Pretty Broken Doll

by Bree Wiley

Beauty isn't always whole.

Shilo
I’ve always been the outcast—awkward, invisible, a loser. My pet rat and my computer are my only friends. I've accepted the fact that I'll probably die a lonely virgin—until I pick up the hottest man I’ve ever met for a ride home.
An impulsive invitation, a strange encounter. He's way out of my league. Then he tosses me out, sending me back into the hole I'd crawled out from.
I didn’t think I’d ever see him again—until I walk into my new job two months later.
Turns out, he's my new boss.

Ryann
My life is an endless cycle of work, sleep, and meaningless hookups. It's been this way since I gave up my college dreams fifteen years ago.
One reckless decision—a disappointing fling with a stranger—shouldn’t matter. But when that stranger walks into my office two months later, everything I’ve built begins to crumble.
Because now he’s not just a stranger.
He's my new employee.
And my twin is dating his sister.


Pretty Broken Doll is a full-length age-gap MM office romance containing themes and situations not intended for readers under the age of 18. Both characters are consenting adults. This story features a neurodivergent MC, his grumpy boss, opposites attracting and a guaranteed HEA.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Mental Health, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Forced Proximity, LGBT

364 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2025

Reviews

[Emna · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
BOOKS LIKE THIS ARE WHY READING WILL ALWAYS HAVE MY GODDAMN HEART😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭💖💖💖💖💖💖🤧🤧🤧🤧🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

[Megan [At The Cottage]]

MM Romance

DNF @ 38%

I don’t know who I hate more right now, this fucked up shitty character, Ryann, who is an absolute fucking prick or myself for picking this up after absolutely hating this author’s first book, Finding Delaware. The masochism is real.

[Marci]

Calling it quits at 15% because Ryann pisses me off idc!!!!! I can feel my love for romance books waning this year so I need a book to come around and fix that ASAP!!!!! 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4 stars ⭐️

♪ 𝚂𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝙼𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 — 𝚃𝚘𝚘 𝙶𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚋𝚢 𝙱𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚊 ♪
// No, it ain't like me to care
Or miss when you're not there
But I'd rather die than not love you //

Nearly every night when I dream, it’s about a pretty boy with cracked porcelain skin.
A broken, blue-eyed doll.

Grumpy CEO can’t stop thinking about his new PA.
This was HOT. And sweet. Mayyybe a bit OTT. Typical office romance and asshole parents.
But it sucked me in from the beginning. One of those reads where you know it’s not perfect, but it just works.

“You’ve got frosting here,” he says thickly, swiping his thumb across my bottom lip. “Open.”

And ohmygodd was Ryann just a whole lot of sexiness and dominance. He’s a bit of a jackass for a good portion of the book, but he did eventually get his head out of his ass and made me fall for him with all his sexysexy baby doll’s.
And Shilo was just a cute shy sweetie pie, a brat playing pranks on his boss, a hurt boy in need of love and acceptance.
I liked how their first time wasn’t perfect, that it wasn’t the best sex of their life right off the bat. It was different, a bit more real.

“Open your mouth, doll.” His pupils blow wide, jaw dropping in confusion, and I cup his cheek before sliding my thumb onto his tongue. “There. Now we both can
concentrate.”

“My thumb isn’t quite doing the job, is it, baby?” I murmur, my hand moving toward my belt. “I think you need something a little more filling.”

Office sex just does something to my brain. I need an office. With a desk. No reason in particular.

“Has my little doll been waiting for permission to come?”

A scorching hot smutty read, with a side of romance and family drama. It could’ve used more groveling from Ryann, but other than that I had lots of fun. And I want a Carpenter book. I have a weak spot for himbos.

“I’ve been waiting my whole life for you, baby doll.”

CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Depictions of eating disorder & body dysmorphia
- Mentions of childhood bullying
- Bigotry
- Homophobia
- Mentions of parental death
- MC w/ scars
- Age gap (16 years)
- Violence
- Virgin MC
- Neurodivergent MC
- Light D/s themes
- Top/bottom
- Praise
- Orgasm denial
- Light foot fetish
- Spanking
- Cock-warming
- Light spitting
- Office sex
- Semi-public sex

[kaye taz · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
Format: ebook

“It’s just him and me, two broken people with nothing in common who somehow make each other whole.”

I absolutely ate. this. up. Thank you, Bree, for getting me out of yet another reading slump.

Let me start with Shilo. The sweetest little broken boy who deserves all the best things in life, and for most of the time, much better than Ryann. My heart hurts for everything he went through before we meet him, and I ache for everything Ryann put him through.

Ryann—it took me a really long time to warm up to him. He was fighting his own demons, but taking it out on Shilo and his body. But he did eventually worm his way into my heart and earned everyone’s forgiveness.

The spice in this book was insane. Cockwarming is my kryptonite. And all the plugs and stretching and edging was just too good. But I especially just adored the way they became emotionally closer each time they had sex. The soft moments becoming more frequent.

There is a lot of triggering content in this story. Bullying, homophobia, eating disorders, etc. Definitely check the warnings thoroughly.

Also, HI, HUCK AND TAY! My sweet boys.

Bree is surely making a name for herself in the MM genre, as she deserves. She always writes such complex and flawed characters that wrap me around their fingers and take me on a journey. Can’t wait to see what she has for us next!

*I received a free advanced copy of this book from the author and this is my voluntary, honest review.

[Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: age gap, workplace romance, hurt/comfort, secret relationship
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 3.5/5
Kinks: "his boy", mild feminization or pretty doll kink, size difference, toys, orgasm denial, cock warming, spanking, sex in risky / semi-public places
Angst: medium
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: past bullying of MMC (not by MMC), eating disorder, social anxiety, panic attacks, past death of parent by house fire, permanent burn injury, homophobia, homophobic parents, hate crime attack on MMC
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: No
Other person drama: they had a one-night stand. 2 months later, they meet again because Shilo gets a job working for Ryann. It's referenced that Ryann was with others before they met again, Shilo wasn't. Once they meet again, it's implied that neither is with anyone else. Ryann has to fake date a woman and that causes some hurt, but it's fake, nothing physical is happening. Ryann is slightly jealous of Shilo's male friends. Shilo is slightly jealous of Ryann's and his ex f buddy KC's past relationship.

4 stars

Shilo is 21. He used to be chubby as a kid and he got really badly bullied. As a result, he has an eating disorder and he struggles with self-confidence, body dysmorphia, social anxiety. He's a virgin. He's too thin now, he's bulimic and rarely eats. He's in therapy. He's still living at home and attending college online to be a computer programmer. He worked as an Uber driver, and went home with one of his fares, Ryann (gay, 37) who was drunk. Ryann treated him horribly, they had to stop attempting anal because Shilo was too tight, but they got off. Ryann kicked him out after, basically saying thanks for nothing. That really set back Shilo's mental health and he quit Uber driving. Shilo is forced to get a apprenticeship as a requirement for his school program and because of his social anxiety, he ends up only getting a job because his sister asks for her boyfriend to hire him as a favor.

Shilo shows up and is surprised to find his one night stand is now his boss. Ryann's fraternal twin brother is his sister's boyfriend. Shilo initially wants to run, but he ends up sticking out the job. But he's the worst assistant ever to Ryann (and a decent assistant to the brother Declan), Shilo finds a million ways to take petty revenge on Ryann and make his life difficult. I loved him for that. Shilo and Ryann start hooking up, but Ryann insists that it stay casual, he doesn't do relationships, and they need to keep it secret. Shilo starts getting in too deep, and with Ryann need to fake date a woman so that he can get a promotion, them being together isn't a good idea, but they can't really stay away for long even when they try.

This was a great story.

What I liked:
- Shilo was an adorable vulnerable and relatable antisocial grumpy gremlin. I love a gremlin character
- Shilo savagely being petty and sabotaging Ryann gave me such joy
- I liked how protective Shilo's sister was
- I liked Shilo's friend group, KC just invited himself into Shilo's life and him and the others were so great to Shilo without making a big deal out of Shilo being who he was. They pushed him out of his comfort zone, but also knew when to let him be and just be there for him.
- the chemistry between Shilo and Ryann was intense
- I loved that you could see the characters fall for each other reluctantly and that you saw the stream of consciousness of their thoughts and how preoccupied with the other person they were, and not just an a sexual way. I love when characters have non-sexual affection for each other.
- I liked the depth of the plot, that there was complexity to it and it was fully fleshed out.

What I didn't like:
- Ryann was an asshole the first time he hooked up with Shilo. Even if you're just having a one time hook up with someone, you shouldn't treat them like dirt the way that Ryann did.
- I feel like Ryann should have learned from his actions and acted differently at times with Shilo when they met up again.
- It was hard to like Ryan because he was a very self-centered character who was focused on his own wants and needs. He wasn't a great book boyfriend. He got there eventually and he ended up becoming a supportive partner for Shilo and really caring about him, but I felt bad for Shilo, and felt like he could do better at times.


Some notable moments:

I like moments like this, when it's clear a MMC is reluctantly developing non-sexual feelings. "An unfamiliar yearning stirs in the pit of my stomach, and suddenly, there’s nothing I want more than see Shilo in his natural environment, surrounded by his family. He won’t expect to see me, either, which makes the idea more appealing."

It's so cute of Shilo to have a pet rat and be a grungy little grumpy anti-social gremlin "“Is that supposed to be a pet?” Shilo scowls at me from beneath messy purple bangs. “His name is Master Splinter, from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Why are you dressed like you’re going to a funeral?” I narrow my gaze, letting it drift over his fraying sweater as the rat burrows into the hood hanging across his chest. “Why are you dressed like you live under a bridge?”"

"“Who the fuck hurt you?” I demand, my blood boiling as I gently cup his face, wiping away the tear tracks on his cheeks. “Who did this, baby?” Christ, he looks terrible, and it’s all I can do to keep from vibrating with rage. “S-some drunk assholes at a party,” he mumbles, taking hold of my wrists. “Carpenter, Kansas, Tina, and their girlfriend defended me.” Goddammit. Remind me to give all of them raises. Hell, I’ll hire Tina and their girlfriend just to give them raises."


*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.

**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.

[Renae Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty Broken Doll is a fantastic opposite attract hurt/comfort story. I love how the relationship between Shilo and Ryann evolved throughout this story. Their initial meeting and interaction are cold, uncomfortable, and distant, which further emphasizes how important their growth is as the story progresses. Their dynamic transforms into something meaningful and impactful, which makes for a fantastic emotional story.

Shilo is such an endearing character. He wears his emotions and heart on his sleeve, which makes him the best complement to Ryann's cold and distant demeanor. Ryann is stoic and not easily rattled by others' emotions until the beautifully shy Shilo quickly enamors him. Together they go on quite the journey towards something real, moving, and earnest.

I enjoyed their story and loved how they both were able to help the other be better, healthier, and more secure in having a close relationship with another person. Overall this is a great story, with complex characters that I could not get enough of.

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

[Kati *☆･ﾟ]

***no rating***
dropped @35%

highly anticipated for me but I’m not feeling it and being honest with myself I just know I won’t pick it up again.

[purlpur · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️
оооу як я розтанула від цієї парочки 🥹
шайло - 21 рік, чуйний, милий гік з соціальною тривожністю та рхп. фіолетове волосся, фіолетовий лак на нігтях, полюбляє тусуватись вдома з кімнатними рослинами і має домашнього улюбленця у вигляді пацючка майстра сплінтера. ну що за милота ☺️
райан - 37 років, екс баскетболіст, замкнутий, холодний бос-трудоголік, сео іт компанії, котрий, якщо ви гарний працівник, запросить вас на обід в кафе з котиками 🤭

і агх, райан такий гівнюк! знав про слабкості шайло і тричі робив йому боляче, усвідомлюючи як йому буде. окей, перший раз не навмисно і вони не були знайомі. але для 2 і 3 разу немає виправдань 😡 через ці моменти не могла деякий час проникнутись цим персонажем.

але усі ці сімейні драми, травматичне минуле в школі, проблемні стосунки батьків-дітей, не залишають стояти осторонь, тому починаєш співчувати їх історіям. вони вдвох такі зранені, але витягують один одного до кращих версій себе 😌

їх хімія і пристрасть вийшли дуже смачними 🤤 а потім вже підключились підтримка, турбота, ніжність і почуття, від яких важко не розтанути 🫠
фінал відчувався настільки солодким, аж цукор хрумтів на зубах. але після усіх попередніх перипетій, я насолоджувалась цим солодким завершенням 😎

[Theodore · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 20%

Not nearly enough justification for either Shilo or Ryann's actions post hookup.

Shilo's made out to be this socially anxious wreck who's so affected that he's physically having trouble eating due to the anxiety and yet he's 100% fine with messing with Ryann's things/mouthing off for attention. Why? Wouldn't his social anxiety make him do the opposite of being seen? What up with the jealousy towards KC? Shouldn't he hate Ryann for embarrassing him? He seems to hold hatred for the dude who pantsed him at graduation, so why was Ryann any different? Because he was sexy? Because he made him feel sexually inadequate?

Ryann going from "That was disappointing. Thanks for nothing," after the hookup to suddenly saying "the twink who I couldn't stop thinking about" was a complete 180 from what I expected. What about the awful lay made him keep thinking about Shilo? Why hadn't he had sex since? And why not just fucking fire Shilo after he started mouthing off, being disrespectful, and messing up things that a PA needed to do (like get coffee)? If Ryann was trying to appease Declan and Shilo's sister, then pawn him off to a different department. He didn't come across as the sort of guy to have issues with doing that (considering all Shilo needed was the job, not to be PA to Ryann)

Don't even get me started on the sexual harrassment going on here. Ryann asking Shilo to sit between his legs and making him suck on his thumb made me draw the line.

TL;DR Characters were incredibly inconsistent in service of getting to the romance. Inappropriate power dynamic + gross harrassment.

[Stacktheforest - Natalie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I tried to like this. I really did.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very moving and emotional MM romance that really sucked me in right from the beginning. I was drawn into the dynamic of Shilo and Ryann and I was rooting for them through the whole story.

We begin with a kind of failed One Night Stand that is pretty mortifying for Shilo, and unsatisfying for Ryann. They both would rather forget and they might have been able to if not for the fact that Shilo is now working directly for Ryann at his family business. And Ryann can't just send him on his way because his brother is dating Shilo's sister. So they need to make it work.

Now that they are in close proximity to each other, a new dynamic forms. When Ryann learns that he was Shilo's first gay encounter, things about their evening together start to make a lot more sense. They have a chemistry that just continues to build and it's leading them both to take some risks that could blow up in both of their faces.

Shilo truly needs someone to care for him and hold him close. Ryann wants to sleep with Shilo and teach him things but he's not interested in anything serious. So there is a lot of pain and confusion for Shilo in the beginning. In fact, I really wanted to slap Ryann upside the head a few times. Shilo was just too precious for words and I hated how Ryann was treating him. Ryann has his own damage of course but it's still hard to see.

Overall, I did enjoy how they got closer and how they created a relationship just or the two of them. I also enjoyed the sexual exploration and the "teach me" type of situations we got to have between the two.

This was my first book from this author and I would definitely try another romance from her.

4 stars
3.5 on the spice scale

CW: Author lists them all in the beginning, so check that out for a detailed list.

*Thank you to the author for an ARC of this title.*

[V · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars. Really…? REALLY??? I was really anticipating this because the blurb enticed me— resonated with me, even. So, color me disappointed to new levels with how this turned out.

1) Ryann was 100% an asshole. I do not care that he himself acknowledged it and that other characters did as well. Just because you can admit a flaw doesn’t make you suddenly likable. None of his behavior after he finally decided to change felt redeeming enough. He kept messing up again and again, berating himself for hurting Shilo yet still doing so. Like I understand that that makes him seem more human, but considering how fragile Shilo was, it was simply nonnegotiable behavior. If he was closer to Shilo’s age, it could’ve been tolerated, but the fact that he’s 37? Gtfo. You are grown. Act like it.

2) Shilo was probably the best aspect of this book. He was sweet, tragic, and I wanted to protect him the more his insecurities and past came to light. However, I kind of wish there was even more angst regarding him and his issues, especially with how often Ryann and Shilo’s own father knocked him down. Also, Master Splinter deserved more page-time.

3)The side characters were yawn-inducing. Declan, Paige, KC, Carpenter, Tina, Olivia, Ronin, the parents…not a single one truly connected with me. Sure, KC was funny and endearing, but even that wasn’t enough to account for how drab the dynamics felt. I also abhorred how the whole situation with Shilo’s dad was handled at the end. Like ain’t no way it was dealt with that seamlessly…be fr 💀

I get the concept of trying to write a closed-off character like Ryann to choose to destroy his own walls to be with Shilo, but the execution fell flat. Angsty books with hard topics to discuss like bullying, self-worth, EDs, etc. should be longer imo, and the length of this one might’ve aided in setting it back for me.

[Lauralee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shilo is convinced he's going to die a virgin, and makes an impulsive decision to sleep with a man who gives him an impulsive invitation, a man much older than him. When the man throws him out afterwards, he thinks he'll never see him again... until two months later, when said man is his new boss. To complicate matters even further, Ryann, his new Boss, well his twin is dating Shilo's sister. It gets complicated fast, but sometimes, that leads you to what you want most.

Bree Wiley, the woman that you are. I loved Finding Delaware and I loved this. Bree writes in a way that is so easy to read and to follow and really connects you to her characters. I loved that both of the MCs had issues that they needed to work through, and ended up working through together. I related to Shilo a lot, as someone who also had an eating disorder and I think Bree did it in a way that was incredibly nuanced and well done. Ryann took a while to grow on me, but he eventually did. Overall, I loved the book, loved the spice and am obviously a Bree fan for life. 🥰

[ya.vl · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Що мені дуже сподобалось в цій книзі це те, що головні герої були справжні а не якісь там ідеалізовані чоловіки
Сподобалось те, що авторка приділила цьому увагу
через це мені було ще цікавіше читати
Не сказала б що мені дуже сподобались головні герої але вони дуже добре підходять один одному
Книга трохи болюча, це треба взяти до уваги
В принципі мені сподобалась❤️

[neptunian · Rating 1 out of 5]

Everyone who gave this 5 stars is crazy…ryann treats shiloh like literal shit under his shoe y’all read anything I’m crying 😭 I can overlook characters being assholes if they’re well written enough but Ryann is awful and shiloh has no backbone. Shiloh deserves better his cute quirky self. Smut wasn’t even good enough to put up with ryann.

[taylor :) · Rating 2 out of 5]

you know the tik tok that goes ricky when i catch you ricky? that’s how i feel about the MC ryann. dude treated the other MC shiloh like absolute garbage. i honestly have no idea how they fell in love with each other. did not enjoy their dynamic.

the book was funny though i’ll give it that

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was good, but I didn’t love it. The miscommunication trope was HEAVY here. I disliked Ryann more often than not with the way he treated Shilo, and I was annoyed by Shilo’s lack of a backbone.

Also, hilariously, when the characters Huckslee and Taylor made a cameo, I realized this was the same author who wrote Finding Delaware, a book I DNF’ed. I thought I escaped those annoying fuckers when I stopped reading their book, but I guess not.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So freaking good! Absolutely loved Shilo and Ryann’s story. These two had me ignoring my responsibilities all day, because I couldn’t put it down. This is one of those books that hooks you right from the first chapter, and keeps you locked in until the very end. This is my first Bree Wiley book, and it definitely won’t be my last.

[Kiandra 🦋 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ryann WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU??

Three Stars butttttt if I was rating on Ryann alone, it’d be a one. How can someone be this much of an asshole and still get a happy ending.

[Brynn]

Dnf @ 26%

[Laura Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty Broken Doll is an age gap, boss/employee MM romance story about Shilo and Ryann.

Shilo is a young twenty-one year old who is awkward, shy, insecure and wears his emotions on his sleeve. He has some major issues, including his battle with self image that he is working through, and my heart went out to him. Ryann is a thirty-seven year old cold man who is a workaholic trying to meet his father’s expectations. He doesn’t do relationships and has his own issues he is struggling with.

Shilo and Ryann first meet when Shilo picks up Ryann in his Uber. This first encounter does not end well. They didn’t think they would see each other ever again, but two months later Shilo starts a new job and it turns out Ryann is his new boss.

Shilo ended up being the biggest brat to Ryann at work. Although I found it amusing, I was surprised Ryann didn’t find it immature. I will say I personally struggled a little bit with their dynamic and their connection. Shilo was young and inexperienced, and he seemed to fall pretty quickly for Ryann, even after Ryann didn’t treat him well. And even though it seemed Ryann cared for Shilo, I was concerned Ryann would not be able to give Shilo what he wanted and what he needed.

There were so many times I wanted to give Shilo a big hug. He was definitely a character that was relatable in many ways. I was so happy he met a great group of supportive friends. I really enjoyed these side characters and the found family in this story.

Shilo and Ryann couldn’t be more different. Things shouldn’t have worked out for these two, but somehow it did. We see their journey filled with many ups and downs, and I definitely was rooting for them. I am so happy Shilo and Ryann found love.

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

[peoniesandmm · Rating 4 out of 5]

full review to come!
started this last night for new year! first book of 2024 down 🤪

[Shelby | Spicy.booknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Contemporary MM
Age Gap (37/21)
Hurt/Comfort
Size Difference
Secret Relationship
Virgin MC
Spice: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

This book had my emotions flying all over the place, but I could not put it down. The office romance setting made me nervous as hell, Shiloh has a back story that broke my heart, and Ryann is a hot and cold dick that most of the beginning I just wanted to smack. But the way that he grew on me and how I rooted for this relationship is a testament to the authors skill. I loved their story.

Shiloh is one of the most adorable characters ever and just brings out those protective feelings. Ryann is cold, and as stated above, a bit of a dick but once I read more from his POV, it helped a lot in understanding his character. Make no mistake, even though Shiloh is adorable and anxious and has a boatload of issues, there are some great moments where he stands up for himself and puts his mental health first. It was as surprising as it was refreshing to read.

Both of these two are broken, they just handle it in completely opposite ways. So despite their hot chemistry and instant attraction, there is a lot of healing to be had here, and it’s quite the process to get there. Messy and I loved it!

[Crex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Where do I even start with this book? I hated both characters. I kept asking myself why are they even together?

Shilo has anxiety, yet he follows a complete stranger home the first time they meet? Be for real. And then there's Ryann an absolute douchebag who treats him like trash. What did Shilo even see in him? There was no growth, no redemption arc, nothing to justify them falling in love. Ryann spent the entire book mistreating him, except when he was forcing him to eat.

And Shilo? His first day at work, and he decides to completely wreck his boss’s schedule for what? Honestly, he should have been fired on the spot, but what do I know?

Now, let’s talk about Shilo’s sister. 😂 Girl, why are you out here spilling your brother’s personal business to random people just because you’re sleeping with one and working with the other? Make it make sense. And when Shilo was almost beaten? Instead of support, she just blamed him for going to a party on his birthday.

Oh, and let’s not forget when Shilo, desperate for attention, decided to march into Ryann’s dad’s office. For what reason? 😂

Let me stop here because the list goes on and not in a good way.

[Roxanna Mascarenas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have few words to describe how amazing this book is. This was a 5🌟 or more read for me. I will definitely be reading this one again.
Shilo, sweet broken soul you want to protect from the moment you meet him. He is the outcast and feels that he will never be enough. Invisible and alone.
Ryann has worked his life for his father and the company he built. He has given everything, including his dream of basketball and being truly out.
Ryann is fascinated by Shilo when they meet and when they have a horrible hookup, neither can seem to forget the other even months later.
When Shilo begins working at the company, Ryann vows to keep his distance, but that pretty broken doll of his keeps needing him.
This book was incredible and you even get a cameo from Huck and Taylor from her first book Finding Delaware. Please read the TW, and if bullying, body dysmorphia, puking ED affect you, remember your mental health matters.


Again reread and still incredible but with audiobook 🥵🥵🔥🔥!!! Love me Shilo and Ryann

[S · Rating 1 out of 5]

Boring....none of it really makes sense. A virgin with social anxiety just decides to let the first guy he feels attraction to penetrate him halfway then gets kicked out and he turns out to be his boss and he still decides to get used by him but all of it is just boring and not hot. At 40% I'm struggling to complete this book i waited a month for. Skimming through pages and it's still boring. I have read better fanfics on twitter than this. Is this author's first mm book or what?? Typing this review i realise this book isn't even a 2 star but a one star.

Also wow author giving so many free copies that hundreds of reviews are from when this book wasn't even released. No wonder this has a high rating despite being a terribly written book. Wrote this at 200 ratings and almost all are from free copies and arcs. Don't waste your time with this author ig?

[Morana Bylur · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so fortunate to have the privilege of beta reading both this and the previous book, Finding Delaware!! Bree is definitely making a name for herself as a fantastic MM contemporary romance writer. The characters are so relatable and beautifully flawed. You crave finding your way towards the end of the book when they finally get together. She writes perfect Epilogues featuring Happily Ever Afters. The banter is top notch. This book even included a little cameo of the couple from the first book appearing in a scene. I look forward to reading anything and everything she releases!

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I loved this.

I've been on a winning streak with books for a good handful of books lately.

I finished it within a day because I just couldn't put it down, it was so good and kept me intrigued from beginning to end.

Ryann takes some time to warm up to. He is very standoff-ish, very cold and rude at first. Of course we learn why as we go, and his relationship with Shilo brings out his warmer, kinder side - but it takes a bit.

I can see how others might dislike him at first. It also seems like he'll never change his mind on his 'no relationships, just sex' mindset too. He takes longer than most, I think, to drop that attitude. Even as he doesn't sleep with anyone but Shilo since they meet up 2 months after their initial meeting that did not go well.

Shilo, of course, was a sweetie from the get go. He's sweet and shy and adorable, but also he's got some steel underneath it all. The way he fights back toward Ryann is diabolical. And oh yes, he would be fired so damn fast if he were anyone else, but I think Ryann loved Shilo's behavior as much as he hated it.

Shilo is very beautiful, but he was perhaps a bit on the fuller side in high school and got bullied for it, and now as a result he is definitely bulimic. He already has a therapist, but maybe he should also saw a specialist for it, but we mainly just get him getting better through his relationship with Ryann and Ryann taking care of him and loving him for who he is.

Which, definitely helps, but realistically he'd need treatment. But it's okay because it's fiction and who cares if he's healed by the power of love? Well, also the help and support of those around him, and their love, of course.

Shilo feels like he has no one except his sister, Paige, in the beginning, but by the end he has Ryann, Paige, 3 best friends and Declan, Ryann's brother as friend as well, and his parents.

I didn't even mind Shilo's father's turnaround near the end - we did get a time skip before that happens and the father wasn't perfect either. Usually his turnaround would annoy me, but the time skip helped.

Shilo has so much love by the end of this and he deserves it, so much.

He and Ryann have such a great relationship too. Ryan really can't help but be drawn to his baby doll over and over and over again, as much as he tries to fight it.

The only one who really cares about their age gap - 16 years - is Paige so it's really not a big thing in his book, but that was okay because I loved everything else about this and their relationship. Their chemistry was so good and passionate, I loved it.

Definitely another win for me for this author, I absolutely loved this. If you loved Finding Delaware, you'll love this too, even though it is quite a bit less angsty and isn't enemies-to-lovers. Ryann is an ass at first, but once he starts falling for Shilo and opening up his heart and being vulnerable with him, it's beautiful. The way he protects and looks out for Shilo is wonderful. No one messes with his baby doll!

So yeah, loved this and I absolutely can't wait for more from this author! 😘

[ash[hearts]angst · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙘𝙩. 𝙄 𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙝𝙚’𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙪𝙥. 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙤 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮, 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙚. 𝙄’𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙡𝙡.”

Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice: ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥




Ryann is such an interesting character. His backstory and trauma really drew me in, and I found him super compelling. I wish I got more from him tho. I really wanted that SNAP moment where he just lets it all out.

Shilo, on the other hand, is a young college student working through a lot—social anxiety, body image issues, and bullying trauma. I really appreciated how self-aware he is and how his therapy is woven into the story. It’s a daily battle for him, but he’s actively trying, and that made me root for him even more.

Their connection is instant, like right away, and while I don’t mind insta-lust, the pacing of their relationship felt more than a little rushed. After spending 2 nights together, they are all of a sudden obsessed? Maybe insta-love just isn’t for me lol. The story jumps around in parts, and I struggled to feel the emotional connection between them. Both characters have heavy trauma, but it felt like we only skimmed the surface of their stories instead of really diving in.

I also had some issues with the boss/employee dynamic. Shilos actions would absolutely cause chaos for a CEO, and I wish there had been a moment where Ryan acknowledged the risks or addressed it more realistically. Like, I would be PISSSSSEDDDDD.

On the flip side, I loved the side characters. Kansas and Carpenter completely stole the show, and I’m begging for a book about them now. And the cameo from Taylor and Hucks (Finding Delaware shoutout!) was just perfect—they made such a cute, memorable appearance.

Overall, I enjoyed this book! It didn’t quite hit the emotional depth of Finding Delaware for me, but it was still a solid read. I also might be comparing the two too harshly, so my current rating is undecided.

*EDIT* 4-Star rating! Excellent book, I just can’t do insta-lust I realized.

** I received a free copy of this book and this is my honest review**

•Age gap
•Insta-lust
•Mental Health rep
•Boss/employee
•Grumpy/Shy
•History of trauma