Maybe You

Until #3

by Briar Prescott

Wren:
These days I’m a keeper: I keep to myself, keep busy, and keep my head down.
Until him.
Sutton Holland.
Annoying, arrogant, spoiled man-child extraordinaire.
And he’s not even trying to hide any of it.
He says he’s shallow.
That he’s blunt to the point of offensive.
That I shouldn’t like him.
So I don’t.
At first.
But then I accidentally get to know him.
And the more I see of him, the more I start to suspect that maybe he’s not so arrogant, spoiled, and shallow after all.
That maybe he’s just a really good liar.
And that maybe—𝘮𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦—he’s everything I never knew I was looking for...

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

343 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 5, 2024

About the author

Briar Prescott is a work in progress. She swears too much, doesn’t eat enough leafy greens and binge watches too much television. It’s okay, though. One of these days she'll get a hang of that adulting thing.
Probably.
Maybe.
She hopes.

Want to check in occasionally to hear what's up? You can stalk her here:
Newsletter: https://www.briarprescott.com/contact
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/briar...
Email: prescottbriar@gmail.com.
Webpage: www.briarprescott.com.

Reviews

[len ❀ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me? Reading and loving an adult romance?

The fact that I read this in one day says a lot to me.

While I’m still avoiding adult romance, I got an ARC of this from Briar, and I could not pass on it. And I am glad I applied and got it because I loved it.

I had my issues, as usual, but I still adored this, and it will go up there as one of my new favorites from this author. This whole series as a whole has been a joy to read, and I can see a lot of improvement in Briar as a writer from her older releases. While I still have yet to make my way through her other books, this series remains as my favorite so far. While I had the most issues with the second book, all her characters in this trilogy (so far) are my favorite of hers.

Briar’s humor is top notch. I adore her banter and the dialogue she gives her characters. The humor never feels forced, and her characters always have a dialogue that makes the story shine. The conversations are never boring, and I always find myself laughing at what her characters say and deal with. There’s always some sort of joy and hope but also agony and angst, yet it never feels unbalanced or underwhelming. From what I’ve read so far from this author, there hasn’t been a moment I’ve been bored with the dialogue she creates. Despite the issues I’ve had with some of her books, whether I enjoyed the book overall or not, her banter is one of my favorites. If someone asked me to name an author who writes some of the best banter and dialogue, Briar is up there. I think this really shows how amazing of a writer she is because not many authors are successful at creating dialogue that isn’t stilted, repetitive, original, and creative. Not to mention, some authors’s humor feels so forced, but I believe Briar’s is so natural. It all comes together so wonderfully, and nothing ever feels out of place.

Always realistic and flawed, her characters never feel like someone they’re trying to be; they just are. Briar doesn’t sugarcoat them and make them be someone they aren’t. They’re realistic, straightforward, blunt, and don’t beat around the bush. They are always unique in their own way, offering new personality traits while still resembling the usual. Her originality is creative and never feels overabundant. I’ve never once felt like her characters are unoriginal, replicas of others, or boring. Whether grumpy, cloudy, or sunshine, poor or rich, anxious or determined, cocky or confident, they all feel different, in a good way, and always add a dash of something new to this repetitive genre.

While we have the usual arrogant, smug rich character and the grumpy one with an attitude to save him, both Sutton and Wren offer a lot of heart. It’s so easy to like both men. Sutton’s confidence, cocky, abrasive attitude is one to love, and it fit so well with Wren’s quick, short-tempered attitude. Their personalities fit so well. They’re opposites but it’s not the type shoved in your face, the kind where characters constantly doubt how they feel because “they’re different from each other.” Honestly, Briar’s characters are so damn refreshing. They always feel realistic because of how they act. They’re fictional but don’t feel fictional.

I loved Sutton’s easy acceptance of Wren’s scarred body. There was never hesitancy or uncertainty; nothing but love, appreciation, and plain attraction. Wren’s insecurities for his scarred body were heartbreaking, and I’m so glad he found someone worthy of him who accepted him as he is and never pretend he was someone else. I loved his character development as well, seeing him go from afraid and hesitant to embracing his scars and body. Sutton is patient throughout every moment, and I loved his dedication towards Wren in showing him how beautiful he is. Wren’s ability to notice when Sutton was struggling also showed a strength in himself. I loved how easily he could read Sutton, noticing when his façade would break or when his character would change, yet he’d never force Sutton to say anything but what he was comfortable with. Both guys showed each other how they could be trusted.

Their attraction to each other is instant, especially Sutton, but of course this author loves her slow emotional connection forming, and I am all here for it. The two have a sort of friends with benefits situation, with the friendship part being a strong addition. which I loved and appreciated. The two don’t just spend time together in bed but also as friends and partners. We get to know them just as they get to know each other. Following along through Wren’s eyes was easy. We don’t get Sutton’s perspective but we get enough of an idea of what type of person he is, and it’s so easy to see how both men are attracted to each other not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well. Their connection is palpable, and the author’s ability to write tension is outstanding. Their chemistry is incredibly prominent throughout the entire story, never shifting or wavering low but instead growing at a steady level. Their friendship is a slow start but a process to be trusted. They spend so much time together, and we see how the feelings for both of them grow. The author doesn’t just tell but also shows us their moments, which helps tremendously, as we’re able to see how the two start developing real feelings for each other. There’s a lot of domesticity, proving to show the strength of the relationship. While they are hooking up, it doesn’t come off as a no strings attached relationship because of how close the two become, which helped not make it awkward in any moment but instead stronger. As someone who doesn’t really like the friends with benefits/hooking up trope, this author proves to me how easily it can be written if you take the “friends” part seriously. Their connection forms naturally and maturely.

As far as angst goes, in my opinion, Until You is the least angsty, with this following in second, and And Then You being the most angsty, even though I personally wouldn’t really classify neither installment as angsty, necessarily. There’s a sad backstory to both guys, especially Sutton. His is mostly unresolved, fearful trauma caused by his father, and Wren’s is insecurities caused from his house fire. So while both are dealing with their own demons and figuring out ways to approach them, their personalities don’t really derive from them, which I think makes it differently than the previous two books.

Two things that make me a grump.

One, I’ve noticed the third act conflict is common in this authors books. I don’t think any of the books I’ve read from her haven’t had a third act break up/conflict, caused either by miscommunication, misunderstandings, or just because the characters are dumb idiots in love. Until You, And Then You, and Just a Taste, being the most recent releases I’ve read from her have all had this unnecessary break-up. Honestly, one time is fine. I can get through it and understand. But every time? It’s exhausting and tiring. That’s the case here. While I understood (to an extent) why things happened the way they did, this could’ve gone a whole different way had the author chose to. And I know the author knows of a different way, or different ways, the conflict could’ve gone and developed. It’s even worse because it’s always at the 75-80% mark, which takes away a lot of time from the story. That’s about 15% lost just because you decided to make your characters idiots who know what they want but are apparently too dumb to acknowledge their feelings.

And second, I didn’t like the random, one-chapter from Sutton’s POV towards the end. Briar did this with And Then You, which although a bit differently, I HATED it. If you’re gonna make your story dual POV, do it. Please do not make it single POV and then throw in the POV of the other character randomly, out of nowhere, especially towards the end. In my opinion, it adds nothing, and I know I am not the only one who feels this way as I have seen this be a complain from a few other mutuals and friends. While I very much prefer and love dual perspective, if you want to make the narration through one character only, that’s fine, but please stick to it and don’t tease us. I’m literally deducting a star for this and being a grump. This could’ve very well not have been an issue had it not been included.

I do also wish we had learned a little more about Sutton. It felt like we got snippets only. It was kind of like And Then You, and how I felt like I learned a little less of Quinn than Steph. And it makes sense in the way that we follow the story through Wren’s perspective and told through his narration, but I did wish he was less of an enigma with Wren and had stripped his layers a little more. Most of his past was learned through his mother, which I didn’t like because it did take away a bit of the emotion. Learning about the main characters through the main characters is always one of my favorite parts, especially when their pasts are mysterious and slow to get to. We know something happened to Sutton when he was younger, and we know his relationship with his parents are complex, but we don’t really know why until his mother talks to Wren about it. This isn’t the best way to show more of your characters life, in my opinion. It seems like this is another common thing this author writes, which makes me thing I need to accept and get used to it.

With all that being said, I loved this. I think it’s my favorite from the three so far. Everything from the banter, relationship development, emotional intimacy, and even the sex, was joyous to read and witness.

Now, I know Jordan said he doesn’t swing that way, but you never know… Also, single dad? 👀 As for Remy, I would love for him to get a second chance at love. We’re never told if he likes men and women; all we know is he lost his wife and has been alone since. But again, you never know. 🫣

Thank you Briar Prescott for providing me with an ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Snjez · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

After loving the first two books in the series, I couldn't help having high expectations when I started this one. And it didn't disappoint.

It's a great story. I loved the characters and the writing, especially the way the author writes dialogues. We don't get much background information about either Wren or Sutton to start with, so the only impression we get is based on what they say and how they act. And just as with the previous two books, I was hooked from the moment we meet them. I honestly re-read parts or their conversations several times before continuing. They are so good.

The relationship between Wren and Sutton was lovely and for the most part I loved how it developed. There's one thing I knew right from the start, so there were no big surprises for me here. I didn't mind that, but learning about the details and how everything is resolved was a bit anti-climatic for me. That’s just a minor complaint. I was still super invested in the story until the end.

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

this series just keeps getting better and better. 😭😭 i loved Wren and Sutton omg, they might be my favorite couple so far (even tho i think they could be a tie with Jude and Blake ... but i loved Steph and Quinn as well. my struggle- 😭). one consistency Briar Prescott writes well out of her works i've read is how natural and seamless the banters between her characters feel and i have loved the dynamic and interactions, as well as how well written, her characters have had in this series. so much. 🥹

[kaye taz · Rating 5 out of 5]

6 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Format: ebook

”’You made me look beautiful.’
‘No. You’ve always been beautiful. All of you. You’re so fucking beautiful, Wren. And strong and brave and smart and… everything. You’re everything.’”

When we first meet Wren, he thrives on being invisible to the world. He doesn’t want to stand out or be seen by anyone. That crumbles when he stumbles upon Sutton—who seems to see a lot more than anyone else has in a very long time. He’s immediately smitten with Wren and while he constantly propositions him for sex, it’s also obvious that he just enjoys being in Wren’s company. Wren is hesitant at first, but they form this kind of weird pseudo-friendship that they’re both just drawn to.
↳”He looks at me, but this time it’s not the usual teasing arrogance I see in his gaze. This time the look is much more serious. Sort of inquisitive. It almost feels like he’s looking at me for the first time. I’m not sure what to make of it. I wanted to be seen, and here he is. Seeing me.”

Wren is very self-conscious about his scars, and it has negatively and fiercely affected past relationships and his sex life. With Sutton’s persistence in pursuing him and his general comfort towards him, he decides to finally take him up on his offer and see if he can ease himself back into having sex. Sutton spends an inordinate amount of time getting Wren out of his own head and making him feel relaxed. Worshipping his body and showing him how sexy and desirable he is. Taking things slow even as Wren tries to push himself past his comfort zone.
↳“‘We’re not in a rush,’ he says. ‘Rushing, as a concept, is pointless. I’d rather take my time with you. You know, if a job is worth doing, it’s worth doing well.’”

And what’s supposed to only be a friends with benefits arrangement turns into friends having sleepovers every night, and Sutton helping Wren at work and with his papers for school, and Wren accompanying Sutton to a fundraiser and distracting him when he gets too overwhelmed, and hanging out with friends together, and Sutton sitting with Wren while he sketches birds in the park, and Wren posing for photos for Sutton. And they both just slowly begin to become better versions of themselves for each other.
↳”I can handle whatever baggage Sutton was talking about. I can. But maybe he needs further proof. Maybe he needs to see me handling my own baggage a bit better.”

Now for the spice. It doesn’t even feel right calling it that. Sutton and Wren never once fucked. They have been making love since the very first time—whether they realize it or not. The goal was never just to come. They thoroughly and reverently enjoyed each other’s bodies over and over again until they had them memorized.
↳“I get to see him like this. Not the put together, cocky, arrogant rich boy he shows the rest of the world. This here is mine. My Sutton.”

Problem is: “You can’t fall in love with me.
That was the one rule.
One rule.
And now here we are anyway.” Our smug, entitled boy is not as shallow as he tried to convince everyone he is. He likened himself to a puddle but he’s in fact as deep and vast as an ocean.
↳“‘I can’t,’ he grits through his teeth and opens his eyes. ‘I’m sorry. I can’t. I can’t risk you. I won’t.’”

No one will ever love anyone the way Sutton Holland loves Wren Mills and that is a hill I will die on. The epitome of “If you love something, set it free,” because he would’ve rather lived with the pain of not having Wren in his life than the pain of ever hurting him. And he never really didn’t have Wren in his life because he watched him for weeks, and only showed himself to keep Wren safe—excuse me while I sob. Again. Because, trust, I cried multiple times reading this book. It’s permanently ingrained into my soul.

I know Briar Prescott isn’t personally attacking me, but it kind of feels like it more and more with every book. But, please, keep them coming.

”’And then I feel like running.’
‘How come you didn’t?’
‘You put birds on my wall.’”

Bookstagram || Booktok

[Lau ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s safe to always hide, but the problem with hiding is that nobody will see you.
And I think…
I think, after all these years of hiding, I might finally want to be seen again.

Wren is trying to be invisible. He goes to college, works cleaning a swimming pool at night and wears sleeves long enough to cover his burnt skin. Until, one day, he finds a man who breaks into the swimming facility to swim. A man who is cocky, direct and handsome and makes him laugh. A man who can’t stop flirting with him, seducing him to let him in.

A man who makes Wren want to stop hiding.

Fuck’s sake, Wren, are you actually checking out a burglar? They’re called standards. You should go and get some.

Briar Prescott is a master of making me laugh with her banter and care for her characters, but I don’t think I’ve ever connected with someone as much as I did with Wren. I cried reading his point of view. His insecurities, his pain, his vulnerability felt like my own. The scars he was afraid to reveal were mine. Words can’t express the gratitude I feel to be able to experience his point of view.


It must feel stupid, praising a book to make you feel, but it’s so hard to find romances that are able to touch me the way Maybe You did. I also really liked the development of the romance. Sutton (H) was ‘punished’ by the owner of the swimming pool-who was actually his best friend-with helping Wren clean the swimming pool for a week. They started bantering: Sutton wanted to hook up with Wren, Wren wasn’t interested in one-night stands. At some point, Wren is going to wonder whether it wouldn’t be best to get experience with someone he ‘doesn’t care about’ and who is going to tell the truth about his scars, so he’s now the one trying to convince Sutton to hook up with him.


I loved how Sutton treated Wren: he was patient and caring and mindful, he always made sure Wren was ready for every new step. He was able to make Wren feel not only comfortable with his skin, but beautiful and attractive. I loved seeing their chemistry, their dialogues, their love. I loved reading this book.

‘We have to stop. You’re not thinking clearly.’
‘I know,’ I say, lips moving upward until they meet the corner of his mouth. ‘Isn’t it great?’

My only big complaint is that I’m tired of the whole: ‘you can’t fall in love with me’, ‘I don’t want a relationship’. I understand there was a reason behind those words, but I’ve seen that before and I wished we could have skipped the whole thing.


Briar Prescott has written a series made of gems: I adored every single book and Maybe You wasn’t any different. I’d highly recommend it if you are looking for a book that’s going to give you a bit of suspense and angst, but also laugh and banter and so much love.


↬ Until by Briar Prescott:
1. Until You : 4.25 stars
2. And Then You: 4.5 stars
3. Maybe You: 4.25 stars

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

~3.5~

Hear me out.

The first half of this book bored me to tears.

Sutton won't leave Wren alone. There's banter and more banter.

Then there's sex. And more sex.

And after the sex is the "Don't fall in love with me" declaration. Riiight. Because we haven't heard that before. Granted, Sutton's reasons are more profound than most, but it's still an overdone trope.

Never mind that: Sutton had no history of angry outbursts or physical violence. Besides, abusers don't love their victims. Abuse is control. Abuse is power. Abuse and love cannot co-exist.

Wren's trauma - his lack of self-confidence, his refusal to bare his body - felt believable, and the care Sutton showed Wren during their sexual explorations was beautifully rendered.

The prologue threw me for a loop, but it didn't take me long to realize the bloody boy was the OTHER MC.

I had a problem with this:

Sutton grew up wealthy. Sutton's mother tells Wren she fell for the fancy flat, jewelry, lavish vacations. Remy was retired and lived in the kind of neighborhood where people fix their old electronics and furniture. But somehow, Sutton ends up at Remy's house, which is close enough to Sutton's that he can stumble/crawl there in delirium. This was a convenient set-up, but, nope, I don't buy it.

The entire story I was looking for the unexpected twist that launched the first two books into the exceptional category, but that didn't happen here.

Wren drew birds, and Sutton cooked breakfast.

Prescott dives straight into poetic paragraphs and attempts to make these moments MORE, but they felt a bit tired to me.

An extra half star for the epilogue.

The first book remains my favorite.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok but this was my favourite of the series. I love them so much.

THE PREMISE: Wren has extensive burn scars and the idea of being naked with someone makes him panic. Except Sutton is confident and direct, and doesn’t want a relationship. Ergo he’s the perfect person to help him get over his hang ups about sex.

TROPES & VIBES:
- Angsty x funny MM romance
- Top tier Briar Prescott banter, as always
- The Walk to Remember “you can’t fall in love with me” line
- Physical and emotional scars healing journey
- “Baby”
- Rake to sweet simp arc

5⭐️ 2.5🌶️

[Miranda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars- Briar is an auto-buy author for me, she is my to go for witty characters, fun banter with a touch of angst and a dash of mystery.
I LOVE her epilogues, they leave me with a happy heart knowing main characters have a true happy ever after.

I liked Sutton from book 2 when he kinda flirted with Steph to make Quinn jealous and in this book there’s some payback which made me lol. I liked how he pretended to be arrogant but in reality he was so sweet and caring and loved Wren unconditionally.

Wren was so precious, I loved seeing him gain confidence in himself, he had a great support system and I’m so happy he was able to find true love after everything he went through.

Overall I loved this, Steph and Quinn still hold number one for me, they will forever be my favorite couple from this series but I still recommend reading all three books. They are amazing!

[Evie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is exactly what you expect when you read a Briar Prescott book; witty banter, fun and hot chemistry, a sprinkling of trauma and what I like to call ‘safe angst’ lol.

I think Wren and Sutton are probably my favourite of the couples of this series so far. Something about Wrens vulnerability with his hesitant efforts to be brave coupled with Suttons overconfident playboy persona really worked for me. Although it was delightful to get the cameos of Steph and Quinn thrown in.

These books are just always such an enjoyable read. I’ll admit I was so absorbed in it that I actually found it a bit of a jump scare when the epilogue popped up cause I wasn’t expecting it and would have happily continued to munch away for a few more hundred pages.

edit: after sitting on this for a fortnight I think I’m actually dropping it down to 4 stars. I still like these characters the most out of the three couples but some of the elements of the story/twists kind of felt a bit weak when I’ve sat with it some more.

[Mug · Rating 3 out of 5]

i think i did myself a disservice binging this series back to back to back bc it’s starting to feel like same story, different font🙈🙈 like one of the mcs is always relationship averse, one of the mcs is always having to chase the other mc after a third act separation, first meeting magic is common, one mc presenting themselves as shallow is common, both mcs are probably gonna have some sort of tragic backstory, etc….and to be clear, i’m not against any of these things, but reading three in a row?? i’m dying for something different😭 wren is a fabulous character, i just adored him, so i wish i was able to enjoy his story more😭 3.5 stars⭐️

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately didn’t love this as much as everyone else. I didn’t feel particularly connected to the characters and the plot progression didn’t work for me.

I found the major plot twist/coincidence quite implausible and also weirdly not that relevant to the story???

Spoilers *****************************



Not a fan of the third act breakup. It felt weird how Wren was so heartbroken from Sutton pushing him away but then this wasn’t really resolved at all?? Sutton never talks about his issues with Wren or apologies or anything really - and Wren learns his big secret backstory from his mum and then just seems to settle for a not great relationship.

At 96% these are Wren’s thoughts:
- approaching the relationship with caution
- Things will be easier if I don’t rock the boat
- It’s just easier if I don’t tell him I love him out loud or call him my boyfriend
- Vetoed words include - couple, dating, future and relationship.
- Mostly things are back to normal but I’m a bit more tentative and careful.
- Sex is great 👍🏽
- And then Sutton only says I love you with the caveat of “I need you to know what you mean to me..so this day can be about something else, something better” after running into his shitty dad.

Where’s the romance guys???

Sutton is all “anti family-violence/abuse” and worried he will hurt Wren. Which is well justified, but this doesn’t explore them actually working on that healthy relationship. It just leaves things tentatively good and the epilogue blasts forward 15 years later to a married and 2 kids perfect life.


Did I read a different book to everyone else?? Please don’t hate me 🙏

[Drache.... (Angelika) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars.
After loving Until You my hopes for And Then You were very high, and I was happy I was not disappointed, at all. Obviously the third book in the series couldn't be another winner, right? Ohhh but I'm so happy IT WAS.
I loved Wren and Sutton just as I had loved Quinn and Stephen and before them, Jude and Blake.
The plot was engaging, the relationship development awesome, the character development believable and subtle.

At one point in the story I found the storyline a bit constructed (the elbow-incident) and how Sutton dealt with it felt a bit out of proportion to me but I got his panic and fears and his consequent inability to think rationally.

This is again a lovely romance full of longing, past hurt, resilience, finally love, and a slowly growing, undeniably strong emotional connection (plus, yeah, there's awesome sex, too).

I loved the epilogue.. it's beautiful to see where a couple is many years after the last chapter.

Ps via the author's newsletter we get an additional chapter where we meet Quinn and Stephen, Jude and Blake again.

[Miki_reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

RTC BUT I LOVE THEM
AND THOSE QUINN AND STEPH SNIPPETS LIKE TRANQUILISE ME

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

For some books, 5 stars aren’t enough. I'd give this one 10 if I could! ❤️❤️ Briar Prescott always hits it out of the park and Maybe You is another complete stunner! You need to read this series!!!!

Sutton doesn't want a relationship. So why he meets Wren, he's very clear about his one rule: "don't fall in love with me." At first, Wren has no problem with that. He isn't looking for a relationship either, and hooking up with a commitmentphobe seems perfect. He can use Sutton for sex practice and part ways with no problem. Until he can't walk away because things are so easy and perfect. Until he breaks Sutton's one rule. I'm going to avoid any and all spoilers and just go back to gushing about how much I enjoyed reading the book... it's well written, heartwarming and a little heartbreaking but oh-so-worth it at the same time. Just read it!

Maybe You can be read as a standalone but the first book is so amazing I'd recommend starting there so you know the side characters and get the full enjoyment of the cameos in this book.

Rating: 5+ stars
Angst: 4/5
Steam: 3.5/5

I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Dani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved Wren and Sutton together. Wren just stole my heart and I loved being inside his head - his arguments with himself were so funny but totally relatable.

I loved that Quinn and Steph were so involved too, but I do wish there was more of Jude and Blake than just the bonus scene.

I didn't cry reading this like I did for Jude and Blake in Until You, and Steph and Quinn in And Then You, but I was left wanting so much more of these guys. The epilogue was adorable but I do wish we'd seen a bit more of them once they'd sorted themselves out!

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

i think i won’t ever be the same person i was before reading this

[Cat the bookworm (semi hiatus ish) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unpopular opinion: this isn’t Briar’s best.

In fact, it took me ages to get through. I kept putting it to the side and not missing it, and that’s never a good sign. But who knows, maybe real life was just that bit too busy for me to fully immerse myself in the book?

I think the problem I had with it was that I already knew how it will end: not one, but both characters having their burden to bear, and probably some kind of breakup before they finally got their HEA.

The thing was - being in just one of the characters head (Wren, whose body is almost completely covered in scars from a house fire a few years back) made me kind of… detached? Indifferent? … towards the second one, Sutton. Of courses, I loved the way Sutton accepted Wren (and even better: made Wren accept himself). But somehow, the mystery surrounding him and why he drew a line at “falling in love” was too impenetrable, and the big reveal came a bit out of nowhere.

I did like the book pretty well though for around 75%. But then, the inevitable breakup happened, and the conclusion felt a bit stale. I didn’t like that it was all on Wren to try and fix things, texting and calling and not getting any answers. I can’t even put it to words - usually, a hard earned HEA makes me happy. This one left me unsatisfied.

On top of that, I want a huge fan of

All.
The.
Short.
Sentences.

…that the author used to write her “turmoily scenes” .

Here’s an example:

He doesn’t look at me.
It’s probably better like this.
I turn around.
Square my shoulders.
Force myself to move.
Out the gate.
To the street.
I don’t look back.
Just numbly keep moving my feet.
I can’t go back.

Uh. No.

And the epilogue? Jumping ahead 15 years, right from the first time Sutton used the L word, and right into a happy family of 4 scene? It felt so… disjointed.

Rating the first 75% (ish)part with 4 stars, the ending with 2. I’m really sorry, I wanted to love it more.

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

but
why
does
the
author
write
like
this???

omg- the writing style in this book was so annoying. it made it so choppy. like, I could see maybe doing that once or twice to emphasize something but it was so frequently, several times per chapter. I really do think I would have enjoyed the book more if I wasn't frequently annoyed at the weird choppy writing style.

other than that- I thought the book was alright. It definitely had a few cute scenes that I really liked. I did like the banter between the characters as they got to know each other- very fun and funny to read.

the twist kind of felt like an implausible reach to me we are to believe remy & sutton used to be neighbors even though we know sutton is like crazy rich?

but what really annoyed me was the ending. what ever happened to a good gravel? sutton has his outburst and pushes wren away. and I understand where sutton is coming from and why he felt he had to push wren away, but he still needs to apologize for the hurt he caused. I believe it goes on for a couple weeks that wren is extremely sad over this, but there is no apology or heart to heart. the end really could have used a big conversation between them. especially because it wasn't even sutton who explained his backstory to wren, it was his mom. it felt like it needed a couple more chapters the end was so abrupt and underdeveloped, I really needed more to make it believable.

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh man, the pure JOY in this book. There was so much laughter, and adventures, and shenanigans, and new found peace after such a difficult past for both MCs. There was finally feeling light and happy and reckless in the best sense. There was so much deep affection and love and vulnerability and trust and feeling safe and being oneself without inhibitions. There was so much undiluted, euphoric lust and later love I’m still giddy with it all.

So in short, the things that Briar Prescott writes best and that are an absolute joy to read. God I love this series and with every new couple I’m convinced that they are definitely my new faves for sure. Same with this newest instalment: I absolutely adored those two, their banter, their chemistry, the way Sutton was so HUNGRY for Wren and the way Wren found so much confidence through Sutton, was made to feel truly beautiful.
I loved the whole thing, cover to cover. The lightheartedness and the fucking heartache. The cameos of the other couples. The strong character and relationship development. The plot twist. The hard won HEA.
But I also realised again that I prefer dual POV because I was DYING to know what Sutton was feeling and thinking at what point exactly. That’s not enough to dock any points though. 5 ⭐️

‘You made me look beautiful,’ I blurt. Choke out. That stupid water curtain becomes a waterfall.
(…)
‘No. You’ve always been beautiful. All of you. You’re so fucking beautiful, Wren. And strong and brave and smart and… everything. You’re everything.’ 🥹♥️

[lakshmi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I want to thank everyone who put this on my feed because it had the most precious characters✨this was incredibly real and comforting, the conversations felt very natural as did the relationship, there wasn’t a second where I couldn’t imagine these two beautiful characters ending up together.

“Please. I don’t know how to handle this. I’m fucking scared to death. So, please. Please, don’t let me let you go,”

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Uggggh this series doesn't have any right being this good 😭 This was another perfect addition! Wren and Sutton were so addictive that I would've read Maybe You all in one sitting had a pesky thing like sleep not interrupted my plans 😂

With every new book in this series, I feel like I've found a new favorite couple, but honestly I love them all. There was something so intense and special about Wren and Sutton though. I can't put my finger on it exactly, but maybe it was the tentativeness of their relationship that made it feel like a fragile, precious thing 🥹 Their chemistry was off the charts and I was hooked from the moment they first met.

More than prior books in the series, I feel that some of the situations in this one were a bit contrived, especially Sutton accidentally hitting Wren. I also wasn't a huge fan of how quickly everything wrapped up at the end. There just wasn't enough groveling for my taste 🤷🏼‍♀️ Sutton needed to do more. It also made the epilogue seem even more of a leap. Fifteen years??? That's quite a gap from finally getting "I love you" at the end of the book to okay so now we're fifteen years in the future and Sutton and Wren have kids. That was a bit much. I would have liked it to be more of a natural wrap up, but oh well, I still ate it up. I'm just happy these boys ended up happy 😊

I can't wait to re-read this one via audio in the future, so I'm sending up a prayer for a good narrator 🙏🏻 Briar's previous books have been a mixed bag of narrators, so I'm more than a little concerned 😅 All I know is that if I see Joel Leslie, John Solo, Alexander Cendese, or Kirt Graves narrating this, I'm going to scream.

[Ditte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love love LOVE Wren and Sutton! Their dynamic and chemistry was wonderful and my heart feels so full after reading their story.

Also, I now require all my books to have an epilogue 15 years in the future so I can see them at a later stage in life and roll around in knowing the couple's had happiness together for over a decade.

This entire series is absolute perfection!

[patrícia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sutton Holland is one of my favorite kind of characters, cocky, arrogant, so full of himself and the cherry: I don’t do relationships, you can’t fall in love with me bullshit 🤌 🍒! I love to see their downfall on the love train. Love to see them falling apart, while denning their feelings, and them watching them wake the fuck up and smell the coffee ❤️ and living happier ever after❤️

Wren is the perfect match for him, with all his insecurities and need to be spoiled, and Sutton so does it, he makes Wren see his beauty and potential.

The night pool cleanings , the bird drawings, the photographs, the darkroom, the waiting, the surprises and of course the lessons… their chemistry is out of this world hot and sweet 🥵. I’ve read in another review that they never fucked, even if their intention was that, they made love every single time 🥹Damn they are precious 🫠🥹

But… of course they fall hopelessly in love but that was rule number 1 and…. It didn’t go well… I found it difficult to make a connection with what happened to Sutton’s mother and what he was afraid would happen to him and Wren… it didn’t make sense… His fears felt exaggerated and unrelated to his relationship. Fear is irrational and makes you do and think stupid things, and even endanger your feelings, but in this case I found it exaggerated…

The single pov was unnecessary, the “ secret” could be kept even with Sutton pov and would add a lot more depth to his character. The end was rushed. We get a last chapter with some kind of HFN and then a 15 year epilogue, and honestly I would rather read some months or ½ years in the future.

I would loved to give this a 5 ⭐️, but the end and the plot itself won’t allow it, and no one is more disappointed than me because I LOVE Sutton and Wren🫶

[ʚ Aileen ɞ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Briar Prescott did it again. I can't even put into words how much I love this series.

[⊹ ⁺ ₊ ✧ she's book obsessed ✧ ₊ ⁺ ⊹ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⊹ ⁺ ₊ ✧ Maybe You ┊ 5 stars ✧ ₊ ⁺ ⊹

∘₊✧ ── "Please. I don’t know how to handle this. I’m fucking scared to death. So, please. Please, don’t let me let you go." ── ✧₊∘

☆₊⋆ → thoughts┊Absolute sweethearts ahhh I love them. That epilogue was so sweet!!

✧⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄☆⋄⋆⋅⋆⋄✧

౨ৎ happy reading ౨ৎ

[Renée · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This had all the things that make Prescott an autobuy: rich character development and relationship development, the feelz, and the delicious relationship angst that I can't get enough of.

However, the amount of martyr complex in this one is stronger than I've read in a while. It was quite infuriating. And, compounding it, that complex wasn't solved or addressed in a meaningful way by the end of the book. Sure, the epilogue shows us it's no longer an issue. But I didn't like the way it was rug swept within the actual chapters.

If you love this author, this will likely work for you. It also came with cameos from the couples in Book 1 and 2.

[Em Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.00 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another beautiful, encapsulating story from Briar Prescott. This Until series is truly her best work to-date and I hope it continues on and on. The story opens on a blood-ridden young man clawing for help and ending up on 60-something Remy’s doorstep. We jump to present day where we meet Wren, a 20-something student and part-time janitor that works evenings cleaning Quinn’s (from And Then You) pool facility. Wren lives with Remy, Remy’s son Jordan, and Jordan’s son Theo and the story is told in most all of his singular pov. One evening while working Wren stumbles upon intruder Sutton lazily swimming in the pool he’s about to clean. Sutton, who we also met briefly in And Then You, is abrasive, rich, entitled, brazen, and far too good looking. He immediately propositions Wren for meaningless sex, and since Wren has made it his life goal to hide physically, and because of Sutton’s arrogance, he shoots him down.

Unfortunately for Wren that’s not the last of Sutton. Day after day Sutton shows up to pay penance to Quinn for breaking in and help Wren clean the facility, and day after day they chip away at each other’s exteriors to get to know the man underneath. Wren who has spent half his life hiding physically, deeming himself undesirable, slowly builds a timid confidence to bare himself and ask Sutton for help. Sutton who has spent his life hiding emotionally, also deeming himself undesirable, breaks his own no-relationship rule and against his best efforts cracks his heart open to Wren.

⚠️⛔️ *mild possible spoilers ahead* ⚠️⛔️

Wren and Sutton’s build up was so beautiful to watch unfold. They were both great characters and their emotional and physical chemistry was palpable. The physical aspects of their relationship were intimately portrayed and equaled so well with the emotional development. From the start Sutton was overtly sexual towards Wren, blunt in his desire to “just f-ck”, but I think Prescott did a great job of transitioning out of that before the two actually touched.

At the start of the book I had an assumption who the blood-ridden young man was, but honestly I was taken aback to learn who it really was. You learn fairly early on what Wren’s traumas are, but Sutton’s take until the climax to learn. Sutton’s trauma I’ve seen used in other romances, while extremely valid, I feel authors have a hard time sticking the landing with it. Unfortunately this fell to 4 ⭐️’s for just that reason.

The big emotional blow-up with Wren and Sutton was heart-wrenching but done well. Sadly, what followed felt a bit uneven. The reveal of Sutton’s traumas and other pieces he’d hidden away were done well, but the actual aftermath of their relationship left a lot to be desired. It started to meander and fall flat, and by the time the resolution came it wasn’t as grand as I was hoping it would be. Still a wonderful story with a happy ending, but I wished the ending had been stronger.

I really hope Prescott continues with this series because I’d be all in for Jordan’s book next 👀❤️

[Sona · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know those books where you think, “I’ll just read a chapter before bed,” and then suddenly you’ve read the whole damn thing and it’s morning and Time to go to work? Yeah, Maybe You, is exactly that. Smooth, addictive, and the kind of read that makes you sad it’s over. It’s book three in the series, and somehow, each one just gets better. And now there’s no book four? Rude.

Let’s talk Wren. Sweet, hardworking, engineering student by day, and works as a cleaner in Quinn’s swimming school by night. years ago, his life took a hard left burn scars over most of his body and self-esteem that fell through the floor. He still tried dating after it happened—had a boyfriend, even. The guy was actually nice, but their sex life was… a disaster. Lights off. No touching. Wren basically shut every physical door possible. Eventually, the boyfriend dumped him. And yes, Wren knows it was his own walls that wrecked it, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt like hell. After that? He gave up. Two years of zero dating, zero hookups, zero everything.

Until Sutton.

Wren finds him one night just swimming around in the pool he’s cleaning, looking like trouble. Turns out he’s friends with Wren’s boss, Quinn. And Sutton? He’s direct. Like, zero time wasted direct. Basically says, “I want you.” That’s the intro. No slow flirting, no guessing.

Wren’s first thought is nope big fat nope. But then he thinks… maybe this could be practice. No love, no strings, just see if he can handle intimacy again without panicking. Sutton agrees, and when he finally sees all of Wren—scars and everything—he doesn’t blink. He still wants him. Actually, he’s even hotter for him if that’s even possible.

The catch? Sutton’s golden rule: no love. Don’t even say the L word. Commitment makes him break out in hives. But the man is basically in a relationship already spending all his time with Wren, cooking for him, taking care of him just without admitting it.

This book is sweet, it’s sexy, it’s frustrating in the best way, and it’s the kind of story you inhale. I wouldn’t change a single thing.

Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sexy Scene Frequency: 🍑🍑🍑
Sexy Scene Heat Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Wren: 💙💙💙💙💙
Sutton: 💙💙💙💙💙
Angst Level: 💔💔💔

It’s the perfect mix of vulnerability, heat, and “oh my god, just admit you’re together already.” Sutton’s rule might be “no love,” but this book is full of it.

[Tare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Briar and this series in particular is my exact brand of romance. There is just something so special about the way Briar writes two people falling in love. The characters always have such great banter, they have unique interests and stories and humor - they feel so real. And with that it is easy to see what the other character likes about them and why they have the connection they do. And I always love the domesticity that Briar brings into her stories and the little moments that just feel so special in their own way.

Wren has overcome one of the most horrific things I can imagine. And while their mark on him physically and emotionally is something he will always carry there is still such a quiet strength to him. Sutton, on the other hand, is also carrying trauma but is choosing to deflect by presenting a devil may care attitude.

Because I could probably write a dissertation on why I loved this book so much I will just list some things that I want to squeal about:
- The way their little friendship started - I ate up all those scenes at the pool
- How Sutton saw and accepted Wren in such a quiet, respectful way - he always looked at Wren and made him feel beautiful and desired but not pitied
- Sutton’s photographs of the group - Jude, Blake, Quinn, Steph, Nora, and Blair all being this happy found family and how much Sutton adored his friends - I definitely cried a little bit here not going to lie 😭
- The little family dynamic of Wren, Jordan, Theo and Remy?!?! 👌 They were so sweet and loved each other fiercely but also hilarious and teased each other and I just loved it
- JORDAN - this man needs his own story okay?! He is kind of the best dad but also an amazing brother figure for Wren and when he told his skydiving story I fully lost it - he deserves a big love of his own
- Wren drunk for the first time 💀
- The phone calls while Sutton was gone and how he orchestrated surprising Wren with his return

In the end, there were some things I would have liked to see done differently with the third act breakup but it didn’t overshadow the majority of the book. Watching two broken people overcome their vulnerabilities to let someone in and truly see them?! Sign me up any day Briar.

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lives up to the last one in this series. This author has been on a roll as far as I'm concerned.

Wren likes to hide, he likes to be as invisible as possible in NYC, the city of millions. Because when he was 15, he was in a house fire, the only one home at the time, and suffered burns on about 75% of his body. He's majorly scarred now and very self conscious about it.

While he goes to college in the day time, at nine from 8-11pm, he cleans the community center that Quinn owns, which has a pool. And in that pool one night is Sutton, who breaks into go into the pool every once in awhile.

Wren doesn't know Sutton or that he's friends with Quinn, so he thinks Sutton is just a random guy breaking in. When Sutton calls Quinn and it's revealed he's a close friend of Quinn's, no police are involved, an connection is formed as well.

Wren is a little exasperated by Sutton at first. He seems arrogant and shallow, and that is at least the image Sutton wants to present.

Sutton also is just about sex, nothing more, but Wren turns him down at first, and Sutton himself comes up with ways to be near Wren, because he's drawn to him from the very start.

I loved how obvious it was, too. No matter what Sutton said, his actions belied his assertions. We didn't get Sutton's POV, but his feelings for Wren came across SO well that I always knew he was into Wren, and when he fell in love with him too. Wren was the one who took longer to get there, even though we were in his POV.

Although once Wren gets there...he's all in, and confident and sure in his feelings. He hides them for awhile, as Sutton said "don't fall in love with me" as one of his "rules" to their "arrangement" but of course he eventually can't hold it in any longer.

They dress up their relationship as just sex and Wren asks Sutten to "help him out" to get comfortable with sex, as because of his scars he's never quite felt comfortable - or he's literally had people look at him in disgust once they've seen them, even intimate partners, so he wants to get comfortable and practice with someone, and Sutton seems the best choice, especially as he's firmly in the "just sex, no feelings" category. Seemingly, though.

But it very quickly becomes way more than that. If it was just sex, they wouldn't do everything else that they do together, they wouldn't hang out outside of sex, they wouldn't do things for each other, they wouldn't talk so much to each other, and about personal shit and they wouldn't just act like boyfriends without saying it out loud that they are.

But Sutton is terrified of himself. Not because of who he is, but because of who his father is.

Once we learn his history, his reticence to relationships is understandable. But I think he proves how much he is NOT like his father by being so aware of himself, of his actions, of feelings horrible if he does anything slightly wrong. Even if it's an accident. An abuser wouldn't think like that. They wouldn't be so aware of it and so scared to become like that. A bad person doesn't think about what they're doing as bad, or at least they don't care one inch if what they're doing is bad or not. They might recognize their bad deeds and horrible personality, but they don't care. They continue to act badly anyway.

But being rational isn't always a person's strong suit, and Sutton is no exception. He has so much trauma from his childhood that he can't really get past it.

I also didn't mind that his issues weren't 100% resolved by the end of this, because it would have felt too easy and like it was done to wrap up the story. But his issues are too big and too much to be solved so easily. I don't mind that issue not being resolved as long as it makes sense that it isn't, and it does make sense to me.

These two get their HEA, but before the epilogue it's more of a strong HFN. Seeing where they get to in the future was so sweet and I loved the epilogue. Sutton and Wren totally stole my heart int his.

And I absolutely LOVED their chemistry, it was so so good, and it just made the sex scenes all the better, all the more intimate and passionate. I was hooked.

This is probably on par with the second book, in my opinion. I absolutely loved this and was invested throughout the book.

I also loved that it tricked me a bit, me thinking Wren was in the very beginning but it actually wasn't him. That was a nice small plot twist.

I definitely, HIGHLY recommend this, especially if you've enjoyed this series so far. It is definitely keeping with the quality of the first two.

Can't wait for the next one in this series - I hope it's Jordan finding himself a man (and realizing maybe he isn't as straight as he thought!😉) and getting his own HEA. If it's not Jordan I'll be a bit bummed. I really like him.

(Also, this isn't a big deal enough to take any stars off, but this didn't make Wren or Sutton's ages clear at ALL, so I just had to guess like early to mid 20's and that's the best I could do lol. But again, not too big a deal in the grand scheme of things.)

So can't wait for more! And also excited to tune into Blake. from the first book's POV book coming out soon.

Until then! 😘

My Ratings for the Until Series:

☀️ Until You: 5 stars (my review)
☀️ And Then You: 5 stars (my review)
☀️ Maybe You: 5 stars