Alexander King: Handsome, popular and a D1 soccer star, Alexander King appears to have it all. He’s just hiding one (or two, or three) little secrets, like the fact that he’s still in love with his older brother’s best friend Theo, he doesn’t actually want to play soccer anymore, and that at twenty-one, he’s still a virgin. When unexpected circumstances bring him and Theo together, it’s a recipe for heartache, but Alec is sure that he can handle it. He just needs to make sure the jenga tower of secrets he’s been keeping doesn’t topple over and ruin everything.
Theodore James: At twenty-nine, Theodore James has the kind of stable life his childhood self could only dream of. Sure, the only person he lets into his life is Jason, the best friend he’s had since he was seven, and his sole form of companionship is one-night stands, but he’s content. Mostly. When Jason requests his help, Theo doesn't hesitate, even when that favor involves Jason’s feisty, smoking hot little brother who’s all grown up now. Theo can definitely handle Alexander King. Maybe.
Lucky writes character-driven, contemporary mm romance. Her debut novel CROSS THE LINE came out in 2024, and began the series “Kings of Heart”, each featuring one of four brothers on their sometimes messy, sometimes tender paths to happy ever after. MAKE THE PLAY, coming 4.23.25 continues this series of interconnected standalones.
Lucky is a millennial who grew up on fanfic, a lifelong West Coast resident, and a Canva Pro enthusiast. Queer and neurodivergent representation is deeply important to her as a member of both communities, and she loves exploring intersectional experiences through her fiction as a writer and a reader.
When she's not writing, her favorite things include drinking coffee, walking on the beach, staying up late to finish her latest read, and filling her house with rainbows.
2.5 stars. I want to say for a debut I think this was amazing. The writing was really good and the characters have a lot of depth, which is always a huge win for me! The reason for the lower rating is because it really didn't capture me and I really didn't enjoy reading it. I say that the writing was good because Theo's issues were well explained, the banter was great, Alec's wit and sass were perfect, the angst was frustrating in the bad way.
I love angst, I read a ton of angsty books, but when there's angst I love a resolution that feels equal in magnitude to the conflict. Its a slow slow burn, which was fine, but the reason it was so drawn out was because it was the same thing over and over again, misunderstanding each other, making assumptions about each other, not talking, like at all. I say it was frustrating because literally all their problems could have been solved with a single conversation.
Theo was also a problem for me. I didn't not like him, but he was infuriating. I planned to be a little annoyed and frustrated because the author literally puts a warning in the front of the book about it, but some of how Theo reacted, trauma or not, was just plain asshole behavior to me. I forgive the side effects of the trauma, but the whole inner conflict revolves around him caring deeply for Alec and not knowing what to do about it and scared of how it will effect his life. He admits his own issues, he admits being a bit selfish, and he admits he wants Alec as a friend, but he never really treats him as a friend.
He
I think Theo acted very selfishly and childish for someone who was supposed to be the adult and "so much older" (9 years). It just made the book drag for me, and then when they finally get it together it just felt too short. Even the epilogue, which was all kinds of adorable, didn't give me the happy giddy feelings it should have.
- First Time - Hurt/Comfort - Idiots in Love - Neurodivergent MC - Anxiety Rep - Age Gap (8yrs) - College Soccer Player - Big Brother's Best Friend - Years of Pining - Miscommunication - Found Family - Banter
*RTC*
I received a free copy of this book via the authors and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Content Warnings: - Graphic sexual content between consenting adults - Depictions of a car accident hit and run (on screen) - Explicit language - Parental abandonment of a MC (past, off screen) - Parental neglect of a MC (past, off screen) - Childhood poverty of a MC (past, off screen) - Non-graphic sexual assault of a MC (past, off screen, briefly discussed on screen) - Hospitalization of a MC (on screen)
Verse: No HEA: Yes POV: Dual Breakup: No, but there is time apart Cheating: No OM/OW Drama: Theo goes to the club twice to find a hookup but it doesn't happen. Alec dances with other men at the club, while drinking heavily, but he leaves with Theo. Ages: 29 & 21
**I received an advance review copy for free, and I'm leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, author, for the opportunity.
What to expect: 📍Brother's best friend 📍Long pinning 📍Unrequited love 📍Slow burn 📍ADHD rep 📍Freckles 📍Oral fixation
This is the author's debut novel, and regardless of my experience with the book, I wanted to be sure to congratulate the author on a successful debut. I have read very positive reviews and I'm aware that my position is in the minority.
Before going into detail about my rating, it is worth noting the parts of the book that I found relevant and may be of interest to future readers. First, let's highlight the quality of the writing and editing of the book, a great start to the author's career. What struck me the most was the care and depth in the construction of the characters, even the secondary ones stand out for the naturalness of their dialogues and their distinctive personalities. And last but not least, the inclusion and treatment of issues such as mental health, ADHD, and Latino heritage.
Aside from that, I have to admit that the book disappointed me. I'm used to reading really long slow burns and couples that take a long time to confess their feelings (100+ chapters) as well as long pinnings that last several lifetimes and reincarnations, so I didn't find it a problem to read a book with this theme and didn't suffer as much as mentioned in other reviews. However, after such a long wait, the normal thing would be a romance arc and allow the reader to enjoy the couple who have suffered so much. This was not the case here. I was left waiting for the romance. For me, this was like an introduction to the story of these two people, I needed a second book or more chapters showing the change in the relationship or finally a good COMMUNICATION scene!!! But I didn't expect at all that the book would end with just their confessions and then an epilogue with an engagement proposal. It felt very abrupt.
I don't see how this couple can have a happy future. That was the other big problem I had with the book. Yes, the two characters were extremely complex, with flaws and very human personalities. However, at no point in the book do these two people ever really get to know or understand each other. A 10-year crush on someone older and unattainable is understandable, although it is questionable if you can love a person with whom you have had no communication whatsoever and who is quite secretive and hides many details about his thoughts and past. But hey, at least that side of the relationship was justified. On the other hand, Theo has ignored Alec his whole life and in the first chapter of the book he realizes that Alec is already an adult whom he finds attractive. It all makes sense, but from there to falling in love with him? When did that happen and how? At least, I was not able to understand this change.
So my biggest problem was the couple. These two people were not in the right place mentally to start a relationship. To be honest, I would be more satisfied if the book ended with a HFN or if the two of them just said they were going to try to figure out how to go on. The jump to eternal love, marriage and happiness was the biggest shock.
PS: I'm not saying this for this book specifically, but the whole idea of the taboo of falling in love with your brother's best friend, I don't get it. What is there to be afraid of? Two of the most important people in your life being happy together sounds amazing. The fact that your friend is finally considered family should be motivation enough.
3. 5 Forbidden romance debut about a soccer-playing baby brother and the older brother's best friend who falls for him! There's lots of pining, some flirting, athleisure wearing (Alec), smoothie making, stray pet adopting, sweater wearing (Theo), anxiety having, and.....a very slow burn.
Cute book that runs a bit long...the Epilogue is the sweetest and best! I'm intrigued by all the King brothers....what will come next?
Thanks to the author for this ARC! This is my honest review.
The ARC came out on my birthday :) A nice fun read with big ups and big downs - it WILL hit you right in the feels and kick you while you're down, but it will also be the soothing balm to your soul. I would especially recommend it if you like k-dramas because it has that kind of energy. Alec is my personal fave, I would go to battle for him.
Things this book has: - Drama - One (1) Extremely Anxious Man - A short king in even shorter shorts - Romance - Soccer balls - Goofballs - Other kinds of balls ;) - Wholesome male friendships - Hurt/Comfort - More animals than you may expect.
Things this book does NOT have: - ENOUGH THERAPY FOR THEO!!!!! - Enough of Alec's friends to adopt his rescue pets - Riley getting the chance to beat somebody up for being mean to Alec >:( - An appearance from Theo's brain cells - And technically, not enough sweaters for a sweater museum.
Content warnings: - Brief, non-graphic depictions/recollections of sexual harassment/assault.
This is a lovely book, and I liked it. Didn’t love it though, because I wasn’t a fan of the writing. Especially the sex scenes. SO. MUCH. TALKING! I literally felt asleep while reading it. I get that Theo wanted to be careful but come on! How much consent do you need? And not contacting Alec after was just cruel. I thought it was a bit of a lazy choice for the author to let Alec get into a car accident. That could have been solved more creative.
Given that this was a debut novel and the first in the series I don’t think it was bad. It just wasn’t as good as I’d hope. I am looking forward to the next one though. I hope Riley finds one of the other King brothers. Charlie maybe?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
this book made me want to crawl out of my skin in the best way possible … i feel seen and i needed this book after going through a rough time. theo and alec deserve happiness 💗 i enjoyed this book so much and im glad i finally gave it an opportunity.
i see myself in alec, especially with his age and what he is going through.. i’m glad he was able to find his path.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Addictive writing style that I didn’t want to stop reading, with very well-rounded characters (even side characters)!
It wasn’t perfect but I really enjoyed most of it. The sex scenes were some of the worst I’ve ever read (so much talking? Shut up and get on with it!), there was not enough romance, there was not enough groveling, there was not enough therapy, there was not enough medication taking, and the ending was kinda lazy.
I was rooting for these two the entire time though, and I had a good time overall. The chemistry was there, the pining was top notch, the level of angst was perfect. These two morons just needed to talk more about what they were FEEEELIIIIIING.
Content warnings: parental abandonment (in the past), parental neglect (in the past), childhood poverty (in the past), sexual assault (in the past), hit and run, hospitalisation, mental health, vomit, alcohol
I kind of struggled with the first...25%??...of this. Not because of anything the characters did or because of who the characters were but simply because the age gap - newly 21 and a solid 29 - was a tad too much for me. Especially when we're told REPEATEDLY that Alec confessed his feelings for Theo when he was 15, making Theo 23. And, like, as someone who works with teenagers? C.R.I.N.G.E. It's too much. I'm not opposed to age gaps in romances or the brother's best friend/best friend's brother trope. But an age gap of this much when one character is in their late teens or early 20s lowkey gives me the ick.
Anyway, I basically chose to pretend their ages weren't listed and I continued regardless because the PINING my God the pining was flawless. I did have a couple of issues with the fact that his name is Theo James, but on the whole I loved the characters a lot and I had a fabulous time reading this. And I'm dying to read Jason's story now oh my God.
Oh my god, this was beautiful and messy and I felt so much! I couldn't put it down, I have basically read as I walked because I just wanted Theo to GET IT TOGETHER. I feel a bit sad Alec doesn't want football but I feel it made sense. The King Brothers have nestled their way into my heart and I can't wait for the next one.
I loved Alec from the get go but you definitely go on a bit of a journey with Theo 😭
At the beginning I loved him and then for most of the book I wanted to smack him upside the head and I wasn’t totally convinced I would have it in me for forgive him on Alec’s behalf but alas, Lucky made it happen.
By the end I was really rooting for them both and loved their HEA.
3.7⭐️ Charlie should have punched Theo when he has the chance 😭 letting him leave the house crying at 2am was such a mean thing to do . Theo didn’t communicate with Alec or Jason about his feelings / actions like what are we doing babe 😫 why aren’t we using our words .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Ahhh I knew I should of read this book sonner!! I'm not usually a fan of slow burn but this totally worked especially for Alec and Theo. Can't wait to read Charlie's book next!!
I really, really enjoyed Cross the Line! Everything hit just right for me! The flirting, the pining, the romance, the tension, the friendships, the spice… all of it! In many ways, Theo and Alec are so wrong for each other, and yet them together is just so right!
Мене дуже роздратував опис від третьої особи та slow burn, який неправильно слоубьорнився!😅 Спочатку все максимально затягнуто, потім одразу все. Де натяки, «мутки»?🙂↕️😅 Проте сама атмосфера і цей маленький всесвіт мене зацікавив, тому буду читати про братів❤️
The premise was good. Best friends brother but friends to lovers. This could have been so much better with just a tad more editing. New authors please don’t introduce a million characters because you want to set the scene for future books. The reader can see what you’re doing. It felt random and I have no idea who anyone is! Except Jason because I was totally intrigued. (He was why I read it)
✨4.5 I was feeling all the things stars✨ Banter and tension. Pining and chemistry. Boys being idiots at times but for reasons that make sense. Loved this debut and can’t wait for the rest of the series! *with another round of editing this would have been a full 5 stars for me
4.25⭐️ This is one hell of a debut! The writing is really good (besides some typos), it felt fluent and exactly the right amount of detail for seeing every scene play out like a movie, but without it being excessive. I loved the character development, and I'm usually not the biggest fan of slow burns, but it really fit here. There's not really a focus on the established couple and I get some people don't like that, but I thought it suited the story really well. The ADHD rep sounded genuine, especially since it's loosely based on the author's personal experiences. I loved the world building and even tho there were a lot of side characters introduced, I didn't think it were too many - they were really distinctive and I could easily remember names and who they are, and this is not normal for me. Also, I wanna state that this is NOT a soccer romance, if you're looking for rep of sports besides hockey, this is not your standard sports romance. One MC does play college soccer, but it doesn't occupy much space in the story.
Some mishaps, that are definitely excusable due to this being a debut: In my eyes, it was a tad too long, 350 pages would have been enough I think. Also there were some typos or missing words a proofread would have fixed, but I understand that money is tight for a first time self-publisher. Also, while Alec and his brothers were written quite complexly, I didn't get the same good feel for Theo - I actually don't know what he does in life and besides him being the best friend of another character and growing up with them due to his own family dynamics being complicated. A deeper insight into him as a character would have elevated the book, I guess.
All in all, I'm super excited for the following books, since I loved the side characters and the world building, the writing style is gorgeous and I'm sure the debut-mishaps will be eredicated in the next book.
this was a random on a whim kindle download and omg i couldn’t be happier it found its way onto my kindle. these two had me hooked from the beginning, absolutely gnawing at my fingers waiting for them to be together (which took a bit as id say this is a slow burn, over 50% before they first kissed) and UGH THAT ENDING I DID INFACT CRY! and the epilogue was so sweet, ugh just the perfect happy feeling i wanted today! and so intrigued for the other books following the other brothers since we really only scratched the surface of them here.
if you had to pull my leg into saying why i gave it a 4 and not anything higher, it’s mainly because of the miscommunication, which i was fully prepared for bc it is in the authors note at the beginning, but i just was clawing my eyes out over it at points so i feel like if i had some reprieve from it earlier it could’ve upped it. and then i also feel like theo needed more to him? im gonna be so honest i have no idea what that man does with his time… he lives in a house but i could not tell you what his job is or anything. i know one of the brothers jason is a coach, i know alec is a student and soccer player but i have no idea about theo. other than that i have no complaints. the brothers best friend trope lives on with these two and beyond that the childhood crush element ugh they melted my heart.
oh also LOVED the ADHD rep! as someone with ADHD i found myself relating to alec a lot and there were many things that made me recognize myself in him bc of it so i appreciated the level of detail into that representation specifically.
3.25⭐️ Star soccer player Alec comes back to his hometown, and now that he’s 21, he’s older and wiser than he was before. At 15, he confessed his love to his older brother’s best friend, Theo, who gently but clearly rejected him (he’s 8 years older, okay!?) Now that Alec is back in town (and not a kid), Theo is noticing Alec is a brand new way.
In this book you’re going to get: -so much miscommunication -slow paced romance -pining -emotional first times -a cute kitten -supportive friends and family
So I did a weird thing, and I actually read book two in this series before this one. I’m actually glad I did, because I ended up really loving book. 2, yet book 1 was just okay for me.
What I liked about it: the characters are well-rounded, and I thought that Alec was specifically well done. The little lingering touches made me swoon (I love a little yearning!!) For the most part, I think the subject matter was also handled really respectfully. I can tell that the author truly loves the characters they create.
My main issue with this book was the pacing. It feels like nothing happens for the first 60% of the book, then after a decision that seems kind of out of nowhere, a bunch of drama happens at once. Then the end is so abrupt?? The author’s writing style is also very long-winded, with pauses in action to describe feelings or backstory. This sometimes takes you out of the moment.
Anyways, book two is amazing. So if you find yourself not liking this one, the second book in the series, which follows Jason (Alec’s brother), has better pacing, while still being a slow burn with big feelings. Definitely don’t miss that one!
** He would do anything for this man, including break his own heart.**
Alec and Theo are simply amazing. I loved both of their characters so much. The way I could connect with both of them on a soul deep level was honestly astounding to me. I really empathized with Theo because I swear he is the male version of myself. The love Alec had for him was so beautiful. Alec was Theo’s biggest fan. The mental help rep in this book was immaculately written. I loved how focused it was on the mental health aspect. I could literally feel Theo’s anxiety and Alec’s itch to always be busy to keep his mind busy. This book was absolutely phenomenal. It blew me away. Hit me right in the feels. Definitely gonna be one of my favorite hurt/comfort reads. This book was so much more than just a romance book. It shows the struggle people with mental health issues go through and how it can impact your relationships. It also has an incredibly found family representation. Alec friendship with his friends and Theo and Jason’s friendship are so wholesome. Gave me all the feel good giddy vibes. I fell for the side characters just as fast as I fell for the main characters. The relationship between the 4 brothers🥹🥹 I could gush about this book forever I swear. Definitely highly recommend. Can’t wait for the next book in the series- the series will be interconnected standalone so no cliff hanger!
Thank you Lucky Hart for this ARC. My review is entirely my own.
I'm not 100% sure what to say. This book was everything you hope for in a debut novel. It has a great story that just gets better and better as you read it. A wonderful cast of characters. All the laughter, longing, the "are you kidding me" moments and the "FINALLY" moments.
Theo and Alec have known each other all of Alec's life and while Alec is in love with Theo, he is also the baby brother of Theo's best friend. You can see the turning point for Theo and it was incredible to watch. The assumptions these two have, not about the other but themselves, make you want to both wring theor necks and wrap them together in a blanket burrito with Coke and LaCriox. I rooted for them while simultaneously wanting to kick them. (Does the feeling get any better than that??)
The characters were well written, the plot was well developed, the author wrote this book in a way that you feel the longing, the pain, the love . This story will reach in and trap you body and soul...and you will not want it to let you go.
This author is an auto buy for me and I cannot wait for more.
To be completely fair I feel like this should’ve been set in the UK rather than California. As annoying as football/soccer terminology is with America deciding it wants to be different. It felt like the book leaned more toward the UK/ rest of world terminology vs American.
Character wise Alec was definitely over the top but it was very endearing and made me love his character. I liked Theo a lot but he had flaws, everything about Theo other than his treatment of Alec was really nice. But I feel like the story around his trauma with love could’ve been fleshed out a little more so us an audience could be a little more understanding with his treatment of Alec.
I’m really looking forward to the release of the next book
I loooooved this book! I loved the characters, but also especially the writing style too. It's not often you find romances written in third person present tense and oh boy, do I love that! 🤩
Theo and Alec were super cute but also incredibly frustrating at times. 🤣 Because this book is centered around lots of miscommunication, secrets they hide and lies they tell themselves, and dealing with some personal issues they need to work though. But even so, I loved every minute of this. Because it made me FEEL! I felt their angst and their struggles, and I was so eager to know when they would finally bite the bullet and confess their love, it just kept me so hooked! Let's just say there was quite an explosive ending that was incredibly satisfying, and my heart is super happy 🥰
I wholeheartedly and truly cannot believe this is Luckys debut novel. I’m SO serious, there’s just no way. I don’t believe you!! 😂 I don’t even know where to start. I stayed up until 1:30am to finish the book because I couldn’t put it down, and thennnn up an additional 30min, thinking about it and processing everything. I literally kept thinking about the book all day the next day lol. The depth and realistic explanations/reactions were EVERYTHING. The characters were so relatable, i found myself relating to them both so much. I have literally been where they were. Theo though.. my lordt Theo.. I felt him on such a spiritual level. I suffer from anxiety and the way Lucky portrayed him (AND Alec) and his/their trauma hit me on a whole nother level. This book gave me ALL the feels. I was swooning, laughing, crying (literally, I had to pause because 😩) and my jaw dropped. Their journey is NOT easy, they both overthink, they both deal with trauma and suffer from mental health but man.. is it worth it? 100000%. They truly make each other so much better. Alec’s friends are everything, the Kings brothers are everything and I just cannot wait for the rest of the series.
I enjoyed this. Alec is such a little button. I wanted to give him a hug, and keep him in a little burrito blanket to take with me everywhere. Athletic burnout (and just regular burnout) was so real with him. I think he got used to making people laugh and happy, and forgot about himself for a bit.
Alec has a wonderful family and such supportive brothers. 🫶🏻
While Theo is very flawed, I didn’t hate him. He’s traumatized from his past, but I don’t think it excuses his behaviour.
I think Theo and Alec are yin and yang - opposites but fit perfectly together.
Neither wanted to change the other, but somehow they worked.
I am thoroughly obsessed with Lucky’s writing and this story.
Idiots in love? Check Size difference? Check An amazing cast of characters? Check
The depth of emotions I felt while reading this is a testament to the author’s ability to create such amazing characters a a rich story that you feel connected with. I laughed, I cried, I threatened violence and a good couple “I want to grab him by the collar and shake him like change is going to fall out” moments.
I was hungover and clinging to life and I still could not put this book down.
If the author ever publishes a sequel about Jason I will froth at the mouth.
first of all i would like to thank the author for the arc of this book and would also like to say that i'd give this book 3.5 stars if gr would let me:)
i'd also like to say for a debut novel this was great!
i want to start with the reasons this didn't get more stars even though the writing style was nice and the plot was actually pretty cute: i feel like the age-gap was at times a little weird. i get that this is an age gap romance and i get that it's supposed to be forbidden ans stuff but first of all i had the feeling the age gap changed at times (sometimes it was 8 years, sometimes 9 or 7) and i thought it was a little weird that theo kept going on about knowing alec since he was in diapers. i tried very hard forgetting about that to be honest. however the falling in love when both were adults? very demure. very mindful.
alec as a character was very interesting and theo made me sob occasionally but theo didn't give u a lot to work with. i still like him, he could be a babygirl if given the chance.
i liked the pining and romance part of the story. i also enjoyed the twist of a sports romance where the character lost interest of their sport due to the stress associated with it by playing it on a higher level.
overall i'd say it was a pretty cute book and definitely worth a read. if u like age gap and forbidden romances this should he right up your alley!
Sweet, lightly spiced, wholesome, and relatable characters! The author guides the story with a gentle touch and treats the characters mental health with respect I’ve not seen much in books. It was a delight to read. Alec, Theo, the King brothers, and not forgetting little kitty Rio, all have my heart!
Alec is a D1 soccer (football for my fellow brits) and has been deeply in love with his brother bestie for a long time.
Theo only does one night stands and refuses to let himself fall in love with anyone.
The thing is, the Kings are a persistent bunch and Alec isn’t one to give up on anything.