Oliver

by Felicity Snow

Blurb

𝒲𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒹𝑜 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒹𝑜 𝓌𝒽𝑒𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝑜𝓃𝓁𝓎 𝓅𝑒𝓇𝓈𝑜𝓃 𝓎𝑜𝓊’𝓋𝑒 𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓉𝓇𝓊𝓁𝓎 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉𝑒𝒹 𝒷𝑒𝓁𝑜𝓃𝑔𝓈 𝓉𝑜 𝓈𝑜𝓂𝑒𝑜𝓃𝑒 𝑒𝓁𝓈𝑒?

Oliver

My entire life has been a lie, only existing as a sliver of my true self; shame, guilt, and loneliness eating away at me with the knowledge I can never be honest about what I want most in life. Until, by chance, I meet someone I can’t resist, and I do something I never thought I would do. It’s been ingrained in me since I was a child that who I am is not acceptable. That’s why I’m dating a woman. That’s why I tell myself I am content marrying a woman. But the gorgeous, outgoing boy behind the counter of the bar I end up at has me questioning everything I thought I had learned to live with.

Hunter

When I return home from college and discover that the man I slept with three months ago is the same man who is engaged to my mom, my world turns upside down. I haven't been able to get the sexy British man out of my head since our steamy encounter, and I never thought I would see him again, least of all in my childhood home. I’m furious, heartbroken, and determined to keep the older man at bay, until Oliver reveals some things about himself that have my heart softening towards him, and confesses that he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about me either.

𝘖𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰’𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵ȩ

Genres: M M Romance

191 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 27, 2024

Reviews

[Renae Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the premise of this story, which is perfectly executed due to Oliver and Hunter's intense chemistry while being in an incredibly impossible situation. These two have an instant connection, but they cannot be together due to a series of unfortunate reasons. When that reason is revealed it leads to many emotional moments, while these two struggle to ignore their mutual feelings for one another.

Overall this is a steamy forbidden romance that I enjoyed and couldn't get enough of these two while wondering if their HEA is even possible. These two go through so much for their HEA and it couldn't be more worth it.

** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***

[patrícia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was actually sweet and hot, with a positive message. As their love grows, we see the way Hunter really worships, respects, and creates intimacy for Oliver, like he never had or felt comfortable exploring, while making him feel loved and comfortable with his sexuality and life choices.

I was seduced by an incredible blurb and tropes, age gap, younger top and older neddy bottom, repressed sexuality, forbidden romance, first times, super smutty, road trip… and while we get this, we also get a bundle of insta love, conveniences, MM clichés and unrealistic mambo jumbo.

They were both pretty shitty to the mother/fiance, especially Hunter…If he didnt love her or she was a bad mother, ok maybe…I never felt complete resentment or guilt from either of them about what they were doing... It was like everything is all ok, minor situation, it's not like you're sleeping with your future stepfather/stepson, when is the stress of that am i right? Only some thoughts about how guilty and wrong bla bla, and them lets fuck! and get this, Hunter asks Oliver to think of him when he fucks his mother… WHAT??????????????????????????

There’s sooooooooooooo much sex. God… these boys got stamina. I actually loved the dynamic, the younger bossy Top and the needy older bottom with a kink for praise. Delicious… they do pretty much everything you can think of but sometimes the experiments were… well let me just say that feeding the cum from the condom and then snowballing was just cringe…just a reminder sooooooooooo much sex! But I've been reading books with practically zero smut and I needed it…

I was expecting some drama when Amanda found out, but actually she took it rather well 😑 unlike Oliver’s disgusting bigot parents.

So even with some dislikes I end up liking it, if this makes sense, and I’m glad Hunter and Oliver got their HEA with new and healthy life choices filled with pride🌈 flowers 🌺 parrots 🦜

I can’t imagine anywhere else I would rather be than here with this incredible man, who’s made my life infinitely better just by being him. I’m so incredibly proud of him, for having the courage to face his fears and accept himself for the beautiful person that he is.

[loverexreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

This is a difficult review to write as I feel torn between the part of me that loved aspects of the book and that other part that has an issue with how Oliver and Hunter's story was delivered.

There's definitely a lot to like about Oliver. From the very first chapters I was hooked by the first encounter between the two MCs, which was electric and intense. I loved how Felicity Snow tackled cheating in her book and how it was central to the plot. There was no loophole here and it was inevitable that many people would be hurt by Hunter and Oliver's actions, including themselves. These two were so lovable, that even though they were doing something that was wrong, I couldn't help but become fond of them and believe in their budding romance. It was refreshing to see Hunter at 21 as the dominant one and Oliver at 36 as a total pillow princess.

My biggest problem with Oliver is that I would have liked more time with them. Cheating is a heavy subject that generates a whole panoply of complex emotions. Since the book is so short, I felt there was never enough time to feel and explore the characters' emotions. Some of the transitions were rather abrupt, which I felt detracted from the book's realism. This is a big miss for me, since the way emotions are conveyed in a book is one of the major points that comes to play on my appreciation.

I still felt invested in Oliver and Hunter's relationship and absolutely wanted to know how they would resolve this situation. This book was a page turner, despite the gripe I had about it, these two MCs really got under my skin. The ending was wonderful and totally in their image. A perfect HEA.

[bookgoddess96 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy mother of gay smut- Oliver and Hunter have some explosive chemistry🔥🔥. I could feel the lust, attraction and tension between them. Swear, I was blushing as much as sweet Oliver was. Oliver is in his late 30s and is heavily repressed because his parents are homophobic assholes that made him feel unworthy and that he had to hide his true self. He is very deeply closeted and never let himself be with a man until he meets Hunter- the attraction was instant and they hooked up. Oliver’s whole world was turned inside out and his fear led him to proposing to his girlfriend which just so happened to me Hunters mom. Their love was deliciously forbidden and illicit. When Oliver meets Hunter again he discovers its fiancés son and they do try to resist at first but with their innate chemistry it’s impossible. Hunter just wants Oliver to learn to accept himself and be happy. They go through a lot to get their HEA but their love is so wholesome and beautiful. While this book does have a HEAVY dose of hot as hell smut it also shows a man that’s been repressing himself for 20 years finally learn to accept himself and learn that their is nothing wrong him him and his sexuality. Watching Oliver learn to accept himself was truly beautiful. Hunter is the perfect match for Oliver- he wants to shower Oliver in all the praise and love that sweet man deserves.

[Siân PJsAndBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, for my eARC.

This book contains heavy cheating and both MCs are connected to the person being cheated on. I really don't like cheating as I'm a firm believer in having respect for your partner and ending things before starting something new. Saying that I loved this book and was rooting for Oliver & Hunter. I especially wanted Oliver to feel comfortable in his own identity.

This books start with two very powerful quotes. By Paul Coelho & Hannah Brencher which resonated with me throughout Oliver.

Things I loved
📖 Dual POV
📖 Age Gap
📖 Forbidden Romance
📖 Forced Proximity
📖 Praise
📖 HEA
📖 Epilogue

[Lady Macbeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars
As clearly indicated in the blurb, this book is a love story that involves a man in a committed relationship who cheats on his partner. Don't be mean towards the author by leaving unfair reviews if cheating it's not your cup of tea.

Oliver is a sweet sweet man with horrible parents and an awful upbringing that prevented him to fully understand himself. He's a cheater because he was never allowed to consider himself anything other than straight. Oliver is confused and scared and makes a lot of wrong choices that will hurt him and the people he loves, especially Hunter, who was the only one who's ever let him feeling safe, cherished and loved.
There's a lot of spice in this book, but also a lot of conflicting feelings and it's so difficult for Oliver to do the right thing.

What prevented me from giving a higher rate:
I think that Hunter's relationship with his mom couldn't be mended and that he couldn't have both her and Oliver in his life.

Another good story from Felicity Snow: she's a brave author and she doesn't turn away from heavy themes.
Very recommended.

[Roxanna Mascarenas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another amazing book from Felicity. I was not sure I was going to enjoy this one as it had a trope I usually do not like to read, cheating, but she handled it with grace and distress.
Oliver and Hunter with an instant connection, cant be together. Oliver is engaged to Hunters mother, but Hunter cannot forget him. When he tries to keep himself and Oliver emotionally apart, he discovers they both cant stop thinking about the connection they feel.
Oliver spent his entire life being told he has to go to a certain school, have a certain type of job, and have a wife and family, but feeling like something is slowing destroying him. When a night with Hunter awakens that light in him, he cant stop.
When a chance for Oliver and Hunter to spend time together unexpectedly alone, they jump at the chance to explore what Hunter can show Oliver, each with the understanding that there is a deadline on this.
I ended up loving this book so much. Felicity handled the cheating in a way that the characters felt the emotions acutely and the repercussions from this were truthful.
I highly recommend Oliver.

[Brat · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing story loved the heat and the forbidden aspect

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

story of Oliver and Hunter

This is a fiancée’s son to more taboo romance, featuring Oliver and Hunter, and is a standalone book.

Oliver meets this gorgeous younger bartender one night, the pull to him is so strong he can’t deny his attraction to men any longer and ends up having an anonymous hook up, even though it means he is cheating on his girlfriend to do it.

Hunter doesn’t have work for a few weeks so decided to come home for a while, and it’s a great chance to finally meet his mum’s new fiancee. When he walks into the room what he doesn’t expect to see is the man who has occupied all this thoughts for the last three months, his anonymous hook ip from the bar.

This book, wow! It was fast paced and a little angsty to say the least. The spice was spicing big time in this one (they were all over each other) as well as the dirty talk, control, the ‘Good Boy’, the praising, the tenderness and chemistry. It was sad that Oliver was hiding his true self but Hunter coaxed it out of him. Trying to deny who he was just hurt him and ultimately his fiancee.

I loved the dynamic of the relationship where Oliver was the submissive one and a complete pillow princess and Hunter was the dominant one.

Amanda, the fiancee/mum was an absolute saint and handed their cheating with grace.

I really enjoyed reading this, I love Felicity Snow’s writing style, even though I was stressing out about their affair coming out and about Oliver’s horrible controlling parents. Also what is it about a road trips that I love so much too.

Things to expect in this book are:
Standalone
MM taboo romance
Age gap (36/21)
Fiancée’s son
Cheating with each other
Forced proximity
Road trip
Secret holiday fling
Lots of spice & dirty talk
Praise kink & Calls him good boy
Olive oil as lube
O denial & edging
DP and s*x toys
Both read romance books
Neurodivergent rep
Hurt / Comfort
Homophobic parents
Coming out
HEA

[Natalie Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fantastic book from Felicity Snow. Oliver and Hunter are just perfect together. I love how unsure Oliver was it made him really relatable.

It was heartbreaking how Oliver had always suppressed his sexuality because of his upbringing and his parents, but this whole situation was written perfectly.

I was hooked on this book from the very sencond I started reading it. Felicity always writes books that make you feel as though you are experiencing them, along with the characters.

This is an amazing quick read, but the TW's have to be checked before reading, but then sit back and enjoy.

[Rebecca🌙 · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Claire Louisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had mixed feelings about this due to the cheating aspect because I don't agree with cheating. But on an emotional level, I was all in for Oliver and Hunter.

The connection between Oliver and Hunter is strong from the get-go, their chemistry is explosive and it is Oliver's impulsive decision when he meets Hunter in a bar that sets off what could be a train wreck of a ride.

While I loved the chemistry between them, my heart hurt for Oliver and his decision to hide who he was from everyone, including himself. I could see how he jumped into making a bad decision by asking his girlfriend to marry him. I couldn't understand how Hunter could so easily go after the man his mum loves after having had only one, albeit intense, encounter with Oliver.

Saying that, I enjoyed their road trip together and loved seeing them fall in love while at the same time was on edge because I could feel how strong their emotions were for each other and I just couldn't see how it was going to end well.

This book raises plenty of issues around cheating and being true to yourself. I still, in real life think if someone is tempted to cheat, they need to have a serious conversation with their partner before moving forward because however hard that might be and whether you don't want to hurt someone or admit your feelings, in the end, the hurt will be even harder to bare for one or both.

Felicity Snow is very good at bringing morally grey issues into her stories and still manages to have you hoping things work out for the MCs.

[Theodore]

DNF @ 5%

Holy info dump, jesus. Not only was there the typical annoying, homophobic, and overbearing parents but the sheer amount of information that's presented to us through the exposition was just too much for me. Having paragraphs on paragraphs during the first few pages of the book is the easiest way to turn me off of reading.

[Alix · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 - this is my first book by Felicity Snow, but I now plan to read many more! Wow, this was...HOT.
This is a very spicy forbidden romance with a trope that people don't always like - cheating. Can't say it's my fave thing, but this is fiction, not real life, and in fiction, I love to explore all kinds of things. For me this was a really good read - I think the author handled the cheating quite deftly, in part because we don't have much stake in the fiancee, since we don't really get to know her (I like that it was done this way as I don't care for OW drama at all - that's a whole different genre). I loved all the smut, but these boys also had a lot of love for each other and it was beautiful. The spicy scenes show how their love grows.
I loved how well Hunter took care of Oliver emotionally and helped him to drop his masks and become his true self. I liked both MCs - while we have a much younger Top here, he still has moments where maybe he isn't the most mature/makes the best choices as is to be expected from a 21yo, but that's his character & it works. I really love Hunter - he tries so hard to get Oliver to value himself and he loves Oliver so hard. Poor Oli - his parents just did not do right by him ever. He is definitely damaged by having to have swallowed years of emotional abuse - it's no wonder he doesn't make such great choices, either. What's wonderful, though, is that he finds he is nonetheless capable of great love, which he realizes thanks to Hunter. He also finally realizes that he doesn't have to be ashamed to be his true self and that is such a gift. Despite causing a lot of hurt along the way, Hunter and Oliver get their HEA and I was so glad for them.

The on thing that really struck me as unlikely, though - how in the world did Heather not have pictures of Hunter all over her house? At least ONE? I have HUNDREDS of pictures of my kid everywhere, lol. So yeah - that part took me a bit of the story, haha. Then again, it's a good thing Amand is clutter-free or this book wouldn't have worked & I love how it worked! This book was on the shorter side and maybe it needed a bit more to further develop emotions, but it was still really, really good. On the other side of that, I liked that it was a fast read and that I didn't want to put it down.

I have added this to my favorites shelf and will definitely reread.

Thanks to the author for this ARC - I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is going to hurt, there is inevitably going to be an eruption from all the emotion and build up. It's a morally-grey book and you can feel there isn't any outcome that someone won't get hurt but hearts take over head and consequences be dammed. Hunter is younger, but has a dominating role and sees how Oliver responds when he's told what to do and praised when he does well. Despite living his life around orders, he reacts to Hunter. Lots of edging, that spans hours, with rules for Oliver to follow if he wants to earn permission to come. It's like reading the honeymoon period, knowing that there is a ticking clock, a month is never going to be long enough, but nothing can and ever will be the same. Hunter is the one who risks losing everything and that shows how much he loves Oliver, enough risking everything for. Oliver may lose his parents, once secrets are revealed, but they lost him themselves. I have to give credit to Amanda. What a dignified, outstanding woman. She lost two men she loved and the pain must have been incredible. She showed the world why, if you love them, you should let them go. The epilogue was most welcome to show us that the equilibrium had returned and how time is a healer. This isn't a book about being unfaithful, it is of a much higher standing. It is about oneself, by not being able to be free to be yourself, you risk bringing others down too. This book will no doubt have very divided reviews, and rightly so. It pushes boundaries and loyalty and it will very much depend on the readers own personal journey. For me, I see love; how can you want a woman to be used as a convenience, the pain they all went through gave each one of them freedom. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

"I've never been in love before, and I never expected it to hurt this much."

My heart. These men, Oliver and Hunter are so adorable and 🔥 and beautiful. This story was so good.

One night of exploring, one night of experience, one night of naughty. What can it hurt? Oliver is out of his comfort zone one night, and he meets a boy. A beautiful, younger, dominant boy. This boy gives him everything he's hoping for and more. And the next morning, Oliver's wonder about himself is confirmed and he freaks. He bolts on this beautiful boy who helped him awaken what he suspected.

Hunter enjoys physical relationships and is confident in who he is. He's swept up in the gorgeous man who caught his eye and gave him a night of ecstasy. But Hunter wakes to an empty bed and an odd feeling in his heart.

Fast forward and the two men are trying to move on. Hunter is devastated that his hot British guy just left him and Oliver is back in his life with his homophobic parents and his new fiance. He is trying to live his straight man life and not think about the beautiful boy he left behind.

That beautiful boy though? He shows up at the house of Oliver's new fiance, and he is her son. The two men must figure out how to keep their secret hidden not to hurt Hunter's mom. But that's not easy, especially since the family vacation in a camper is about to happen.

In a twist of fate the two men get to spend the vacation together and sparks fly. Like, super hot, delicious sparks. But they are bound to burn.

This is a wonderful story of Oliver's awakening, Hunter's unwavering love, and a healing process between mother and son. There is a HEA but it takes some time and pain to get there. Oh, and there is lots of spice. 😁

"Because Oliver Jones was many things, but he was not regrettable." 🧡

[Ciara Hartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis: Oliver has lived under the thumb of his controlling parents, hiding who he is because of their homophobia. But one night he veers off course and has a one night stand with a young man… who winds up being the son of his soon to be fiancé… what will happen when the two are thrown together for a 2 week road trip?

My Review: Oliver’s story was heartbreaking and so relatable for me. That feeling of never being good enough, no matter how hard you try. And hiding who you are for fear of losing your family. 😭 So emotional! - But I loved how Hunter encouraged him constantly to be positive and chase his happiness, and live for himself and not for his parents. Oliver was in his 30s and still terrified of disappointing his parents… sometimes you just have to do what’s best for you. The emotional and real-to-life aspect of this story brought it to 5 stars for me. That being said, I did feel that the extreme amount of sexy times in this book, often detracted from the overall plot… but in the end it all came together and so, 5 stars it is!

- Praise kink
- Age gap
- Closeted gay
- British guy
- Homophobic parents
- Fiancé’s son (forbidden)
- RV road trip
- Super spicy!!! 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Keia Cotton · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️

I thought this was the first book that I had read by Felicity Snow but it is actually the fourth 😮. Who knew I was such a fan?

This was the story between Hunter and Oliver. Oliver is a closeted gay man that has been suppressed by his stifling, homophobic, rich, pretentious ass parents. Such a yes man that he did whatever they wanted which included dating a wonderful woman he knew he had platonic feelings for at best. One day he takes a ride and winds up in a bar an hour from home where he meets a beautiful, flirty stranger and Oli has his first gay experience. After spending the night with this stranger (they never even exchanged names) he awakens and immediately feels horrible and guilty about cheating, so he flees back to his sad life and proposes to his girlfriend. Well color him surprised when a few weeks later, he finally meets his fiancés son and it’s his beautiful stranger that he hasn’t been able to get out of his mind.

I really enjoyed the length and pace of this book. It wasn’t overly angsty and it flowed very well. I do believe I am a fan of Felicity’s books and will continue to read through her catalog.

[Avery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver is repressed, he has retreated so far within himself, he makes all his choices to please his parents. Cancelling out everything he wants and needs to be happy. Until one night, he takes something for himself, someone, a man at that. Something he never gave himself, to finally give into the craving to be with a man. Something his parents will never accept.

After the best night of his life, he sneaks out and returns to the life his parents planned out for him. Thinking he would never run into the man who took his breath away and refuses to leave his mind. Until they do of course!

I don’t like the cheating trope if it’s between the MC’s but outside that I can really appreciate it. And when Oliver and Hunter find out their link?! Yeah, I was totally here for it.

I loved the roles in their relationship, where Oliver is older, he is the most inexperienced of the two. He follows Hunter’s lead, who is so cute and willful. Hunter basically takes Oliver by the hand and leads him through new discoveries about himself.

A beautiful story, that’s equally hot and spicy as it is a journey to your truth.

I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

Genre: M/M Romance
Format: E-Book (Kindle Unlimited)


Character Development: 3/5 With it being a short book, the characters were developed but there was not true depth to them. The story surrounded mostly Oliver and his struggles growing up repressed.
Plot: 3/5 The plot was the two MC finding themselves in each other. Not bad but some parts felt rushed or just glazed over. I wanted more.
Writing Style: 3/5 The book had no grammatical or spelling errors. The writing style was easy digestible.
Spice Level: 3/5 The spice was good. Young top, older needy bottom. Some of the scenes felt rushed.
Overall Rating: 3/5 This was not a bad read, just quick. The plot developed very fast and I felt like I was missing out by not getting to experience these characters and their time together more.


Tropes:
• Age Gap
• Gay Awakening
• Future Stepfather x Stepson
• HEA


Cheating: Yes no between MC
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: Dual POV (First Person POV)
KU: Yes

[Fer (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠) suffering for hollanov · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review in portuguese
Vou dar 3 estrelas pq.. 1) se trouxemos pra vida real, isso jamais aconteceria! Eu entendo que é uma ficção, claro, mas gente, sem condições. O menino claramente preferir o romancezinho de 1 semana à mãe que cuidou dele durante 20 anos da vida dele? Jesus, que ingratidão..
E a mãe ainda perdoar ele? Socorro. Na real eles jamais se falariam, e a Amanda nunca iria aceitar esse romance, mt menos ter conversado com o outro protagonista daquele jeito
2) muito hot, nem consigo enumerar quantas cenas kkk em qualquer oportunidade ela meteu um hot – eu não tava esperando, e olha que eu gosto de hot, mas nossa mto desconexo
3) o que foi esse final? Ele vai encontrar o menino depois de 1 mês separados e eles transam na mesma hora, gente quê isso kkkkk sem condições
Enfim, longe de ser o melhor livro, mas foi uma leitura dinâmica ksksk pelo menos não me cansou ou me entediou, as coisas aconteceram bem rápido, e eu gosto dessa trope (cheating), romance fofo

[Michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

worth the read

Oliver is a man who has been living a life that he truly desires because of the fear of bringing shame and disgrace to his family name. Then he meets this bar tender and finally lets himself just have one night of what he truly desires. Turns out that this bar tender is about to be his step son. Hunter has been working hard to finish is degree but can’t stop thinking about this how up he had. When he shows up to his childhood home to meet the man his mother is going to marry and for them to spend a road trip all bonding. He is shocked to find out it’s the guy he can’t get out of his head.  Can Hunter help open Oliver’s eyes to see that he deserves to truly be happy and live his life for himself and not his family or will Hunter have to learn how to mend a broken heart?

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oliver has done everything to please his parents even denying his own sexuality. Hunter is the guy who helps him be his true self.
As soon as Oliver locked eyes with Hunter I knew he was hooked, insta-lust did not describe what they felt for each other and then it went in a direction that I was not expecting and I could not put down this book waiting for the other shoe to drop and seeing how they eventually got their HEA.
Hunter was good for Oliver and I loved watching Oliver becoming the man he wanted to be, seeing through his eyes all the things he had missed out on thanks to his parents.
This was a quick read as I really liked the characters, which to be honest I like all of this author's characters, so no surprise there. Their connection was on fire and I was always on their side to get their HEA. A good read

[Dynesha Dixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book scratched a good itch

4.5 overall

I really enjoyed this book! I had been looking for a book where a closeted man cheats on his partner with another man and the cheating was part of the dirty talk and this delivered. I’m glad Oliver got his happy ending. He is a good man who did a bad thing even if it was good for himself. He is still worthy of love and happiness.

I do have a few complaints with the book though:
1. it was kind of predictable and the resolution felt a bit rushed. I would have liked a bit more angst.

2. An author writing themselves or their work into a book is of a pet peeve of mine. I usually won’t read another book from authors who do this, but I already loved Felicity Snow, so she gets a pass lol

3. I think the word “pretty” and the phrase “so good” was used way too many times in my opinion. How does one “come so pretty” lmao

[Ashley Webb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver was a really good, quick read. Oliver is a man in denial, who has a one night with a young man who a little while later (like 3 month) turns out to be his future step son, Hunter.
Hunter and Oliver end up going on a two week trip alone because Amanda (Oliver’s fiancee and Hunter’s mom) can’t make it.
Their chemistry was really great. Oliver loved being Hunter’s “good boy.” We have a younger top in this book folks. Hunter was exactly what Oliver needed. Lord does Oliver fight himself and how he feels and poor Hunter is put through it. He realizes his feelings for Hunter aren’t going to just go away, in turn Amanda ends up with a broken heart. I really felt for her but I think she handled it better than most.
We do get our HEA in the end, so if you’re looking for a quick read this is perfect for you.

*arc review*

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oliver has repressed his sexuality and other wants in life to fit into his parent's viewpoints. Then one evening he met Hunter and gave in to those desires. Hunter returned home from college and discover that the man he slept with three months ago is the same man who is engaged to his mom, his world turns upside down. Then Oliver reveals some things about himself that have his heart softening towards him, and confesses that he hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Hunter either.

I enjoyed this story where Hunter taught Oliver that he deserved to be himself and to be loved. However, I did find some parts of the story boring and irritating at times. I found it hard to feel the emotions that should be in this story. Easy to understand. This was an MM story with mature content.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oliver is feeling trapped and takes one night to explore his desires with Hunter. Ashamed, he immediately goes home and proposes to his girlfriend who turns out to be Hunter's mother. When Oliver and Hunter figure it out, even though Oliver wants Hunter, he won't change his mind and continues to be with his fiancee. They cheat, sneak around and are shameful liars. It's hard for them to be redeemable yet they want each other so and Oliver can't bring himself to confess. This book is total hotness, desire and passion but you have to get past the lack of honesty and guilt. I received a copy of this book and this is my voluntary opinion.

[Jennivie · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can’t choose who you’re attracted to or who you love. In Oliver and Hunter’s case this proves to be very true and comes with major consequences. Their romance is forbidden. Oliver, already dating a woman, hooks up with the bartender for a night of passion neither of the men expect. Oliver flees, panics, and proposes to the woman he just cheated on. Three months later, neither of the men have forgotten about one another and Oliver’s fiance’s adult son comes for a visit. That adult son is just so happens to be the man he can’t get out of his head: Hunter. Oliver is severely repressed due to his upbringing and Hunter is just what Oliver needs to undo a lot of the damage and discover his true self. The bond these two have may have started off forbidden and tainted by betrayal, but I couldn’t help but feel in awe of their love story.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was really interested in the premise, but I kept getting thrown by things here and there. Repeated phrases. How fast Hunter and Oliver sleep together after they realize who they are to each other. Hunter’s lack of remorse of what he was doing behind his Mom’s back. The women sure took an emotional beating in this book. The RV locations didn’t make sense to me either. I would have liked to learn more about Hunter and Oliver’s thoughts/feelings than get a tour of the zoo.

Overall, again I was really excited by the blurb. Great idea. Thought it could work out really well, but I couldn’t get into it.

[Aisling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what an emotional rollercoaster that was! I wanted to both cheer on and throttle those boys at the same time!
This is an emotionally complicated, yet at the same time, simple story! I don’t want to give anything away past what is already contained in the blurb, but I will say you should read it. It’s a respectful approach to a topic that unfortunately many still experience! Coming out with your sexuality should not be an ordeal! This book is a love conquers all and I’m so happy that it was