Stringimi per sempre (Kensley Panthers Vol. 1)

Kensley Panthers #1

by Nicole Dykes, Alessandra Castellengo (translator)

Dopo la perdita del nonno, Kingston Wells è determinato a seguire l’unico insegnamento che la sua guida gli abbia mai lasciato: divertirsi finché si ha tempo per vivere. Sebbene le sue avventure lo mettano spesso in situazioni compromettenti, Kingston è deciso a continuare a far festa e trascinare con sé il suo migliore amico e compagno di squadra, il serio e responsabile Camden Prescott.

A diciotto anni, Camden ha preso seriamente il suo ruolo di uomo della famiglia, occupandosi della madre e badando alla sorellina. Nonostante le troppe pressioni della vita, sente di potercela fare e di poter puntare in alto, diventando un campione di football… Se solo Kingston e il resto del gruppo la smettessero di trascinarlo in guai che spetta a lui risolvere.

Tuttavia, più Kingston e Camden trascorrono il tempo insieme, più affiora qualcosa che cambierà per sempre le loro vite.

Genres: M M Romance, Friends To Lovers, Sports, Romance, Sports Romance, High School, LGBT

232 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 17, 2022

About the author

Nicole Dykes is a wife and a professional assistant/mom to two gorgeous girls. Currently residing in Kansas, she’s a lover of coffee, Kansas City Chiefs, and all things romance.

She's found her passion in writing M/M romance because love is love is love. Some popular works include Hostile, The Spark of Hope Series, and The Kensley Panthers Series!

Email at nicoledykes_author@yahoo.com

Or visit my website at Www.authornicoledykes.com

Reviews

[Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp · Rating 2 out of 5]

|| 1.5 stars ||

Damn. What a letdown.

I’m sorry, but I honestly found Kingston very annoying. Not only was he dense, self-centred and dramatic, his reaction to Cam telling him he’s been in love with him for as long as he can remember pissed me off. And not the part where he says he’s straight, so he doesn’t feel the same. No, that’s normal. The part I couldn’t stand was that after this revelation Kingston constantly asks questions like “what’s your type?”, “do you think I’m hot?”, “can you look at my dick for me, please?” and the kicker: “can you have sex with me so I can practice my sexual skills, because my girlfriend said I suck?” LIKE WTF. How selfish and narcissistic can you be to ask such questions when you KNOW your best friend is in love with you? God. It pissed me off. His whole vibe was just unlikable: I kinda hated the guy. And then when he started getting angry at Cam for not sticking up for “gay people”? Fucking excuse me? Kingston suddenly wants to play hero and just because Cam isn’t suddenly also up to that and would rather stay in hiding, little straight boy Kingston gets all self-righteous on him? Urgh. Fuck off, honestly.

And genuinely, I just had no idea why Cam was so into Kingston. He keeps saying he is like “sunshine” and “a light in the dark”, but I didn’t see that at all. All Kingston did was be selfish, demand things from Cam and be generally stupid as hell. I didn’t see much of a deeper bond between them either. Kingston literally doesn’t even admit his romantic feelings until the very end. Cam honestly deserved so much better. I mean, even though he had zero personality; at least he wasn’t an arse. The whole thing was just odd.

This book was genuinely repetitive, overly simple, boring and even frustrating. The writing was pretty damn bad too. I didn’t like it at all, which is a shame since I was actually looking forward to reading this.


Nicole Dykes books:
Hostile - 4.0 stars
Outcast - 2.0 stars
Keeper - 1.5 stars

[Renae Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keeper is a wonderful low-angst best friends to lovers small town romance. Kingston and Camden are so darn precious, their love and devotion to one another is perfectly captured in this story. I read Keeper in one sitting because I was so enraptured with their friendship and seeing their love for one another in such an earnest way develop and grow.

Camden and Kingston are in their senior year of high school. They are best friends and care deeply for one another. Everything begins to change once Camden's sexuality is uncovered and Kingston decides he wants to be his best friends safe place for exploring his sexuality. Of course feelings and watching Camden and Kingston navigate their the surprise depth of their feelings is so much fun to see. They are both so selfless with one another, making their feelings so pure and heartfelt.

Overall, this author has such immense talent in crafting stories where you feel dropped into a world where you instantly connect and feel like you have known these characters forever. Keeper is no exception, it is another great entry in her long list of quality stories where the characters have huge hearts with well earned HEAs.

[ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I’ve been looking for a book with this setting plus trope for a while now. Childhood best friends, small town of Kensley, Kansas where Friday nights are dedicated to high school football and the players are kings. Even though I’ve never seen the show Friday Night Lights, it’s what I imagine the vibes are like but make it MM romance.

”I saw the look in his eyes right before he passed that ball downfield. I felt the energy and the love of the game—not just the game, but also the town—crackling through the air just before I caught it.”

Small town
Childhood best friends
Co-dependency
Football is life
GFY
High School seniors
Perfect epilogue
No-low angst

The Sweetest Boys:
Camden Prescott - quarterback, son of a single mother, stifled in his small town, quietly pining for his straight best friend, takes care of his little sister
Kingston Wells - tight end, head cheerleader girlfriend, golden boy of the school, loves his town, the oblivious one, the best best friend, flies by the seat of his pants (you’ll see)

Aww, I’m really going to miss them.

[moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars ☆

super cute and soft!! Kingston and Camden were precious and deserve all the love. <3 i think Nicole Dykes just writes the low-angst, soft romances in this type of setting (similar to Hostile) so well. 🥺

[Pauline · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was okay.
It kept me nice company during a stressful travel day but I also wasn’t completely sold on the story.
They were very sweet together but the set up was a bit far fetched?

Because, it went like this:
‚hey bestie I’m gay and I’m in love with you!‘
‚Oh okay, I’m straight and my ex just told me I’m a bad lay with a tiny dick, wanna fuck so u can tell me if I suck at sex and you can gain gay sex experience?‘
‚Okay, sure, let’s.’

They never talk about Camden confessing his love for Kingston and just go on fucking and being all couple-y and Kingston doesn’t question his sexuality while still getting hard at just the smallest whiff of Camden. But OKAY, BRUV, SURE YOU‘RE STRAIGHT!
Also the Kennedy drama was a bit much, the characters read very much their age, so quite juvenile and I have no patience for people like Camden’s mum - she drove me bonkers.

But anyway, like I said, the audio kept me entertained during the plane ride, the narrators did a good job and it was included in audible so I’m not complaining (too much) 🤷‍♀️

[D.L. Howe · Rating 5 out of 5]

You ever feel like you have the weight of the world on your shoulders? That’s exactly how Camden Prescott feels. His list of responsibilities is getting longer, taking care of his family and keeping his best friend Kingston out of trouble is at the top.

And Kingston loves trouble or is it the other way around? He’s Cam’s polar opposite, Kingston loves his life and he only wants to have a good time. Until it all becomes a little too real when he discovers that Cam wants out of their small town.

Being gay in a small town is hard, especially a small town in the Bible Belt. You don’t just worry about what your friends and family will think but the whole community. And 9 times out of 10, they’re not gonna be too pleased and that’s being nice.

I feel strongly connected to Cam, I had to grow up too soon as well. Plus with him being gay I wish I was his mom because I’d know and I’d never let him go through it on his own. I’m feeling a bit emotional because I got a call from my trans son’s school telling me he had to use the nurse’s restroom. (Because he wasn’t welcome in the girls or boys) You see even when they’re being all inclusive the bad stuff still seeps in. So, bless LeAnn for trying to be someone he could rely on with his secret.

I’m emotionally indebted to these characters, the way they’re pulling apart while they desperately cling to one another. Camden wants out and Kingston is scared to consider anything outside of his small world.

The first half I fell in love with Cam and in the second half I fell just as hard for Kingston. These guys, they just give me all the freaking feels.

It’s funny to me thinking of Lawrence as a big town, I automatically think of The Get Up Kids song 10 Minutes. But I suppose when you come from a town with 1 or 2 stoplights, it is pretty big.

Love is selfless and this beautiful story about Kingston and Cam is the embodiment of that.

I was provided an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Quotes:

“It means I need out of here. Kensley is crushing me.”
I want more than anything for him to understand, but he only looks even more hurt and confused. “I am Kensley. This is all I’ve ever known. All I ever really want to know. If you escape Kensley, you’re escaping me.”

“I want more. So much more than a town with two stoplights. With small-minded people. I’m tired of carrying so many burdens around. I want to live in a big city where people won’t judge me for who I am.”

“Totally. You had to listen to me talk about boobs for years. If I’d have known you were into dicks instead of boobs, maybe I’d have shut up about it. But probably not. So, you have a lot of dick talk to make up for.”

“Camden,” I breathe against his mouth, my fingers trailing over the thin strip of hair from his bellybutton to his jeans. “I’m whatever you need me to be. I missed you so much.”

“Boys, you’re letting out all the heat.” My dad. Shit.
Oh, well. I move to Camden’s side and wrap my arm behind his back, standing tall. “I’m in love with Camden. We’re going to be together, somehow. But I’m in love with him.”
Camden’s body goes completely rigid, and for a moment, I think I may have messed up. Maybe we should have talked about this first, but I’m pretty sure my dad saw my lips on his a moment ago, and I’m not ashamed of Camden.
Not now. Not ever. And I meant what I said last Thanksgiving. If my dad can’t accept it, he’ll lose a son.
He stands still for a moment, studying us, and then gives a nod. Though, I’m not sure what it means. “Okay. But you’re still letting the heat out of the house.”

[Rina Pride · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars! Esse livro é tipo assim.... "Meu melhor amigo que é gay, eu sou apenas o peguete hetero dele" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 No início o Kingston me pareceu aqueles melhores amigos sem noção que te pede coisas que vão mais encrencar sua vida do que ajudar, mas no decorrer o cara conseguiu evoluir mentalmente.

Fiquei com ódio da mãe do Cam, para mim não existe papo de engravidar sem querer. Desde o momento que você abre as pernas para alguém sabe que pode engravidar se não usar proteção ou tomar pílula. Esse mi-mi-mi da mãe do Cam no final com gravidez sem querer foi bem ridículo, não existe porra de engravidar sem querer. Ainda bem que ela não ferrou com a vida do Cam ou eu entraria nesse livro e daria fim nela( sim, fico puta com personagens fictícios) o problema é que na vida real existe mulheres sem noção assim. Vergonha dessas bestas.

Bem, eu poderia ter dado uma nota melhor, mas achei que a história teve algumas coisas meio mal aproveitadas, mesmo assim gostei da história. Nada muito incrível mas gostei do Cam e do King 😘

[Stacy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Camden Prescott is his world’s keeper.

Camden has been keeping his family running smoothly for as long as he can remember. He works jobs to help his mom out with bills, he constantly watches his little sister when his mom has to work and works hard to keep his grades up and play sports.

Kingston and Camden live in a small town in Kansas and have been best friends since they were four. Camden is gay and is nervous about anyone finding out. He just wants to get into a good college on a scholarship and get out of there so that he can start being his true self.

One night, Camden lets it out that he has been in love with Kingston for years and Kingston handles it really well. Kingston is feeling insecure because his vindictive ex-girlfriend told him he’s bad in the sack and has a small dick. Kingston keeps asking Cam for his opinion on it, which leads them to come to an arrangement where Kingston will help Cam gain some gay sexual experience and Kingston will get some additional feedback about his bedroom skills.

“Let me do this for you, Camden,” I breathe against his lips. “Let me give you a safe space to be yourself.”

“What are you getting from this?” he asks, his vulnerable honesty nearly crippling me at the moment. “You.”

As the story progresses, you can see how these two are falling for each other (ok, Camden was already in love with him), but you can watch it blossom into something more. It might take Kingston a minute to realize what exactly is going on with them, but he continually wants to be with Camden. And the sex between them is fantastic!

I think back to his desperate moans and the way his fingers dug into my flesh when he came. I couldn’t wipe the goofy grin off my face if I tried. Fuck, he’s hot. Never thought I’d think that, but I do now.

Kingston is so great in this story! He is incredibly supportive and will stand up to anyone that even seems like they might be spouting homophobic slurs. He sticks up for Camden at every opportunity. He even talks to Cam’s mom about how she hasn’t been treating him fairly. He’s a ray of sunshine and he refuses to let Camden feel bad about himself for anything. This was a sweet and steamy friends-to-lovers book.

I don’t think he should hide who he is for anyone. Fuck them all if they can’t see how beautiful he is, inside and out.

*** I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews and this is my honest opinion. ***

[Gloria (in a slump? idk) · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you're in the mood for a childhood bestfriends-to-lovers MM sports romance set in a small town, don't walk, run (in fact take a damn uber) cause you're gonna wanna pick this up ASAP! 🥰

"I have one type and one type only—Kingston Wells."

I will never ever sleep on a good highschool bestfriends-to-lovers MM romance. Ever. It's my kryptonite. Throw in:
_3 cups of one-sided pining
_2 tbsps of "i want him but can never have him, our friendship is more important"
_5 tbsps of banter, sleeping in each other's bed, and waiting at each other's lockers
_2 ounces of bi-awakening
_5 pounds of "wtf why am I checking out my bestie's 🍆 ?!"
AND most importantly,
_100 pounds of cuddles and soft moments!!!

Throw all that together and istg you'll have me salivating like one of Pavlov's dogs 🤤🤌🏾

"He makes me want to be better. To do better. Everything is better with him. And I’ll make damn sure the rest of my life is totally full of him. My best friend. My whole world."

Camden and Kingston are high school seniors who've spent their entire lives in a small town. Camden is the football team's QB who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders and Kingston is the golden retriever happy go-lucky boy who's motto is to have as much fun as possible. I resonated so much with Camden's character and I think his situation was so realistically portrayed. I loved him so much. I loved how much he cared for everyone but still knew he had to do what was best for himself and his future. And KINGSTON!! This mf-er had me almost in tears with his unwavering support for his bestfriend and his heart of gold ughhh!

Ultimately, these two were so sweet together!!! Ahhhhh! I am still squealing! I loved how well they communicated with each other, and how clearly I could feel the bond between them. This one gets my stamp of approval y'all 👏🏾👏🏾

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"He makes me want to be better. To do better. Everything is better with him."

I read a lot of dark MM romance, both dark fantasy and dark contemporary work, so it's really nice every now and then to read something cute and wholesome and low-angst (not to mention steamy!) by way of a 'palate cleanser' of sorts.

Books like Keeper by Nicole Dykes really are my go-to comfort reads, and I have to say this is my favourite Nicole Dykes MM book since Immoral - I absolutely loved it!

Keeper is a best friends-to-lovers, small town, high school, sports romance between the gorgeous (straight) Kingston and his bestie (gay) Camden, who are both stars of the football field and kings in their town.

Camden dreams of getting away and being his true, authentic self at college, where he doesn't have to remain closeted from everyone, including Kingston. Kingston on the other hand, adores his sleepy town and wants nothing more than to stay there forever.

But when Camden confesses his true feelings and sexuality to Kingston, and his intention to leave, Kingston realises that maybe he's not so set in his ways - or his sexuality - either.

Love love loved everything about this!❣️

ALL THE STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

Keeper was a sweet low-angst best-friends-to-lovers story. It had many of the tropes I love. First time, sweet/devoted best friend, profoundly emotional love, and bi-awakening. Goodness. Once I picked it up, I couldn't put it down. There were so many wonderful sweet moments that I caught myself smiling.

Camden feels trapped in his small town. He carries a heavy burden on his young shoulders as he tries to help out his mother and little sister. He also feels that he can never be his true self in a small, closed-minded town. He wants to escape and go far away but leaving also means leaving behind the best friend he loves so much.

Kingston cares deeply for his best friend Camden and is hurt when he finds out that not only does he want to leave their small town behind but that he was hiding an important part of himself because he feared he would reject him. However, he shows boundless love and support as he soon realizes his love for his best friend is deeper than he thought.

They explore their sexuality, becoming one another's safe space, and Kingston slowly starts to fall in love. You can't help but cheer for them as they navigate the transition from high school to college/adult life. I love how they fiercely wanted to protect each other from hatefulness and homophobia. While it was low-angst, I got emotional many times as Nicole's writing pulled me in and held me hostage.

I discovered Nicole Dykes's work this year with the Spark of Hope series, and she has captivated me with her writing and characters ever since. Keeper was no different.

Overall, this was a wonderfully written adolescent love story. If you love stories that have best friends to lovers, bi-awakening, and well earned happy endings - this is it.

I am also excited that there will be more books in this series!

**I received a complimentary copy and this is my honest review**

[Megan [At The Cottage] · Rating 3 out of 5]

MM Romance
GFY Best Friends to Lovers
3 Stars ⭐️


I don’t know what to say about this book except that I think this author and I are incompatible but it’s all a bit bizarre tbh. I find this author’s writing so easy to get absorbed in like when I pick up one of her books, it just pulls me in and makes me feel. This book is probably low to no angst but it made me teary at times and I adored both characters flaws and all. Anytime I read a book set in high school I expect some level of dumbassery especially because it’s teen boys and they think with their dicks so I wasn’t surprised this took a friends with benefits route at all. What didn’t quite work for me was how it came about because Camden not only came out to Kingston but told him he’d been in love with him for years and somehow the love part went over Kingston’s head because next thing he’s asking Camden what type of guys he’s into, if he wants some gay practice and all these other weird questions that were too wtf for me even in a high school setting. He’s into you dumbass! His type is YOU.

I was once a dumbass 18 year old too and I found out by accident that one of my only guy friends was in love with me. I went to an all girls school for high school 💀 yet we had all these events with the all boys school nearby. I really couldn’t stand the majority of them because I wasn’t into jocks but Shawn was in my psychology class senior year that was open to both high schools. He was adorably nerdy and we became fast friends and even went to winter formal together but we were always just friends. I was always attracted to bad boys, the broken moody ones I still read about to this day but thankfully didn’t marry 😂 and Shawn was around a lot when I was crying over some dumb guy. He became like this safe space for me to just be myself and him, my best friend and I used to hang out a lot doing homework, going out to eat, cuddling while watching movies etc. One night I was using my best friend’s AOL account (does AOL even exist anymore? 😂) and he messaged me thinking it was her. It was clear that they’d talked about his feelings for me a lot from what he said to her (me) because it was pining and he said “I hate that Megs keeps getting hung up on all these guys who treat her like shit when I’m here in love with her and she only sees me as a friend”. I was shocked because he never acted like he wanted more from me and yah we used to cuddle and I’d wear his hoodies but he used to do that with my best friend too. Of course after learning this I didn’t know wtf to do. It felt amazing because no one to my knowledge had ever been in love with me before but I had only seen us as really close friends. I have a really bad poker face and a week later when I saw him, I came clean that I was on her account much to his horror. It put us in this weird territory where I didn’t know how to act around him because I didn’t want to give him false hope and hurt him. I adored him though so it was hard for me to know how he felt about me and not try to be more somehow, to give him more of me even if it wasn’t fair to either of us. Teenage dumbassery at its finest. The difference between these book characters and us was that I held myself back because I just couldn’t live with myself if I hurt him and we did end up needing some time apart only for us to reunite after we’d been in college for a few years and become close again. I wish I could say we were still friends but him and I went on to destroy our friendship in spectacular fashion in 2009. It was a total shitshow 💔

ANYWAY point is. I couldn’t believe when Kingston learned his childhood best friend was in love with him that his response was to do gay practice in a safe space while he gets his confidence back from his last relationship. Kingston, who does all this stuff for Camden that was sweet and never wants to hurt him pressures him into having this casual thing with him. What? That’s too asinine for me because obviously when it ends it will break Camden’s heart. I would have been on board if Camden had come out as gay but never mentioned the love part to Kingston because then the friends with benefits thing they had going on wouldn’t have bothered me as much. It’s the clueless defense and while at it Kingston could have had this epiphany that he wanted more or whatever but instead it just didn’t work for me. And then just like in Hostile, I wanted to strangle this author for separating them physically. I understood Camden wanting to leave small town Kansas and I understood Kingston not wanting to go to college but why couldn’t Kingston have gone with Camden to do landscaping there? You can do landscaping fucking anywhere. It also didn’t make sense for Kingston to want to stay in their small town because if he loved Camden, even as a friend, and saw how bigoted the town was and how much fear Cam had just being there, you’d think he’d think twice about staying there forever. His reasons for not wanting to leave were ridiculous and for them to be kept apart by distance at that point based on it just irritated me. It was just angst that had no reason existing because the solution was easy. Don’t get me started on their Thanksgiving I love you’s either. I went from liking this book to just being put off by it and that brings me back to the start.

This. Author. I have never read anything by this author that hasn’t bugged the crap out of me somehow. Even in the one book I truly liked, Stalked But Not Afraid, I absolutely hated the ending because it made no fucking sense. I obviously like things to make sense and while sometimes I can overlook shit, I have read every MM book by this author except for 3 of them and every single one has sucked me in and then at about 70%, I have either wanted to DNF it or something ruins it for me at some level. It’s so damn disappointing to get more than halfway through a book only to have it go downhill. At this point it has to be me and not the author right? Because people seem to really enjoy her stories and no matter how teary eyed I become, no matter how much I like the characters or the writing style or the sex scenes, I am ALWAYS put off by something and I never rate her books higher than 3 stars. So, I think it’s time for me to take a step back from this author for awhile, for my own sanity.

[Lars · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kingston Wells is selfish, childish, stupid, annoying, and gives small dick energy. He is my enemy and I hate him. Camden deserves better.

With Kingston, it’s always about “me, me, me” and if he doesn’t get what he wants, he throughs a fit.

Hated how he reacted to Camden coming out to him. I just knew that he would get all weird about it and ask questions like “can you look at my dick since you’re gay” or “so you think I’m hot?”

Also, he kept peer pressuring Camden into doing things, like their first kiss and talking about Camdens type in men, which clearly Camden didn’t want to talk about or do because it made him uncomfortable.

Overall, Kingston accomplished at making football a personality trait.

[Ash&#x1f349; · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️3.5⭐️

Thanks to GRR for the arc ❤️

Keeper was such a sweet best friends to lovers story. Camden and Kingston have been best friends for years, and while Kingston is carefree and enjoying his life in Kensley, Camden feels like the weight of the world is on him and can’t wait to escape for college.

Camden lives with him mom and sister Lucy, and spends most of his time working or taking care of Lucy. He’s also gay which no one knows about because he’s afraid of the hate he’d receive from the bigoted people in his small town. Between his secret and the stress of having to be depended on so much by his family, Camden really feels like as long as he lives in Kensley he can never truly be happy. The only problem is that he’s in love with his best friend, and Kingston has no intentions of ever leaving their home town.

“You can do that here. You don’t need to run.”
“I do.” I point to my chest. “I really do. I’m drowning here. And you don’t see it because you don’t want to.”

Not long after Kingston breaks up with his ex girlfriend Kennedy, Camden finally tell’s the truth about his sexuality and of course Kington takes it well. So well in fact that he suggests that he and Cam start hooking up for purposes that benefit them both. Kennedy knocked Kingston’s confidence after the break up, and Cam has never had any sexual experiences, so why not kill two birds with one stone and rebuild Kingstons confidence while giving Cam the experiences he’s never had a chance to have?

“You could get some gay-sex practice, and I can find out if I suck at sex. And if I do, I can improve. See? Win, win.”

You can imagine what comes next so I won’t go any further, but it honestly was such a wonderfully cute and angst free read. Definitely a refreshing take on this trope.

You definitely have to be open to some crazy ideas and a lot of obviousness to enjoy the book but if you can handle those it’s well worth it for a sweet read.

The only thing I didn’t love was how long it took Kingston to realise his feelings. It was pretty obvious how in love they both were and even Cam should’ve realised it. I initially thought Kingston was the oblivious one but by the end they were both pretty oblivious to the obvious.

Also Kingston seemed to forget the Cam had already told him he was in love with him? And later still doubted Cam’s feelings? It was a bit weird.

There was no talk about Kingstons sexuality either even though I expected something since he mentioned at the start that he didn’t understand the bit hype around sex when he was dating Kennedy, and he had thoughts that made it seem like gender didn’t really matter to him when it came to loving Cam so I thought those moments would be brought up and talked about further but they weren’t.

Not that I mind when authors don’t define their characters sexuality because it’s not necessary, I had just thought we were getting hints towards a conversation that was going to happen and was sort of waiting for it but that’s my own fault lol.

[juli✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

❝hell of a game, qb.❞ i roll my eyes, but i can’t hold back the smile on my face.
❝don’t call me that. we’ve known each other since we were four. it’s weird.❞
❝aw, you’ll always be my quarterback though.❞

keeper is a great example of how to write a low-angst, feel good, best friends-to-lovers story that still feels fresh and engaging.


it also doesn't hurt that kingston and cam were the best couple to ever couple. while kingston was a bit dense at times, it was actually charming and cute. meanwhile, cam had me wanting to wrap him in the biggest hug.


all in all, keeper was a quick, cute, low-angst, friends-to-lovers, sports romance.

[taylor :) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so good!!! This author never lets me down. I can devour her books in one sitting, which I did with this one. My sweet, sweet Camden. In the book (this isn’t spoilery), he has to help look out for his 5 year old sister while his single mother has to work. Because of this, he misses out on a lot of fun things with his friends. When I was reading these parts, I wanted to scream at Camden for having to give up his teenage years to help raise a child. But, I would remember that I’ve been in his shoes. I know what it’s like to have to watch your younger siblings so your parents can work. I know what it’s like to have to give them your birthday card money, so they can pay bills. I know what it’s like to sit at home while all your friends are out doing stuff. You hate it, but at the same time you feel guilty for hating it. This author captured these feelings perfectly. I am so in love with her writing. I am also so happy she wrote a character like Kingston. What a man. He’s always there to support his best friend. I think if I had a friend like him when I was stuck at home watching my siblings, it would have made a difference. What wonderful characters this author writes. Except for Kennedy. I wanted to punch her. You will too when you meet her. Oh and also, the sex!!!!!! Oh my god. This author writes the best spicy scenes. They are always nice and long and detailed. YUM!!! So good. Anyway. In conclusion, this book was lovely, and I had such mushy feelings about it. I was definitely kicking my feet and giggling while reading this. Please read this book!!!!!! Kick your feet and giggle with me!!!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"My best friend is gay and in love with me."

Star Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
POV: Dual
HEA: Yes
Spice Rating: 4/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

ARC provided in exchange for an honest review

Overall Opinion
Aaaahhh Nicole made me cry yet again!! She really knows how to weave a good story to get all the feels going! Kingston and Camden were so perfect, and witnessing these two go through obstacles galore hurt but the ending is so worth it!! Kingston outwardly seems to have no cares in the world and is almost never serious who plans to stay in Kensley, Kansas forever, whereas Camden is the opposite, carrying so much on his shoulders including his desire to leave the small town and never look back. Both have been best friends for as long as they can remember, but Camden is keeping a secret that could make or break their friendship - he is in love with Kingston. These two were absolutely divine and Nicole never fails to write amazing complex characters and plotlines to keep your attention the entire time, whilst making you feel all the emotions. Overall I adored this book and cannot wait for the rest of the series!

Read if you like:
❣️ M/M Romance
❣️ High School
❣️ Small Town
❣️ Bi-Awakening
❣️ Football
❣️ Best Friends-to-Lovers

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to write all the things because I absolute adore this book. Nicole has, yet again, filled my soul with so much love. This book was everything I could have hope it would be and even more.

Camden may have been 18 and a senior in high school but he was basically living as a surrogate father to his 4 yo sister since both of their fathers had bailed and their mom worked several job just to get by. In fact, Cam worked any job he could get to help make ends meet, that is when he wasn’t at school or football practice. He had no life outside of home and school. He was far to young to be burden with such heavy responsibilities. He was also living with a huge secret and the horrible fear of being outed in his small-minded town, which was why he worked so hard to get out. The one bright spot in his life was his best friend, Kingston.

Kingston was was all fun and sunshine. He loved living in their small town. He felt like a king and never considered living. He the best friend Camden needed. He was always understanding and helped Cam’s family whenever he could. He often forfeited going out with their other friends to chill with Cam and his sister. While he did have a girlfriend, he was changing but that relationship wasn’t. He was left feeling very vulnerable when that ended. And once Cam shared his truth, King proposed a bit of friends with benefits situation.

Cam could truly be himself with Kingston. And Kingston was so open with Cam. They shared pieces of themselves with each other that no one else knew. They were safe together. And as confusing as their evolving friendship became, their love solidified beyond simple companionship. Kingston was gentle and passionate with Cam. And Cam was able to come alive! Their intimacy was bliss!!

This book is not without angst though. Camden’s home life is stressful and becomes more so the closer he gets to graduation, the fear of homophobia in their town was very warranted, they had to deal with Kingston’s vindictive ex and the boys had to face life beyond high school apart.

Their love was joy to read. Their journey to find their way on their own and back together felt natural and so sweet. Camden and Kingston have my heart forever!

I received an ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

[magic_of_darkness_and_books · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe my expectations were very different and that's one of the reasons for my low rating.

I don't want to rate this book low because one of my all-time favorite books is by Nicole Dykes (Bruised But Not Broken), but I can't rate it higher than that.

I've seen many of my friends love this book so maybe it's a me, not the book situation? Anyway, I expected this book to be warmer and it wasn't. For me, it had this heavy undertone all the time.

I didn't enjoy the plot too. Also, somehow I ended up not liking Cam more than Kingston. Even though Kingston was driving me crazy a lot of times. I understand why Cam wanted out of that city but why all the time he was "I can't stay." and then Kingston "I can't leave." I understood both of them but I didn't like how the whole book followed this narrative.

Anyway, I'm happy to see most of my friends enjoyed this book a lot! 💜

[TrippyBooks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was not a fan. The audio was good so i was able to finish fairly easy but i wouldn’t recommend it.

I hated how Kingston reacted & behaved after Camden confessed. He was just deeply unserious.

[LifeReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the main things I love about Nicole’s writing is how she perfectly pitches the dialogue and plot to the age of the characters. As this is about two 18 year old end of high schoolers, it really did feel like they were that age, not written in too mature of a nature. I love that.

I really really loved this story. Camden and Kingston are just pure joy. Kingston had me laughing at some of his comments, checking online if you could die from blue balls is such a lad thing and I really enjoyed that boyish side of him.

Camden is different. He has had to mature earlier than most due to home life, but he is still young an naive and desperate to escape the small town.

This was such an honest story. Loved the build up, the angst was not the predictable kind which again I loved, even though angst level is low. Their chemistry was undeniable and so hot at points.

You really did feel like you were on this journey with them and were watching the love develop.

A couple of side characters have got my interest, moody Bates in particular.

Loved it. Felt really good after reading it. All the feels.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Because it’s really the only time I can feel free. That—and now, when I kiss Kingston. It feels like flying in a way I’ve never experienced before. And God help me, I don’t want it to end.”

Ya’ll, this book was so damn good. I could not put it down!! Keeper, by Nicole Dykes, just did it for me. I am a huge fan of friends-to-lovers, then add in sexual awakening, and I am a goner. ❤️❤️

Camden and Kingston were amazing. Pure and simple. Their friendship was beautiful, but their love was EPIC! I had serious butterflies from their sweet moments, and their heated ones had my toes curling. 🔥

Kingston stole my heart. Talk about an amazing best friend. He was always there for Camden, assisting with his family, providing support while Camden came out to him, helping with his “sexual exploration,” and just every other thing he did. I don’t want to spoil all the fun for you, but trust me, he is the best! ❤️🌈❤️ Camden was amazing too, but I definitely had a soft spot for Kingston.

Favorite quote: “He makes me want to be better. To do better. Everything is better with him. And I’ll make damn sure the rest of my life is totally full of him. My best friend. My whole world.”

I have loved everything I’ve read by @, so I wasn’t surprised that I loved this one as well. Make sure you read this asap when it releases!! You will not be disappointed!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Crystal (Crystalreads2) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author never disappoints. She has quickly become a one-click author for me.

Kingston and Camden how been best friends since there were four. Now eighteen and both seniors in high school in a small town man’s stars of their football team. But Caden has a secret that even Kingston doesn’t know. Camden is afraid of what the repercussions would be if anyone found out.

These two melted my heart. The love between the two pours off the pages. Camden is selfless and kind-hearted. While Kingston is afraid of change, he is fiercely protective and will sacrifice anything for his best friend.

The journey between the two is fantastic. Did I tell you that I swore off High school romance? I did until now, and so happy I gave it a chance. I love the dynamic between the two—such a sweet and spicy read.

[Peppa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I expected something different but it still was such a good story!
It’s a sweet, slow burn, bi-awakening, fiends to lovers, school romance.
Camden and Kingston have been best friends since they were little and it showed us how deeply their connection, love and trust for each other is, it was such a delight to read this.
Camden is gay not outed beides to his friend Kingston who is such a supportive best friend. But he struggles with insecurities when it comes to intimacy.
Since Camden has no one to talk and can’t risk to get caught he remained until now, a virgin. And Kingston someday got the idea that since both has there struggles, they could fool around with each other and try things out and „practice“.
I adored both characters so much they had my heart the whole time and their dynamic was also absolutely heartwarming.I’m really glad I picked this one up.

⭐️4,5

[Ditte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kingston: my gf was really mean when she dumped me and said I had a small dick :( since we're besties, can you look at it and tell me if she's right?
Camden: actually, i'm gay and in love with you so it's prob a dumb idea but sure, anything for my bestie
Kingston: … she also said i was a bad lay 👀
Camden: 👀

And then they hook up so Camden can get gay sex experience and Kingston can get feedback on his skills in the sack.

You know how sometimes a book is really dumb but it's somehow exactly what you need right then? That's me and this book. Also, the narrators are so great.

[haletostilinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐︎ 4.25 stars rounded down! ⭐︎

This didn't quite capture the magic of Hostile, but this was still very good and enjoyable, and definitely better than Outcast.

I knew this author could write really well, so I was determined to give her another chance and I'm glad I did.

This was very enjoyable. I loved both Camden and Kingston, two best friends who have known each other since they were like 4 years old, having grown up in the same small town in rural Kansas their whole lives.

The problem, though, is that Kingston is seemingly straight, and Camden is gay, in the closet and in love with Kingston.

Kingston has a girlfriend, but they break up fairly early in the story, and when it finally comes out from Camden why he so badly wants to leave their small town - when Kingston loves their small town and doesn't want to leave, and thought Camden didn't want to either - that changes things between the two best friends.

At first, Kingston proposes they fool around as a way for Camden to experience being with a man safely in their small town for the first time, and for Kingston to gain back his confidence, as when he broke up with his girlfriend, she threw mean words at him - that he had a small dick and was a horrible lay - and because his best friend won't lie to him and if he was bad at sex, then he can practice at getting better with Camden.

Camden is resistant at first, afraid of getting hurt, but he gives in soon enough, happy to have any part of Kingston he can get.

My only real gripe with this book is that when Camden confesses that he's in love with Kingston, there wasn't too much of a reaction from Kingston, and they both just kind of ignore that confession a majority of the time and don't talk about it, at all. Kingston kind of just acts like Camden didn't say that and like everything is normal. They just sometimes think about it once or twice throughout this until they're confessing their love late in the book.

I guess I just don't get why it was so heavily ignored and never talked about between them? It was almost like a non-issue until they both confess they're in love with each other.

Also, when they start fooling around, Kingston is very into it. He's very attracted to Camden and I don't get why he didn't have any freaked out thoughts about like "oh but I'm straight, how can I be so into my best friend?"

They sneaked around for months their senior year of high school and Kingston maintained that whole time, even as these two got to full on fucking.

And then months go by after they end it and there's no thoughts from Kingston on what his sexuality could be, no wondering from him, not even thoughts about how he's having feelings for Camden and that's scary because wait, isn't he supposed to be straight? Like we don't even get his internal thoughts from thinking he's just helping out his friend and helping out himself to "oh man Im in love with him" he just kind of...gets there.

I just wish we had gotten a better development of Kingston's feelings when it came to Camden.

I still very much enjoyed these two together. They had great chemistry, and I really was able to buy their friendship. The love these two had for each other was immense and I think Kingston showing that so well, even when he wasn't having much needed thoughts about it, really helped this story so much.

Because if we didn't see just how much Kingston loves Camden is so many ways, then I wouldn't have bought it when he says he's in love with Camden. But I totally bought it - I just wanted to see Kingston's thoughts about it, maybe struggling with realizing he's falling for or is already in love with his best friend, definitely attracted to him, but then coming to terms with it.

Instead all talk about feelings is basically ignored until they confess. That's my main gripe throughout this.

But the showing made up for a lot where some telling was actually needed in this, in my opinion.

But Kingston was so soft with Camden, so loving, so protective. His love for Cam radiated off the page. I just needed him to think it consciously as well haha.

So this is definitely a solid 4.25 stars for me. A definite improvement from her "Outcast" book, and I hope to get more stories like this one and Hostile from this author in the future.

I definitely recommend this one, it's definitely two big thumbs up from me! Can't wait from more from this author in the future!😘🥰😍

[⋆｡°✮ Lucy InTheSky ✮°｡⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anyone else?

Does anyone see that pink elephant in the room that is mentioned at the beginning of the book and it's preeeettyyy damn important and then gets adressed only at the very end?

"You said you were in love with me once."




He did, actually. Camden did say that. When he came out to his BFF, he told Kingston also that he's in love with him and has been, his whole life.
But as much as I, as a reader, find this information life-changing and extremely important, much more important than coming out to the bestie, this sweet intel gets ignored, literally, until the very end of the book.

Kingston focuses solely on Camden being gay and asking him what's his type and if he's willing to get some practice in before heading to college, but point blank ignoring the fact that Camden loves him.




So the whole story of the gay-for-you, the sex, the feelings and the moving away until finally getting together happens AROUND that fact.
Not once is Kingston conflicted about it, he's not pondering over it, he's not even thinking about it.
No wonder that elephant is drinking.


Despite the story beeing a sweet one with not much angst and likeable characters, I can't seem to get around that fact.

Because it would make so much more sense if Camden revealed his feelings when Kingston came to his own conclusion of him wanting to be with Camden, when he came home for Thanksgiving. That would be the moment where Camden could say he's really been in love with him for all these years and bam!, perfect love story, the end.


Can't give it more than 3.5⭐.

[Lisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 stars.

I nearly DNF’d at several points.

I wasn’t a fan of the main characters, the secondary characters, the interactions and dialogue between all of the characters (it didn’t ring true at all), the chopping and changing between MC’s pov, the weird internal monologing and the overall book.

Some of the sexy bits were alright but overall I definitely wouldn’t recommend this book.

Sorry to be a negative Nora!!!

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

Loved this a bit more than book 3 because of Kingston.

If making it work was a person 🥰

My only gripe is the whole 'I think I've always been in love with him'. That's actually my biggest issue with friends to lovers trope. For God's sake, it's OKAY for one person to fall in love later than the other. It wouldn't make their feelings less valid. We don't have to rewrite history.

A good book.

[Sheena · Rating 3 out of 5]

reread March 2023

3.5/5 stars

I’m a sucker for friends to lovers. So it’s no wonder that I ate this up.