the characters have my entire heart. I also found a lot of Noah’s snarky comments to be freakin’ hilarious.
I cannot wait for Choke Up! It sounds like it’s going to be a baseball romance with brother’s best friend/best friend’s TWIN BROTHER!? SCREAMING!!! 😱
4/5 🌶️
Tropes:
— College soccer
— Forbidden romance
— Rivals to lovers
— Step brothers
— Hurt/comfort
Holy shit. I read book 1 — Head in the Game TWICE and loved it so much. But THIS ONE.. definitely my new favorite. ❤️
I loved the plot & heavy topics in this. Not only that but the characters have my entire heart. I also found a lot of Noah’s snarky comments to be freakin’ hilarious.
I cannot wait for Choke Up! It sounds like it’s going to be a baseball romance with brother’s best friend/best friend’s TWIN BROTHER!? SCREAMING!!! 😱
June 9, 2024
i love how little sports there are in this sports romance book💀💀 this was pure whiplash tho, hot af smut and then the god awful horrific religious trauma/conversion therapy stuff which makes me sick to my stomach and i hate reading about, but i still somehow ended up here anyway. 3.75 stars
December 27, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️
RTC!! Just let me ask how is this a sport romance without sport ?? 🤣
Tropes:
MM
Stepbrothers
Animosity to lovers
Forced proximity
Roommates
Soccer players
Religious trauma
Queer awakening
Internalized homophobia
Virgin MMC
🔞
Humiliation
Degradation
Being used
Rimming
Snowballing
Felching
Dry humping
Sexting
🌶️🌶️🌶️
RTC!! Just let me ask how is this a sport romance without sport ?? 🤣
Tropes:
MM
Stepbrothers
Animosity to lovers
Forced proximity
Roommates
Soccer players
Religious trauma
Queer awakening
Internalized homophobia
Virgin MMC
🔞
Humiliation
Degradation
Being used
Rimming
Snowballing
Felching
Dry humping
Sexting
November 3, 2025
I believe I would’ve loved a more concise version of this same book. It’s very slow and long and really didn’t need to be a billion pages!!! But I liked the characters and was interested enough in where the plot was heading to keep on reading. Rebecca treats these very sensitive issues with the care they deserve. I never in a million years thought I’d read a book with so many things I hate reading about in it and not hate said book. Religious themes, cults, homophobia, conversion therapy. So props to Rebecca for that. This is a very heavy book so keep that in mind. There is also plenty of sweetness and love within its pages, too.
September 27, 2025
I love this. Not because it’s profound, but because it’s addictive and unapologetically entertaining. Rebecca Rathe’s books give me the same thrill I got watching soap operas with my grandma, equal parts melodrama and shock. Pure popcorn from start to finish… Ridiculous, surprisingly emotional, and fun, with boys hooking up and twist after twist. High camp doesn’t get better than this.
June 6, 2024
Hmm. What to say about a book where one stepbrother oversees the other's masturbation and calls it 'supervised self-love'. What to say, what to say...
This book answers the question, 'What if sex was the answer to literally every problem?'. And it's so well written that I have no complaints. Maybe sex IS the answer?
Let me tell you, there's plot galore in this book. To the point where you almost forget that they're having sex every two seconds. Such a sweet poignant story of overcoming trauma from religious indoctrination. Maybe not overcoming. But learning to cope and move forward.
On to the horny aspects. These are the HORNIEST MFs since MFs started being horny.
Angry? Sex. Hurt? Sex. Scared? Sex. Bored? Sex. Muddy? Sex. Wet? Sex. Party? Sex. Sad? Sex. Happy? Sex. Excited? Sex. Doing yoga? Sex. Night before giving a deposition in the case of your former abusers? Sex. Literally right after their mom walked in on them for the first time? You guessed it. Sex.
“Alright. My ass is officially clean enough to eat!”
And however much said controlling douchebag begged to help clean the cum from his asshole, Lane wouldn’t allow it.
Killjoy.
Like I said. Criminally horny.
“Oh my God, you’re inside me,” Lane says breathily...... LIKE????? Yes. Where did you think he was going with all the back and forth thrusts?
I love how Noah just doesn't give a fuck about anyone or anything that isn't Lane. Not his friends. Not his parents. Constant 'Yeah, I'm fucking my step brother and what of it?' vibes.
Lane. Sweet frustrating baby Lane. Fighting a war he lost at 14. Giving in every single time and liking it, then punishing them both after.
Lane. Who claimed Noah when it mattered most, to the exclusion of worrying about himself.
These two! This love declaration is so unplanned and sweet, god DAMN it, why am I so easily scammed.
5 stars. Fuck it. Ten stars.
This book answers the question, 'What if sex was the answer to literally every problem?'. And it's so well written that I have no complaints. Maybe sex IS the answer?
Let me tell you, there's plot galore in this book. To the point where you almost forget that they're having sex every two seconds. Such a sweet poignant story of overcoming trauma from religious indoctrination. Maybe not overcoming. But learning to cope and move forward.
On to the horny aspects. These are the HORNIEST MFs since MFs started being horny.
Angry? Sex. Hurt? Sex. Scared? Sex. Bored? Sex. Muddy? Sex. Wet? Sex. Party? Sex. Sad? Sex. Happy? Sex. Excited? Sex. Doing yoga? Sex. Night before giving a deposition in the case of your former abusers? Sex. Literally right after their mom walked in on them for the first time? You guessed it. Sex.
“Alright. My ass is officially clean enough to eat!”
And however much said controlling douchebag begged to help clean the cum from his asshole, Lane wouldn’t allow it.
Killjoy.
Like I said. Criminally horny.
“Oh my God, you’re inside me,” Lane says breathily...... LIKE????? Yes. Where did you think he was going with all the back and forth thrusts?
I love how Noah just doesn't give a fuck about anyone or anything that isn't Lane. Not his friends. Not his parents. Constant 'Yeah, I'm fucking my step brother and what of it?' vibes.
Lane. Sweet frustrating baby Lane. Fighting a war he lost at 14. Giving in every single time and liking it, then punishing them both after.
Lane. Who claimed Noah when it mattered most, to the exclusion of worrying about himself.
These two! This love declaration is so unplanned and sweet, god DAMN it, why am I so easily scammed.
5 stars. Fuck it. Ten stars.
April 28, 2024
This book wreaked me, in the best possible way. It was so emotional, the things poor Lane went through, I just wanted to give him a hug. This spicy stepbrother romance was better than I hoped, and I can’t wait to see what’s next for the Forbidden Goals series.
Read
December 15, 20242⭐️
4.5🌶️
This Was Okay Y’all, I Really Wasn’t Connected To These Characters And For Me, I Really Didn’t Love This Book As Much As Others Did. But The Audiobook Was Really Good And I Highly Recommend The Audiobook If You Want To Read This Book. I’m Probably Not Gonna Read The Other Books In The Series, Unless One Of The Next Four Book Interest Me. Do I Recommend, Yeah, ON AUDIO💕💕💕💕
4.5🌶️
This Was Okay Y’all, I Really Wasn’t Connected To These Characters And For Me, I Really Didn’t Love This Book As Much As Others Did. But The Audiobook Was Really Good And I Highly Recommend The Audiobook If You Want To Read This Book. I’m Probably Not Gonna Read The Other Books In The Series, Unless One Of The Next Four Book Interest Me. Do I Recommend, Yeah, ON AUDIO💕💕💕💕
May 3, 2024
amazing writing!
heartbreaking yet still so beautiful
first soccer story for me and i loved it
highly recommend this
can't wait for the next one!!
heartbreaking yet still so beautiful
first soccer story for me and i loved it
highly recommend this
can't wait for the next one!!
July 11, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
There’s something about Lane Blakely. Something broken that I am magnetized to. Only, I can’t tell if I want to fix him, or if I want to break him the rest of the way.
Five enthusiastic stars! Rebecca has once again written a story that will stick with me for a long time. This is easily one of my favorite reads of the year.
This book wrecked me. It’s absolutely heartbreaking—I highly recommend having a box of tissues handy—yet it is uplifting. There is light outside the darkness.
My heart absolutely ached for Lane. It still does. It weighs heavy on me even now, as his story isn’t some imagined tale but an evil that happens all too often in this world.
Noah was a godsend, and I fell in love with him immediately. He changed from someone who was just toying with his stepbrother to being his greatest supporter—the only one who could reach him.
Man On is a fast-burn and very spicy MM romance with MM bi-awakening and a virgin MMC.
This is a standalone in the Forbidden Goals series that ends in a HEA.
Very highly recommended to MM romance lovers looking for an angsty and spicy read.
🎧 Audiobook update 🎧
I loved this book the first time I read it - it remains a top read of the year - but Jake’s performance absolutely elevated the story. I can’t even count the number of times I found myself sobbing. I FELT every bit of emotion, all the turmoil, all the pain. My heart ached for Lane. And Noah is probably the best book boyfriend around.
All the stars. All the accolades. This book is a need to read.
Genre: NA Sports Romance
Tropes/Features: Soccer, forbidden relationship, stepbrothers, rivals to lovers, forced proximity, hurt/comfort, secret relationship, MM bi-awakening, “Good bow”, trauma, angst
POV: Dual 1st Person POV
Relationship Type: MM, fast burn, very spicy
Book Type/Ending: Standalone with HEA
TW/CW: Available in book
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
There’s something about Lane Blakely. Something broken that I am magnetized to. Only, I can’t tell if I want to fix him, or if I want to break him the rest of the way.
Five enthusiastic stars! Rebecca has once again written a story that will stick with me for a long time. This is easily one of my favorite reads of the year.
This book wrecked me. It’s absolutely heartbreaking—I highly recommend having a box of tissues handy—yet it is uplifting. There is light outside the darkness.
My heart absolutely ached for Lane. It still does. It weighs heavy on me even now, as his story isn’t some imagined tale but an evil that happens all too often in this world.
Noah was a godsend, and I fell in love with him immediately. He changed from someone who was just toying with his stepbrother to being his greatest supporter—the only one who could reach him.
Man On is a fast-burn and very spicy MM romance with MM bi-awakening and a virgin MMC.
This is a standalone in the Forbidden Goals series that ends in a HEA.
Very highly recommended to MM romance lovers looking for an angsty and spicy read.
🎧 Audiobook update 🎧
I loved this book the first time I read it - it remains a top read of the year - but Jake’s performance absolutely elevated the story. I can’t even count the number of times I found myself sobbing. I FELT every bit of emotion, all the turmoil, all the pain. My heart ached for Lane. And Noah is probably the best book boyfriend around.
All the stars. All the accolades. This book is a need to read.
Genre: NA Sports Romance
Tropes/Features: Soccer, forbidden relationship, stepbrothers, rivals to lovers, forced proximity, hurt/comfort, secret relationship, MM bi-awakening, “Good bow”, trauma, angst
POV: Dual 1st Person POV
Relationship Type: MM, fast burn, very spicy
Book Type/Ending: Standalone with HEA
TW/CW: Available in book
August 14, 2024
dnf @ 45%. After finishing Head in the Game, I was really looking forward to reading this. Unfortunately, this is nowhere near as addictive as the first book. The plot pretty much stalls until almost 200 pages in, and while I don't mind reading long romances, the length needs to be justified, and that just wasn't the case for this story.
The pacing was too slow, and it didn't help that I don't normally like stories involving religious trauma and internalized homophobia. I thought I could overlook it. After all, Wrath by Ella James is one of my favorite stories, but I actually liked Ezra. Lane, not so much.
I'm sad that I didn't get to the spicier part of the story, but it took so long for them to finally touch each other that I just didn't care anymore; especially when every encounter, touching or not, ended in Lane having another mini-breakdown. I just don't have the patience.
Because of how much I loved the first book, I will definitely be continuing the series. I saw what this author is capable of in Head in the Game and I am excited to see what she comes up with next.
Some of my favorite stepbrother romances:
Feuds and Reckless Fury by K. Webster
Dirty Love by Bethany Winters
Wrath by Ella James
I still haven't read For the Fans yet, but I will soon. 💓
The pacing was too slow, and it didn't help that I don't normally like stories involving religious trauma and internalized homophobia. I thought I could overlook it. After all, Wrath by Ella James is one of my favorite stories, but I actually liked Ezra. Lane, not so much.
I'm sad that I didn't get to the spicier part of the story, but it took so long for them to finally touch each other that I just didn't care anymore; especially when every encounter, touching or not, ended in Lane having another mini-breakdown. I just don't have the patience.
Because of how much I loved the first book, I will definitely be continuing the series. I saw what this author is capable of in Head in the Game and I am excited to see what she comes up with next.
Some of my favorite stepbrother romances:
Feuds and Reckless Fury by K. Webster
Dirty Love by Bethany Winters
Wrath by Ella James
I still haven't read For the Fans yet, but I will soon. 💓
May 21, 2024
This reminded me of a cross between For the fans, Wrath, and Rent paid in full but not in a fun way.... I liked it better than the first one. At least they had sweet moments, but I still just don't get it?
This will probably work for the majority of the market. It has all the shit the booktok girlies love. The spice was decent, but overall it was just super tropey with lots of smut and not enough depth for the subject matter for my tastes. Lane and Noah were also kinda lacking in the chemistry department for me. The jump from hating each other to being in love felt super disjointed and kinda had me like???
Now, to my next point: There was absolutely no reason for it to be this long, and I say that as someone who read a 900-page romance recently. If you can justify the pages, fuck yeah I'll eat it up but here it just didn't feel necessary at all.
If you like spice between stepbrothers and haven't read too many of them, this will probably be a hit for you. At this point, I'm thinking that the trope is a little overdone as a whole (at least from my perspective), especially when nothing fresh is being added to it by the authors taking it on. Overall, it's a no from me.
Ratings:
⭐️⭐️.5
🌶🌶🌶🌶
This will probably work for the majority of the market. It has all the shit the booktok girlies love. The spice was decent, but overall it was just super tropey with lots of smut and not enough depth for the subject matter for my tastes. Lane and Noah were also kinda lacking in the chemistry department for me. The jump from hating each other to being in love felt super disjointed and kinda had me like???
Now, to my next point: There was absolutely no reason for it to be this long, and I say that as someone who read a 900-page romance recently. If you can justify the pages, fuck yeah I'll eat it up but here it just didn't feel necessary at all.
If you like spice between stepbrothers and haven't read too many of them, this will probably be a hit for you. At this point, I'm thinking that the trope is a little overdone as a whole (at least from my perspective), especially when nothing fresh is being added to it by the authors taking it on. Overall, it's a no from me.
Ratings:
⭐️⭐️.5
🌶🌶🌶🌶
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October 23, 2024
LANE DESERVES THE WORLD! His past was so hard to deal with, and Noah’s help was so touching and loving even with his sassy attitude. His obsession and protection of Lame made the scenes between them scorching hot — I loved it!
PTSD was handled well, and Lane’s courage in accepting himself against all odds filled my heart with pride for this boy who could finally decide for his own happiness. 🥹
Even though soccer is quite marginal along the story, I still enjoyed those little tense moments during the match, I LOOOVE COMPETITION, but being part of the same team doesn’t leave much room for rivalry (sigh).
Anyway, I'M STILL HOOKED. Looking forward to read the next to come! 🔥🔥
PTSD was handled well, and Lane’s courage in accepting himself against all odds filled my heart with pride for this boy who could finally decide for his own happiness. 🥹
Even though soccer is quite marginal along the story, I still enjoyed those little tense moments during the match, I LOOOVE COMPETITION, but being part of the same team doesn’t leave much room for rivalry (sigh).
Anyway, I'M STILL HOOKED. Looking forward to read the next to come! 🔥🔥
November 10, 2024
This was great though a little longer than I would have liked. I was starting to lose hope that Lane would make any progress at all .
I liked that the big reveal wasn’t actually big — no gasping or clutching of pearls at the fact that Lane and Noah were together. That was refreshing and not typical of the stepbro romances I’ve read so far.
The women in this were also better written, thank goodness. I don’t think I could have handled 480 pages of women indiscriminately throwing themselves at either Lane or Noah because they’re ✨athletes✨
I liked that the big reveal wasn’t actually big — no gasping or clutching of pearls at the fact that Lane and Noah were together. That was refreshing and not typical of the stepbro romances I’ve read so far.
The women in this were also better written, thank goodness. I don’t think I could have handled 480 pages of women indiscriminately throwing themselves at either Lane or Noah because they’re ✨athletes✨
May 26, 2024
3/5✨
While I liked Lane and Noah together as a couple, I wasn't as invested in them or the story as I hoped I would be. It was heartbreaking to read about Lane's upbringing and trauma, and I truly felt for him.♥︎ But, other than Lane's background, this plot felt weak, and a little too 'rinse and repeat' for me. And, overall, it lacked depth. However, I really enjoy Rebecca Rathe's writing, so I'm looking forward to the next one!
While I liked Lane and Noah together as a couple, I wasn't as invested in them or the story as I hoped I would be. It was heartbreaking to read about Lane's upbringing and trauma, and I truly felt for him.♥︎ But, other than Lane's background, this plot felt weak, and a little too 'rinse and repeat' for me. And, overall, it lacked depth. However, I really enjoy Rebecca Rathe's writing, so I'm looking forward to the next one!
May 2, 2024
I wish I could give this 10 stars!!! I loved Lane and Noah so much so that I wasn’t ready for their story to be over! Their chemistry was 🔥 and the spice was next level! Hannah I wanted to give a big hug to, my heart broke for her and Lane. I had all the emotions in this story and to me those are the best kinds!! I can’t wait to read what Rebecca puts out next!!
February 28, 2025
most similar book i’ve read to for the fans by nyla k and i loved it
July 14, 2024
Another step brother enemies to lovers MM romance?!
But wait… This book was so damn good. At first I wasn’t really sure if I’d like it but I ended up loving Lane and Noah.
Their dynamic was intense from the get go.
Noah grows up with his dad and step mom Hannah. Hanna’s is the daughter of a Christian cult leader and she is forced out leaving her son behind, whom she has as a teenager.
Lane grows up in a compound with his grandfather and is told his mother abandoned send him. When he finally goes to live with his mother, after his grandfather dies and the cult is exposed, he’s still unsure and wary of her, the outside world and especially Noah. His stepbrother.
Lane has PTSD and soon Noah figures out how to control and help Lane at the same time. Noah being very dominant and Lane unsure and submissive finds comfort in the way Noah can calm Lane down from his panic attacks and calm his mind by somewhat coercing him in to sexual acts.
Playing soccer on the same team in college and having to share a dorm room changes there dynamic from hate(lust) to comforting loving supportive roommates(soulmates) and Noah finds out the depth of the trauma Lane has been put through through out his childhood, and always being told that being gay is wrong. Noah recognizes Lanes struggles with his sexually and pushes him beyond his boundaries till he finally cracks and comes to terms with it.
Noah and Lane’s dynamic is so intense and passionate. Their heel each other and find a way to balance each other out and into a beautiful relationship (not stepbrothers) 🫠
This handles subjects such as cults, childhood trauma, conversion therapy, forbidden love and coming out.
Warning: ⚠️ very spicy 🥵😉
But wait… This book was so damn good. At first I wasn’t really sure if I’d like it but I ended up loving Lane and Noah.
Their dynamic was intense from the get go.
Noah grows up with his dad and step mom Hannah. Hanna’s is the daughter of a Christian cult leader and she is forced out leaving her son behind, whom she has as a teenager.
Lane grows up in a compound with his grandfather and is told his mother abandoned send him. When he finally goes to live with his mother, after his grandfather dies and the cult is exposed, he’s still unsure and wary of her, the outside world and especially Noah. His stepbrother.
Lane has PTSD and soon Noah figures out how to control and help Lane at the same time. Noah being very dominant and Lane unsure and submissive finds comfort in the way Noah can calm Lane down from his panic attacks and calm his mind by somewhat coercing him in to sexual acts.
Playing soccer on the same team in college and having to share a dorm room changes there dynamic from hate(lust) to comforting loving supportive roommates(soulmates) and Noah finds out the depth of the trauma Lane has been put through through out his childhood, and always being told that being gay is wrong. Noah recognizes Lanes struggles with his sexually and pushes him beyond his boundaries till he finally cracks and comes to terms with it.
Noah and Lane’s dynamic is so intense and passionate. Their heel each other and find a way to balance each other out and into a beautiful relationship (not stepbrothers) 🫠
This handles subjects such as cults, childhood trauma, conversion therapy, forbidden love and coming out.
Warning: ⚠️ very spicy 🥵😉
May 30, 2024
This was my first five star read in quite a while. It's an emotional read with a lot of conversion therapy trauma, so just be prepared for that. Overall it was executed really well. Loads of sexy times that were hot and the love between the two MC's just jumped off the page. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys MM.
July 6, 2024
Seriously one of the best books I’ve read so far this year. It really hit me hard. I choked up and cried so much. My heart was ripped apart and pieced back together. Lane. Poor, beautiful, broken boy. His first 14 years of life he lived with his grandfather, when his grandfather passes away, he goes to live with his mom, her husband and his stepbrother, Noah, who is only 3 weeks older than him. Lane grew up in a religious compound and had never been outside the walls, never watched tv, ate junk food, and so much more. He is in for a big culture shock. Noah is a typical boy who struggles accepting his stepbrother and understanding his new stepbrother. Noah hasn’t had the easiest time either and that becomes more clear as the book goes on. I won’t say more on that cause it’s Noah’s and Lane’s stories to tell. Two different nights at camp, years apart, change the course of their story though. They embark on a twisted and taboo journey that becomes healing and loving and oh so very hot! But it’s heartbreaking, hearing what Lane and his mom suffered through. Feeling their pain. Their pain is palpable. The author does an amazing job conveying not just the pain and heartbreak, but the chemistry, love, panic, confusion and the growth of these two young men. Their love story and journey of healing is wonderful and beautiful.
December 25, 2024
3⭐️
The use of sex as a coping mechanism in this particular context did not work for me.
The sex scenes, which were hot by the way, also felt like a checklist the author was crossing out, as well as the smut talks.
Most of my ratings are for the backstories and the here and there funny moments.
The use of sex as a coping mechanism in this particular context did not work for me.
The sex scenes, which were hot by the way, also felt like a checklist the author was crossing out, as well as the smut talks.
Most of my ratings are for the backstories and the here and there funny moments.
May 1, 2024
This was my first book by Rebecca and it won’t be my last. Lane and Noah’s story was simply beautiful. I didn’t expect to go through so many emotions reading this book. I didn’t have any expectations going into it and this book exceeded it. I did feel that there a little repetitiveness at times but overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Please read the triggers before reading.
Please read the triggers before reading.
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