Never Let Me Go

Inevitably You #2

by Lyla Dane

Gavin

Beck Bowman was once my best friend in the entire world. No one compared to the kind and gentle boy who stole my heart when we were kids. But that was a lifetime ago, before our friendship was torn to pieces and I became a spiteful, rotten shell of a person. Now he can’t stand the sight of me, and all I want to do is avoid the contempt in his eyes—except that’s impossible when we go to the same college and wrestle on the same team.

But he can’t hate me more than I hate myself.

Hate my own cowardice and vicious anger.

Hate that I’m so afraid of my dad I’m willing to destroy myself.

There isn’t much left of me anymore, and the parts of me that Beck once loved are buried so deep I’m sure they’re lost forever.

After I make the worst mistake of my life in my senior year, I’m ready to give up. I’ve destroyed everything, everyone despises me, and I’m drowning in regrets. For two years, I’m intent on forgetting I even exist—until Beck finds me one night and tries to save me. He’s still the perfect golden boy he’s always been, the do-good hero that needs to fix everything around him. He’s convinced he can help me, and no matter how hard I fight him, he refuses to give up on me. I hope he never does, but Beck is everything I don’t deserve and can’t allow myself to have.

How could anyone ever love a monster like me?

Never Let Me Go is a medium-high angst MM romance with dual first-person POV about two big wrestlers with a broken past. It contains a lot of roughhousing, a royal term of endearment, tons of hurt/comfort, a long journey of redemption and healing, some offensive comparisons to large mammals, and a hard-fought HEA. It’s the second book in the Inevitably You series, but can be read as a standalone. Only intended for mature readers ages 18 and up.

*Please This book contains spoilers for the first book in the Inevitably You series, Someone Like You.

Genres: M M Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Second Chance, Friends To Lovers, Sports, Mental Health

494 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 28, 2025

Reviews

[Laura Jane ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

'But if I had known that was my last chance to try and help Gavin, I would have done everything in my power to save him instead of just sitting there with my head in my hands.’ 😫

Oh my heart!! These two deserve every single shred of happiness the world has to offer & more 😭

my booksta review

Gavin, my sweet angel. Oh my god. He is one of those characters I felt so deeply connected to instantly. He is so broken & full of so much pain and trauma. Seeing him hate himself so much that he wanted everyone else around him to hurt, broke my heart 💔 Is his behaviour acceptable? No, but the empathy I felt for why he did the things he did…. I just want to hold him. He had completely given up on himself and truly had no one to fight for him. He not only went through horrific things at the hands of someone who is supposed to love and care for him but he also found himself on a path in life that no one deserves to go down. I wish I could take everything away and give him back his childhood best friend and replace the pain with happy memories. My heart just hurt so much for him.

As for Beck. Oh this guy. He is the definition of showing up for someone with pure, unconditional love. He took everything Gavin threw at him, he persisted, he fought for him and he cared for him with patience and ferocity. He didn’t even question forgiveness; he never stopped loving Gavin, how he loved him as a boy - he was the only one who still saw all the good in him, underneath all the layers of pain and anger.
The way he took care of his scars so carefully - I was welling up 😭😭😭
He gave Gavin a reason to overcome his past, to heal, to move forward and to believe he was allowed to have love and happiness. The tender moments between these two and seeing Gavin slowly lower his walls to Beck, it was so precious 🥺

“I’m not something you need to earn. What I feel for you is unconditional, okay? That means that no matter what, I will love you. I am willingly giving you my love. It’s free, baby. There’s nothing you need to do to earn it.”

Their love was angsty, messy, painful but also so beautiful. It really put me through a rollercoaster of emotions.
And then the spice…. listen, I am truly jealous I can never experience this 😶‍🌫️ cause every time Beck called Gavin princess my soul left my body. They were so hot, it absolutely ate 😫

I LOVE THEM!! These two deserve to their happy ending so much and I will not hear a bad word against them - sweet, precious angels. I know they are still so madly in love and spending their days taking one step away from all the bad memories and creating new & happy ones.

I was fully burning in that pit of hell, and I’d be there for eternity. I deserved nothing less. And still, all I wanted was for Beck to hold me again. Just one more time.

Hope exploded in my chest, as if it were there just waiting for him to say or do something that proved the old Gavin was still in there. It was not a fragile thing—it had an implacable strength that sank into me. Sank deep. I wanted to purge it from my body.

It was as if half my heart had been cut from my chest, and the other half did what it could for as long as it was able, but at some point, it began to fail. Because it knew a life without Beck wasn’t much of a life at all.

“I’m the sky and you’re the stars, remember? It’s my job to hold you up and let you shine. So let me do my job, baby.”

[Brittany (Brit.tea.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. This book broke my f—king heart. I mean, it ripped it out of my chest and ran it the f—k over. 😢

𝑯𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒘𝒉𝒐’𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕. 𝑳𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕.

I usually don’t get emotional over books, but damn, is it a dark, messed-up journey for Gavin 🖤

Beck, you have a fucking heart of gold, baby! 🥹♥️

𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑰 𝒃𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒅. 𝑻𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒖𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓𝒔.

There is so much to unpack, and I need a minute to collect my thoughts.


It's such a beautifully heartbreaking f—king story, but PLEASE CHECK TRIGGERS because it has a ton. 🫶

𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑰’𝒎 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕𝒍𝒚. 𝑰 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒅. 𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑰 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒆, 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒌. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏.

[BookSafety Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes down below.

There was a part of me that relished Beck’s hatred. I wanted him to hate me—needed him to hate me, because it was the only thing I was deserving of anymore. I wanted him to hurt me, too, for the things I’d done.

ARC review ⬇️

Wow! I wasn’t 100% sure if this book would be for me, but the concept really sounded amazing and I’m so glad I signed up for an ARC. I spent the first 40% (ish) of the book crying a lot. It was really fucking emotional, but so, so good. I love books that make me cry.

I’m unsure of the actual number of pages as of yet, but this book is a thicc boi. A couple of brief moments it seemed a little slow and repetitive, but mostly the amount of words were put to very good use. Gavin’s healing and entire journey happens slowly. It’s not easy and it’s not sudden, and I’m so thankful for that. It made the story believable. Gosh, I hurt so much for Gavin.

Beck was equally lovely. He might seem a tad too ‘perfect’ for a minute, but he has his struggles too, and I really appreciated that. The MCs had a bond as kids and teenagers that really couldn’t be broken, even when it seemed it had.

I wondered briefly if the boy I’d known was somewhere behind that wall, banging his fists against it, wishing he could find a way out.

Beautiful story of healing, love and redemption. Highly recommend.

(Check the content warnings btw, it’s a heavy one.)

He shoved his hands into my hair, gripping my head with both hands, hissed, “I fucking hate you,” and crushed his lips to mine.

⬇️ Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️

⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Redemption story
Childhood best friends to enemies to friends to lovers
Size difference
Wrestling
Slow burn
Legal guardian for younger sibling
Forced proximity
Wrestling as foreplay
Healing from abuse
Hair-pulling
First times
Dirty talk
Begging in bed
‘princess’
Loud in bed
Edging
No gag reflex
Possessive MCs
Hands-free orgasms
Hurt/comfort
Dominant in bed
Therapy
High heat
Flip-fucking

⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
MC abusing steroids
Details of withdrawal and side effects of drug use
On-page injection of steroids
— all drug use is two years before the main story takes place, but still on page —
Homophobic parent (on page)
Death of step parent (past, off page)
Mentions of alcoholic parent
Abandoned by parent (past)
Homophobic MC (because of homophobic parent)
On-page violence between MCs (before relationship)
Episode of extreme mental distress (on page)
Suicidal ideation/suicidal thoughts (several instances, on page)
MC hospitalized
MC physically abused by parent (past and present, on page)
MC verbally and emotionally abused by parent (past and present)
On-page vomiting
MC physically attacking SCs (on-page, during ‘roid rage’)
Parent suicide (past, some details)
Alcohol consumption (on-page intoxication)
Alcohol abuse by MC (drinking to forget/be numb, not addicted)
Symptoms of depression
Homelessness (MC)
Off-page jailtime
Injured MC (self-inflicted during panic)
Fear of abandonment
Self harm (hitting and kicking things)
Misogynistic comments by MC and SC
Internalized homophobia (MC)
Prescription drug use (anti-depressants, painkillers)
MC1 orgasming from grinding on MC2 while asleep — panic attack when realizing (MC2 not upset)
Explicit sexual content
MC taking high dose of painkillers (once, on-page intoxication)
Brief mention of drug overdose and death (unnamed character, past)
AA meetings with details of addiction (minor characters)
On-page panic attacks
Rough sex and hair-pulling
Occasional spanks during sex
MC attacked and left naked while unconscious/drunk (undressed off page, no sexual assault)
MC struggling with aggression
Mild testicle torture
Edging/orgasm control
Facefucking
MC arrested on page (brief jailtime)
Police brutality (hostile and rough handling)
MC bullying SCs and other MC (past, on page)

⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
Main characters’ age: 24 and 24
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 496
Happy ending: Yes


My loathing for the person he’d become came nowhere close to overshadowing the sorrow in my heart for the boy he’d been. For the life he could’ve chosen for himself, but hadn’t.

“You promise you’ll always be my best friend?” “Yeah, I promise. Of course I promise.” “You sure?” “How many times do I gotta say it? I promise I’ll always be your best friend. Nothing will ever change that. I can’t think of a single thing that would ever make me stop loving you. You’re the sky and I’m the stars, Becky. We’re stuck together. Okay?” “Okay.”

I clung to his contempt like it was the deepest kind of love, because in my life, to me, it might as well have been.



You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...

[Emna]

DNF @70%
I’m just not enjoying this anymore. I don’t feel like I’m in the right headspace to read it, and honestly, I don’t have much to say about it. At the end of the day, I want to be happy with what I’m reading, so I’ve decided to DNF it. Maybe I’ll come back to it someday, maybe I won’t—I’m not sure.

[Momma Eureka · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵
“Laying in the silence. Waiting for the sirens. Signs, any signs I’m alive still. I don’t wanna lose it, but I’m not getting through this. Hey, should I pray? Should I pray? To myself? To a God? To a savior who can ….
UNBREAK THE BROKEN
UNSAY THESE SPOKEN WORDS
FIND HOPE IN HOPELESS
PULL ME OUT THE TRAIN WRECK
UNBURN THE ASHES
UNCHAIN THE REACTIONS
I’M NOT READY TO DIE, NOT YET
PULL ME OUT THE TRAIN WRECK”
🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
“If I was breaking apart, I wanted to do it so thoroughly no one could ever put me back together again.”
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
“You’re the sky and I’m the stars”
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
“I was helpless to do anything but love him, and it was the only thing I’d ever be happy to be so helpless about.”
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
“I believed him. Because I could feel it in every long-forgotten piece of my soul. He was collecting them all, gathering them up and showing me they weren’t lost after all.”
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

I said many times and I’ll repeat now: “I don’t read to be happy, I read to be emotionally devastated “

This book is SO EMOTIONAL! I knew it was going to be emotional because first of all MM normally are and second because of 2 reviews I’ve read it. But I wasn’t expecting the raw deep dive I was putting myself through, I even slowed down and took a little more time with the book because I wanted to feel all the feelings.
This is the story of Gavin aka the emotionally damaged and Beck aka the angel on earth. I don’t want to go into the details of the story like I like to do it because I want people that read this review to be intrigued and want to find out why it’s so emotional.
The only things I’ll say is :

- it’s a very slow burn
- it’s deeply painful and emotional
- Gavin GOES THROUGH IT and also puts everyone through it
- it’s a story of soulmates happening in a decade period
- one of the MMC still a virgin at 24 😱(scandalous)😂
- the story is based and centered only on the 2 characters. It’s like a movie of 2 !
- barely any spice, only towards the end (I could’ve done it with more OBVIOUSLY) but makes sense for the story

Even with the slow burn and lack of spice and action/violence because you know I like it, I still ABSOLUTELY UNDOUBTEDLY FELT IN COMPLETE LOVE WITH THE BOOK. My heart broke so many times for Gavin. A more emotional person would cry from beginning to end. I in fact cried on the 89 to 90% mark, I couldn’t take it anymore 😭😩
But worry not, it is a HEA ! And in my opinion a super worth reading.
“Say please, princess!” If you did read it you know 😏😉


🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
“I’m the sky and you’re the stars, remember? It’s my job to hold you up and let you shine. So let me do my job, baby.”
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵
“Cause a one-in-a-million chance, is still a chance, still a chance.
And I would take those odds”
🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵

🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵
“Call and I’ll rush out. All out of breath now.
You got that power over me. My my, everything I hold dear resides in those eyes.
You got that power over me. My, my, the only one I know the only one on my mind”
🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵 🎼🎤🎶🎵
“You can say what you like ‘cause see, I would die for you.
I’m down on my knees and I need you to be my God, be my Help, be my savior who can.
UNBREAK THE BROKEN
UNSAY THIS RECKLESS WORDS
FIND HOPE IN HOPELESS
PULL ME OUT THE TRAIN WRECK
UNBURN THE ASHES
UNCHAIN THE REACTIONS
I’M NOT READY TO DIE, NOT YET
PULL ME OUT THE TRAIN WRECK”
🎼🎶🎤🎼🎵🎼🎶🎤🎵🎼🎶🎤🎵🎼🎶🎤🎵

[patrícia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a best friends-to-haters-to-lovers story. I absolutely loved this book with every fiber of my heart. I have a soft spot for broken boys, so I completely fell in love with Gavin’s story—how he fought through his traumas, insecurities, and vulnerabilities.

I'm not comparing, but while reading this book, I kept thinking back to Waylon and Will from Jessie Walker's Lost Boys series. Gavin's story resonates so much with Waylon's—both endured terrible fathers and heartbreaking trauma, which led to the separation from their best friend and possible new love. 🙁

The first 50% was pure suffering and pain… Gavin’s anger was palpable. The way this book is written makes you feel his rage and frustration. You begin to realize that for eight years, he basically suffered alone, trapped in his own mind and at the hands of his disgusting father (I wish his fate had involved my hands around his neck, but I get the author’s choice!).

Beck… well, I want to say Gavin was a warrior, and he was, but without Beck’s love, I don’t think this happily ever after would have been possible.

Anya was an amazing side character—LOVE HER! And to our elephant 🐘 and baby hippo 🦛, all the love.

There’s so much more I felt, so much more I would/could say, but this book touched me so deeply that my brain just can’t find the right words to praise it fully. It’s one of those rare stories that just hits you, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to find the perfect way to express how much it impacted me. But that’s a testament to how special it is.

And, I just have to say—I’m a total fan of Lyla and can’t wait for more!

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fucking masterpiece.

This book broke me down into tiny little pieces and then put me back together in a better, stronger way.
Wow, just wow.

This is the story of Gavin, who we’ve already got to know as a homophobic, misogynistic, steroid abusing, violent asshole in book one. I was completely shocked to find out that this book would be his story. And what a story that was.

The first 40% of this were physically painful to read and with incredibly heavy themes (please check the extensive tw the author provides).
I’ve never, ever encountered such a broken character as Gavin in a book. He hates himself with everything he has, he is full of regret and remorse that’s slowly eating him alive and he simply doesn’t want to be here anymore. He has nothing and nobody left in his life. Reading about his pain was unbearable sometimes and after the initial hatred of him faded, my heart broke for him again and again. I wanted nothing more than for him to find his peace. Talk about a redemption arc alright.

So yeah, this was a helluva lot of hurt for the longest time, but when the comfort finally kicked in? When Beck, his childhood best friend and later Gavin‘s bully victim - who has no self preservation instincts and the patience of a saint btw - fights for him, forgives him, believes in him and just loves him against all odds? It was so, so moving.

This is the story of how you can change if you put your mind to it and that you deserve good things even after you’ve made some terrible mistakes. That you’re not inherently a bad person, just because you’ve done bad things. That you are worthy of love and trust and happiness. That you can find your way out of the darkest places if you truly want to.
And that that’s a process that - in Gavin‘s case - involved therapy, medication, acceptance, forgiveness, time and the intrinsic willingness to be better and do better.

This was absolutely brilliant, beautifully written and developed. Lyla Dane just got herself a spot on my auto-buy list from now on, that’s for sure.

I also just have to mention, that this had some of the most erotic sex scenes I’ve ever read. My god, these two, I was panting 🥵

There were so many great quotes I can’t even choose just one to put here, I’m sorry for the spam 😩

“Can you promise me something?”
“What?”
“Promise me that you’ll keep on trying. Because you are so fucking beautiful when you let yourself try. You deserve the world, Gavin. I’m gonna kill that vicious inner voice that’s been hissing nothing but lies at you. I’m gonna talk to you until all you hear is my voice inside your head. Mine and yours. The way it always should have been. Just me and you.”

❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️

„And I can’t promise anything about what will happen with me. I don’t really know myself very well these days, and yeah, being so close to you again really fucks with my head, mostly because of how I treated you. I struggle with it. But you are worth every moment of that struggle, Beck. Every fucking moment. I don’t know what will happen in the future, but I do know that the only place I want to be is by your side.”

❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️

And god, kissing Beck was like that first step into the sun after being stuck in a cold, dark room for years. He tasted like the bite of a winter morning, waking up all my senses and making me feel alive. He was refuge from everything wrong; he was comfort and security and strength and hope.

❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️

“Because you’re you. Because I’ve never stopped loving you and I never will. Because under all the layers of protection you’ve covered yourself with, you’re good and generous and strong and brave and you’re letting yourself be all those things again. I looked up to you when we were kids. I still look up to you now, because even with everything you’ve been through, you never stopped fighting. You might think you did, and maybe consciously you made the choice to. But there is a part of you that never once stopped. So…I love you for everything you were, everything you are, and everything you’re choosing to be.”

🦛🩷🐘

[peoniesandmm · Rating 5 out of 5]

♾️⭐️

this is my new roman empire. this book is one of the best ive ever read. i’m not normally someone who cries over book and this has me straight up sobbing. BEST way to end 2024. I truly can’t get over Lyla’s books, this is top tier.

the redemption, the possessiveness, the care taking dynamic, the nicknames, the slow burn. PLEASE. this book was everything i look for.

HE CALLS HIM BECKY!!! that’s all you need to know 🥺😭

the smut is hot hot hot (per usual), good LAWD tho, I WAS SWEATING.

thank you lyla dane for always writing the best books, please bless us with more. will forever be my auto buy author & this book is a perfect example of why.

[Skye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may have been one of the best MM books I've read since Wrath. It's exactly the kind of book I love to read! Angsty, gut-wrenching, and then all the hurt/comfort vibes to heal my soul. I honestly couldn't put it down; it was that captivating throughout.

Gavin and Beck have been best friends since childhood. Both their parents are pieces of trash - one worse than the other - and Beck finds warmth and kindness in Gavin's arms, who calms him from his nightmares, protects him from bullies, and Beck admires and loves him so much. 🥺🥺

But then what happens?!! (and this is one of the best things (microtropes?) I go feral for and don't think I've come across in such a book before), *takes a deep breath* : Something terrible happens and their friendship breaks apart and for ten years they hate each other, Gavin becomes a mean bully and Beck wants nothing to do with him until he finds out that his best friend and love of his life has been suffering and dealing with shit all alone and as guilt crashes through him he promises to love Gavin back to sanity and then Becky is the one who protects, the one who comforts, the one who tops :^) and fkme isn't that the best thing ever???????? Just go read this book!

Also, the smut was AMAZING, and every time these two got intimate, I got butterflies in my stomach! I loved all of this so SO much and Gavin is my baby and I wish I could just wrap him in a fuzzy blanket and have Becky call him princess and protect him against all harm!!!

"I'm the sky and you're the stars, Gav. You're stuck with me."

“You promise you’ll always be my best friend?” “Yeah, I promise. Of course I promise.” “You sure?” “How many times do I gotta say it? I promise I’ll always be your best friend. Nothing will ever change that. I can’t think of a single thing that would ever make me stop loving you."

I wondered briefly if the boy I’d known was somewhere behind that wall, banging his fists against it, wishing he could find a way out.

"You are the only reason I'm still here right now, he said softly. I stayed because you stayed. Wherever you are is the only place I ever want to be because you are everything to me, Beck. You always have been."

[Tonya ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

-Reread - 8/2025

Update - Hoping to finish my reread, if not at least I know what happens 😝

♾️⭐

When you see a new release and see all the hype and rave reviews,best believe this book deserves them all and then some.

This book absolutely broke me and put me back together. We meet Gavin in Book One (Someone Like You) and let's just say he definitely wasn't a MC I liked AT ALL. But when I found out he was getting a book I needed to know about him. I knew he had a story but where I didn't expect was to fall in love with him 🥺 This book is just so beautifully written. This is maybe the best redemption arc I've ever read. (I don't wanna spoil too much) but Lyla wrote it where we really see Gavin work hard for his redemption while simultaneously trying so hard to find himself.
*CHEF'S KISS * 🤌🏾

Let's not forget Beck. Wow. This man. I will fight someone over him idc idc. Absolutely love him, my heart also broke for him as well. These characters have their own stories and reading about them had my eyes running maybe the whole time while reading. These two together? ATE. IT. UP. I held on for these two, was rooting for these two. New favorite couple alert ⚠️This book had me bawling, smiling, angry and happy all in one. Let's also not forget that the spice was also HOT. but the story? WAS EVEN BETTER.


Favorite Book of 2025, hands down.

vibes >>>
💖Best friends - enemies to lovers
💖Villian Redemption ARC
💖Slow Burn
💖Hurt/Comfort
💖Possessive/Mine
💖"Princess"

[Анастасія ꒰⁠⑅⁠ᵕ⁠༚⁠ᵕ⁠꒱⁠˖⁠♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Коли я читала першу книжку, то я бачила, що друга буде про Гевіна, який виглядав як гомофоб, і було цікаво все ж таки, а що там з ним. Читаючи цю історію, я не дивуюсь чому він став таким. Ну сорі, але якщо батько якийсь прибацаний, то наврядчи син буде адекватним. Так, ніхто не знав, що з Гевіном там відбувалося, але мені не сподобалося те, що люди одразу висувають власні теорії, але не хочуть дізнатися правди.

Мені здається, що це вже якась тенденція робити йобнутого гомофобного батька в книжках з лгбтк, тут хотілось і вмазати, і закопати, і щоб він поніс покарання за неправдиві свідчення, але не тут то було, він вмер🗿 і його не вбили, нє, серцевий напад нахуй😐 напевно найбільше розчарування в цій книжці.

В епілозі була зустріч Гевіна з Броуді та Айзека, коли він вибачився, але мені було мало цього, я б хотіла більше їхньої взаємодії, а то тут якийсь пшик був і все.

[Jan]

DNF @ 41%

Ugh, I really tried, but I can't take it anymore.🤯🔫

There is too much hate towards the wrong person.

Why did Gavin direct his hate straight to Beck as soon as they were caught together? They were best friends for years. One day, they almost kissed; the next morning, they were enemies.

His hostility toward Beck felt too abrupt for such a long friendship, so I’m not buying the angst. I understand his father must have done something to make Gavin this way, but even so, it doesn’t feel believable that their friendship would turn into hate so quickly.

The emotional shift, which is the core of this story, didn’t feel convincing to me at all.

I also found the story repetitive, and all the self-loathing became very frustrating to read.

[ya.vl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Я не дуже хотіла братись за книгу про Гевіна ( з першої книги вже знала який він) але хороші відгуки мене підкупили (потрібно строго читати її після першої книги)
Я навіть не пожаліла що я взялась за неї, я сиділа до 5 ранку читала, потім пів дня, і трохи вечора, моментами я дуже сильно плакала 🥹 мені було настільки боляче за нього що я не могла заспокоїтись, стільки ж він бідний пройшов всього🥲
Дуже важка книга, дуже дуже, хоча я вже заспокоїлась
Бек, цей чоловіків неймовірний, якби не він нічого б не було, настільки в нього велике серце
Гевін дуже сильно його ображав, але він не звертав на це уваги і всеодно йому допомагав, чесно кажучи то він єдиний хто зміг його повернути до життя❤️
Анна теж така хорошенька, дуже сподобалась, вона внесла яскраві кольори в життя хлопців, і так легко прийняла Гевіна🥰 неймовірна дівчинка
Залишу вам цитати, і дуже раджу прочитати, обов’язково після першої книги
«— Ти – небо, а я – зірки, Беккі. Ти застряг зі мною назавжди.»
«— Можеш мені дещо пообіцяти? – запитав я, ліниво розтираючи великими пальцями його скроні.
— Що?
— Пообіцяй мені, що будеш продовжувати намагатися. Тому що ти такий до біса красивий, коли дозволяєш собі спробувати. Ти заслуговуєш на світ, Гевіне. Я вб'ю цей злісний внутрішній голос, який шипить на тебе лише брехню. Я говоритиму з тобою доти, доки ти не почуєш лише мій голос у своїй голові. Мій і твій. Так, як це завжди мало бути. Тільки я і ти.»
«— Ти єдина причина, чому я все ще тут, – тихо промовив він. – Я залишився, бо ти залишився. Де б ти не був, це єдине місце, де я хочу бути, тому що ти для мене все, Бек. І завжди був.»

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

"Are you going to make me leave?" “Because I’m too much to deal with?”
“No. You’re not. I think I’ve been handling you just fine.”

Says the man who has been getting attacked every time he touches Gavin.

Beck is a little masochistic, I swear.

But also, I'm in awe of him because while I understand that Gavin had extenuating circumstances for being a dick all those years, I simply can't imagine being that good to someone who's been a colossal asshole to you even single time you interact for a decade.

What in the hell is this enduring love?

Can I love it for Gavin and still be exhausted on Beck's behalf? I'd have left that man naked and high in those holly bushes.

But Beck just couldn't walk away. Took that man home and endured him some more. Looked at that 24 year old guy and saw his fourteen year old best friend.

Much, much later on, when he says “I missed you so much,” I'm like, yeah babes. We can tell.

Do I still think Beck is a masochist? Absolutely. But he's a masochist ✨in love✨.

Though I also got it. For all his issues, the flashes of Gavin being vulnerable and himself were enough to reel me in. Yes, he'd have 9 moments of being a dick and pushing Beck away and then just when you're about to give up on him and write him off as a lost cause, he'd go, "Please don't let me be like this."

Also how obviously into he was at being called 'princess' lol. Criminally into it. Seeming like he's on the verge of entering subspace.

I was so amused by Gavin 'I could never be gay like you' being so down horrendous for that pet name. The jokes really do write themselves. And the hair pulling? I'm usually indifferent to size difference shenanigans but it felt very appropriate for these two.

Hard guy but folds like a tickled neck the moment he's called 'princess'.

So. This was heavy for me with the triple whammy substance abuse, parental abuse and mental illness. But I think part of the reason why it worked was because we got Gavin's POV right from the start. So even as you watch him being a dick you get the feeling something's not quite right, even if everything is not immediately clear, so it helps to humanize him such that by the time he's taking it out on others, the reader knows he's acting out and not just a dick to be a dick. So while it doesn't excuse his behavior, it recontextualizes it, maybe?

Still. He did make Beck miserable for ages and I like a bit of revenge, which wasn't present here. Just Beck being an angel with the kind of patience even Old Testament God didn't have.

I was kind of glad that Isaac wasn't eager to forgive. Yes, Gavin had shit going on. But also, Gavin was a homophobic arsehole to those two and lowkey almost killed one, (unintentional though it was) and having shit at home doesn't excuse you putting others through similar shit.

So I was happy someone held his hands to the fire for it a bit. We all know 'Understanding Beck' wasn't going to.

Still. I'm glad the apology was made. Nothing I hate more than an MC who 'forgives themselves' for past crimes. Like sure, do that but also maybe apologize to the people you hurt whose forgiveness it is to give.

And I won't even talk about that joke of a father except to say he deserved worse than what he got.

Was also going to tag this 'down bad on steroids' but it felt too on the nose, not to mention it's Beck who's horrendously down bad but not him on steroids, and ALSO that's not what the tag is for. Sigh.

[Laura Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never Let Me Go is book two in the Inevitably You series. This MM romance story is about Gavin and Beck.

We first met Gavin in book one of this series, and let me tell you I did not like him at all. Unfortunately my opinion didn’t change much at the start of this story. I struggled to see how Gavin could redeem himself for his awful words and actions. It was tough to see all the wrong choices he made.

Gavin and Beck started off as childhood friends who unfortunately became enemies. I was not expecting this to be such an emotional story, and it was hard to read about everything they went through. There were so many times I wanted to yell at Gavin for his behavior, but then I also wanted to hug him because of why he was acting that way. Gavin had all of this anger, but beneath it he was hurt and scared. And then there was Beck. He was incredibly caring and kind. He was so supportive of Gavin and never gave up on him. Beck’s unconditional love for Gavin was everything.

Gavin and Beck’s journey was definitely not an easy one. They had so many obstacles to overcome. Gavin’s healing happened slowly, and even though it was hard to read, it made it believable. I think Gavin might be the most broken boy I have ever read about, and it had me crying a couple times throughout this story. It was painful and my heart broke, but leave it to Lyla to put it back together again and make it all worth it in the end.

Although I wasn’t a fan of Gavin in the beginning, I wanted to protect him at all costs by the end. I couldn’t help but fall for Gavin and Beck. Their nicknames, jealousy and possessiveness had me swooning, and I couldn’t get enough of how desperate they were for each other. Gavin and Beck were meant to be together and their love was so beautiful. This story gave me all the feels and I absolutely loved it.

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

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

Contemporary MM
Extreme Hurt/Comfort
Unbelievably Emotional
Hard Redemption
Possesive MCs
Feral Cat/ Sunshine
(I can't really call him
Grumpy, he was feral!)
BFF>Enemies>Lovers
Hot Emotional Spice

All. The. Stars. Oh man, my brain after reading this book is just all over the place. This has to be one of the most emotional stories I have ever read. Whew! So I will say, I did not read book one - I just dove right into this one after seeing a couple of recs for this and the redemption bit. I looooove redemption stories. I don't know if not reading the first book makes a difference or not. I'm thinking that an event that took place at the beginning of this book might have been a big event in book one? I didn't realize it until after I finished this one though and I never had that feeling that I was missing something.

Let me tell you, the first 40% of this book is just gut wrenching. Gavin is an angry, angry man and when you are reading his POV... You can just feel the sick rage and despair in him. There are some very heavy topics here, a lot of hate, self hate and lot of hurt to get through. Please, if needed, check those TW. Its so worth it though, the evolution of Gavin is a wonder to behold. Also, petition to make Beck a Saint, because the love and patience that man had was phenomenal. By the end of this book I was freaking begging for the HEA. Its there, but its an epic journey to get there.

This is so beautifully written. There are so many highlights on my kindle... so much dialogue that just gave me the feels. Loved it. I cannot wait to see more from this author.

[readingwithmiaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️
3.25🌶️




Y’all, This Book Was So Amazing. Gavin And Back Were Such An Amazing Couple And There Whole Journey Was DEFINITELY A Rollercoaster, But It Was SO Worth It In The End. Gavin, Let Me Tell You Out Of All The Broken Boys I’ve Read About, He’s Definitely One Of The Most Broken I’ve Seen. I Just Wanted Him To Be Happy, Especially In The Beginning Because He Deserves The Whole World. Beck, In The Beginning He Wanted Nothing To Do With Him, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. But How He Started To Feel In Love With Gavin All Over Again, It Was Just So Wonderful To See And I Loved It. Gavin And Becks Journey Was NOT Easy, Especially Fir Gavin, But How They Stuck With Each Other Through Thick And Thin, Through There Highs And Lows, It Was Just So Beautiful To See. I Also Lived Seeing My Boys Isaac And Brody Again And I Can’t Wait For Jordan And Jamie’s Book Because There’s So Much Of Jamie We Don’t Know And I Can’t Wait To Figure It Out, Same Fir Jordan. HIGHLY Recommend Y’all Read This Book On The 28th Of January & This Whole Series, But Highly Recommended Reading The First Book For A Better Experience Reading This One. 💕




Lyla, You Did It Again With Another Amazing Book And I Can’t Believe This Is Your Second Book Which Js Insane. But Keep Doing What You’re Doing And Keep Writing Amazing Stories Because You Have The Writing Talent To Write Amazing Stories. And Thank You So Much @lyladane For Giving Me The Arc, I REALLY Appreciate It SO Much💕🫶

[Kim Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, I honestly can't remember the last time I was this emotional reading about a broken boy 🤧 I was hurting a lot reading this book and I mean that in the best way possible.

Gavin is.. I don’t know how to even put that right, special. This is the second book of this series and he was kind of the villain in the first book and he really is an @ss at the beginning of this book. But I knew he was hiding things and there was more to him than it first seemed. Beck was his childhood best friend, but their friendship died because of unfortunate events and stupid, ignorant people.

Their relationship is unique, raw and deeply emotional. I cannot imagine ever getting over them 🤧

This book has been stuck with me since I first started reading it and I think about it constantly.

Sometimes you really found the brightest light in the darkest places ❤️‍🩹🥺

[anita · Rating 5 out of 5]

reread review

This book is, without a doubt, one of the best enemies-to-lovers stories ever written. The hurt/comfort, the “ it’s always been you,” the second-chance romance—I honestly don’t have enough words to express how much I love them. They'll be forever in my heart.

~ ranting: 5 ☆
~ spice: 3 🌶

arc review

Omg, this book is everything and more!! I can't belive I'm starting 2025 strong.

It’s painful, yet so beautiful. Beck and Gavin's relationship is a tough one, and it takes a lot for them to find peace, but the journey to that point is incredible. The angst, the tension, the redemption arc were done perfectly and I loved every single second of it.

Gavin deserves all the best, and I’m so glad he has Beck by his side, someone who never gave up on him and supported him through everything. Their love was truly unconditional. I just want to put them in my pocket and protect them from the world :(

I can't wait to read more from Lyla Dane!! If you haven't, this is your cue to go.

Never Let Me Go by Lyla Dane coming 01.28.25
~ best friends to enemies to lovers
~ second chance
~ villain redemption arc
~ hurt/comfort
~ slow burn
~ mental health rep

“You are the only reason I’m still here right now,” he said softly. “I stayed because you stayed. Wherever you are is the only place I ever want to be because you are everything to me, Beck. You always have been.”

[kaye taz · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
format: ebook

lyla dane, you absolute goddess.

when i found out who this book was about, i think my brain did a factory reset. because what do you mean you’re gonna make me read a love story for that despicable man from the first book?

but gavin. oh, gavin, did he win me over. i can’t help it, i’m a softie for sadbois. and beck is absolutely perfect and i’ll hear nothing otherwise, thank you.

did i love this more than isaac and brody? no, i don’t think so, but i did still love it a lot. please make this series 100 books long.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story. This one was an emotional rollercoaster, I went from hating Gavin, to hating him even more, then just feeling so absolutely terrible for him, and wanting to give him a hug. It felt like this poor baby couldn’t catch a break. And Beck, I just loved him. No matter how hard Gavin tried to push him away, him just loved him harder. These two had a hard fought HEA, but it was so worth the ride.

[Syndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Never Let Me Go is cheesy and sometimes cringe MM romance book. Miss Dane is more aiming for inspirational story.
I do not mind heavy plot with mental health issue. However this story line only managed to bring Gavin character into a pathetic person.

And not much of the plot/ backgroind story to support it.

3 stars

[Kaez]

this book now owns a piece of my soul. you know those books you read and just know it’s going to stick with you for a while? it’s feels like 5 stars isn’t enough? this is how i felt with this book, and it’s been a while since i’ve had a book make me feel like this! i already know it’s going to be one of my all time favorites! this book had me in tears for the first like 45% gavin’s inner thoughts and struggles really got to me. gavin is the “villain” in the previous book but the minute i started this book i couldn’t help but cheer him on and want him to become the best version of himself.

and then we have beck. ugh i adore beck with everything in me, he’s seriously top tier! he never gave up on gavin despite gavin fighting him every step of the way. he always let gavin know he had a home and was safe with him, he made sure gavin kept fighting even when he didn’t want to. beck made in clear he was not leaving his side and he would fight right beside him every step of the way.

the love these two have is so beautiful! they both love each other so deeply and they always have despite all the obstacles in their way! they just completely adore each other and i love it! their love story had me in shambles but in the best way! plus the nicknames!! ADORABLE!

also anya is so cute and i adore her and the way she instantly accepted gavin.

i think about these boys on a daily basis and i already want to reread their story! if you couldn’t tell by this super long review i HIGHLY recommend this!! lyla you outdid yourself 👏

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gavin + Beck

"How do you want me, princess?"
"Just like this. 'Til we're old and gray and can't wrestle anymore because we'll both break our hips or have heart attacks."


This could have been 100 pages less and been the same story.


Told in multiple parts:
Part 1 - 22 years old when they hate each other
Part 2 - 14 years old when they were still friends and you find out how it all fell apart
Part 3 - 24 years old (current day)


⚠️ potential spoilers below in detailed tropes, content and warning lists






Tropes/content:
Wrestlers
Enemies who used to be friends
They lived next to each other as kids starting at 6 years old
Beck lives with his stepsister whom he's legal guardian over
Depression
Abuse survivor
Homeless MC
Takes care of him despite him being an asshole
Gavin grinds on Beck in his sleep unintentionally and cums in his pants. Ends up having a panic attack when he wakes up realizing what happened. Beck talks him through the panic attack.
"Becky"
Princess pet name - started mockingly and turned genuine
Jealousy watching Beck with clients
Rough housing, fighting, wrestling
Are we fighting or fucking?
Baby
Finally kiss again as adults at 50%
Dry humping to completion
💦 in pants
Gavin did apologize around 45% to Beck for being an asshole
Mirror affirmations
Bathroom sex
Uses his cum as lube to jack himself off
Begging
Light spanking
First times
It was always you
Broke the bed
Gavin doesnt identify as anything. He said Beck is the only person ever that he's been attracted to
Virgin MC
Inhales him at the crotch crease
Little shit
Edging
Face fucking (on the gentle side)
Bath tub love making
Flip fuck
Epilogue 6 months later - Gavin apologies to Brody and Isaac


Warnings/icks:
Steroid abuse, on page injection
Vomitting
Punching holes in walls
Beck's stepdad died after falling off a ladder, his mother later abandoned him and his stepsister for a new boyfriend and alcohol
MC calling the other "homo"
Altercations between MCs
Gavin picks fights with anyone and everyone from roid rage
Gavin hits people that are gay, like he isn't gay himself
Hospitalized due to hypothermia (MC)
Gavins dad abuses him
Steroid withdrawal
Gavin attacks someone who has a pre-existing heart condition which sends him into heart failure requiring emergency surgery
Gavin ends up in jail
Gavins dad disowns him
Becks dad killed himself when he was younger
Gavins dad walks in on them kissing at 14 years old and hurts them both. Takes off with Gavin. Gavin is never the same after and neither is their friendship. He starts treating Beck horribly.
A stranger gets Gavin drunk and tries to get his pants off. Nothing further happens
Intoxication to the point of unconsciousness (MC)
Suicidal ideation (MC)
Gavin says horrible things to Beck like "you weren't enough for your dad to stay alive"
Misogynistic comments from both Gavin and his dad ("being gay doesnt make you a woman so stop nagging like one" "should have just been a girl since you are useless as one anyway")
Self sabotage
Gavin ends up wrongfully arrested for a crime his dad framed him for. While in jail he runs into the uncle of the guy that he beat up two years prior (Brody) . The uncle throws him into the wall and hurts his head. Beck gets him out and he has an alibi from his therapist at the time his dad claims his house was broken into.
Gavin's dad dies of a stroke but before he's held accountable for his crimes

[Mal · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book 🥹🥹, utterly beautiful, heartbreaking. Lyla Dane wrote a stunning story of hurt, trauma, friendship, redemption and ultimately of love winning, being able to overcome even the most horrific of circumstances. Parts of this book were extremely hard to read, curtain courageously pulled back to show the fear, pain, abandonment, despair and then other parts were glorious in their depiction of hope, connection, redemption, generosity.

The writing is phenomenal, each emotion stacked to have a visceral impact, Beck and Gavin stealing your heart and pulling you into the world they are navigating, sometimes fighting with all they have and sometimes just numbing as the resources they rely on peter out. What doesn’t peter out, stays even in its most fragile state is the way they are connected. How they are each others person. These are not convenient feelings but they are strong and sure and survive the battering ram that was Gavin’s dad (I wish he had suffered more, sorry not sorry) and the system as a whole. Completely hooked on this book and the way it made me feel, as a friend (@laura ) who was reading this at the same time said it breaks your heart and then puts it back together.

I adored Anya and liked seeing the characters from the previous book. I have to go back and read the first book because I can’t get enough of this author’s writing and the world created but this is an absolutely stellar standalone, I could see glimpses of what would be from the first book but nothing disrupted the story at all.
Expect:
* Childhood friends
* Hurt comfort
* Redemption
* Slow burn
* Second chances
* Devastating trauma and pain
* Mental health rep
* sensitive topics (check trigger warning)
* Addiction
* Friends to animosity to lovers
* Second chances
* Sexual awakening
* “Mine”
* Princess
* First times
* “Who hurt you”
* Dirty talk
* High heat

[Ash · Rating 5 out of 5]

I seriously thought the first book hurt. I didn’t know what hurt was until this book apparently.

Gavin and Beck have a gut wrenching past and Gavin’s story will pierce your soul. I rarely buy into redemption arcs but Gavin was forgiven probably 50 pages in.

This is a beefy book but it honestly didn’t feel like it. It’s a hell of a journey but it doesn’t lag.

Their love is so intense and undeniable (though they try). It was honestly so beautiful to watch Gavin grow and become the man he was meant to be. I loved that his story showed that not everything will be wrapped in a perfect bow if you grow as a person. Things from your past are not erasable.

I loved it. Lord. I thought Brody and Isaac were traumatic but Gavin had be crying in the club. (Beck is book boyfriend goals).

I received a complimentary copy of this book but this is my honest and voluntary review!

[briannasbooked · Rating 5 out of 5]

REVIEW INCOMING
😭🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷🩷

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another win for me from this author. I am in love 🥰

From the last book, it seemed like there was no hope for Gavin, the seemingly homophobic guy who lived with Brody, who said many awful things and also attacked Isaac, which led to Brody's heart failure and him almost dying.

It was also recorded, and Gavin was put away for 6 months for what he did.

This book really shows how you don't really know what a person is going through. Does that make any of the behavior okay? No, of course not. But it makes one understand someone better. And in the case of Gavin, one comes to understand him a lot.

Beck, we come to learn, was Gavin's childhood best friend. They were beyond close, and by the time they were 14, they were starting to feel things for each other, things beyond friendship.

But we learn that Gavin's father was absolutely abusive, controlling monster. He wasn't as bad when Gavin was a child, but the closer he and Beck got, the worse his father got. And when his father walked in on them kissing for the first time at 14 years old, he flipped out.

After that, everything changed for the worse. Gavin was abused a way he never was before, and Beck had no idea this was going on. His mother also moved them away from next door to Gavin's house, so it seemed as if Beck had left Gavin.

Of course this happened over the summer, so they spend 3 months away from each other, and by the time they saw each other at school, it was too late. Gavin had put up so many walls to protect himself, and pushed Beck away to protect himself from the worst of his father's abuse. We learn that he was threatened with being sent away as well to a place even worse than what his father did to him (probably a conversion therapy place most likely) and so that was also part of what made Gavin act so horribly. By pushing Beck away, he'd still get to be near Beck and not get taken away. And survive his father's abuse as well.

It becomes incredibly understandable the more we learn of Gavin's life and his past. We also learn that his father made him abuse steroids as well, and as we know steroids just make some over the top hotheaded when they otherwise wouldn't be.

And Gavin had already been going through years of abuse, mental, emotional and physical, and had already been angry and mean to others for years. So the steroids made someone already angry at everything even worse.

Knowing all that, it makes Gavin's attitude and actions make more sense. It was still absolutely wrong, of course, but Gavin doesn't run from that, he doesn't run from taking responsibility.

Beck feels guilt for not trying harder when they were kids, but he truly shouldn't, and I love that Gavin lets him know that several times over. Beck is truly a great guy, and honestly how else should a 14 year old react to the best friend they love treating them like absolute dirt under their shoes? To them bullying you?

Beck was drowning in his own pain and his own issues, we come to learn. And he had no idea how horrible Gavin's father truly was.

It takes Gavin sinking to absolute rock bottom, and some help from Beck, to lift himself up again and get a second chance at life.

This is no easy read. Gavin struggles with suicidal ideation at times - although thankfully he never seriously tries anything, it's more like he's just letting life happen to him without trying - and definitely heed the CWs when going into this, but it's definitely worth the read.

Reading the first half of this is hard, but so worth it for the other half, for Gavin shedding his wall of anger and nastiness to come back to who he really was all along.

Seeing Beck not give up on him, seeing him fight for the boy he has always loved, has never truly stopped loving, was beautiful.

These two were beautiful together and I absolutely loved this story. Different in many ways to the first book, but still just as amazing.

I didn't know if Gavin's redemption could be pulled off, but this author did that and then some. I came to absolutely love who Gavin truly is. He acted horrible and did a horrible thing in the past, but that doesn't always have to define someone.

There's people like Gavin's father, who are truly horrible people who will never change - and he never does - and are just awful people.

But then there's people like Gavin, who are suffering so much and going through so much pain, and they deserve a second chance, to make amends, to try and do better than they were doing before.

Seeing Gavin have no one to having two people who love him - Beck has a step-sister, now a teenager who he's been raising since he was 18, and she is so kind to Gavin and comes to love him too - and making other connections as well - as well as going to therapy - was wonderful to read. I absolutely loved this and how far Gavin came from beginning to end.

Seeing how awful a place he was in, even 2 years after the incident, and how he slowly let his walls down with Beck was beautiful.

Absolutely you must pick this one up, especially if you loved the first book in this series. It is absolutely worth it to read this one too. Gavin seems the villain in the first book, and he sure acts like it, but he's more than just his actions in the previous book, as we see in this book.

His and Beck's love is absolutely beautiful. The chemistry between these two was absolutely on point and I couldn't get enough of these two and their love.

Also some scorching hot sex (Break the bed lately, Beck? 😉 Such a hot scene that was, whEW!)

Definitely can't wait for more from this author I've come to love after 2 amazing stories. I'm pretty sure the next story we're getting is about Brody's uncle. (He's so massive that I'm sure size different will come into play and I am here for that). I mean I'll be super bummed if we don't get one about him, but I feel like there were hints about him getting his own book as well. I need it, please!

Whatever we get next, I'm sure I'll absolutely love it.

Can't wait! ❤️

My Ratings for the Inevitably You Series:

🔹 Someone Like You: 5 stars (my review)
🔹 Never Let Me Go: 5 stars

[Sona · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Book That Slapped My Heart and Then Kissed It Better

After two “Meh” reads, I needed something gripping and oh, did I get it. This isn’t just a romance. It’s a slow-burn, heavy, angst-ridden read that had me by the throat from page one and didn’t let go.

This story isn’t light or fluffy. It’s brutal, tender, painful, and beautiful all at once. There were chapters where I literally wanted to shake Gavin and scream, “STOP BEING A RABID DOG!” Because that’s what he is at first a feral, broken thing, lashing out at anyone . And then… he drops the act, and you realize he’s just a shattered boy with scars on his back and a heart that only knows how to beat for one person: Beck.

And Beck. Oh my sweet Elephant. The man is a mountain. Steady. Kind. Gentle when Gavin needs it, and strong when Gavin tries to bite.

This slow burn was so sneaky. I didn’t even realize I was at the 50% mark until the first kiss hit like a nuclear bomb. I devoured every word of that scene like my life depended on it. I’ve read books with 30 steamy scenes back-to-back that didn’t come close to the power of that single kiss.

And when it does turn physical? It’s super steamy , Hair pulling kink? I never knew it can be so hot

Oh, and the virginity bomb? Yeah, Gavin 24 years old, untouched, because he has never wanted anyone but Beck. Ever. He doesn’t even identify as gay because, in his words, “I’ve never felt a thing for anyone only you.” Somebody sedate me , He is Becksextual!!!

Gavin’s arc gutted me. From abused little boy to steroid-fueled disaster to broken man crawling out of the dark it’s messy, it’s ugly, and it’s real. The flashbacks to his father’s abuse? Hard to read. But they explain everything. They make his eventual surrender to Beck feel like the most cathartic thing ever.

And Beck? Beck is not just a love interest he’s a safe haven disguised as a man. He takes Gavin’s chaos and gives him calm. He doesn’t fix Gavin he helps him heal.

If you want something light and breezy, run the other way. But if you want a story that will rip your soul out, stomp it into the ground, and then rebuild it piece by piece until you’re sobbing happy tears? Read this. Yesterday.

I’m giving this a full FIVE STARS because it earned every single one. This was book two in the series, and yes, now I’m curious about book one (Someone Like You, Brody & Isaac’s story), but I need a palate cleanser first. Because apparently Gavin was the villain there and I’m not emotionally stable enough to watch my Baby Hippo in villain mode right now.

Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Sexy Scene Frequency: 🍑🍑 (but trust me, quality > quantity, also after first half it’s plenty )
Sexy Scene Heat Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ (and it’s all emotional heat, baby)
Beck: 💙💙💙💙💙 (Elephant, safe haven Becky)
Gavin: 💙💙💙💙💙 (baby hippo, rabid dog turned baby)
Angst Level: 💔💔💔💔💔 (heavy, raw, but worth every tear)

This book gave me everything I’ve been craving pain, redemption, devotion, and intimacy that feels sacred. It’s not easy, it’s not light, but it’s unforgettable.

[Rachael Hamilton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story reminds you just how much people carry beneath the surface. Gavin is such a complex character. He is angry and self destructive, and keeps digging his own hole deeper and deeper. But you cannot help but feel for him because you know he just wants to be himself and is not free to do so. That frustration does not excuse his behavior, but does allow you to have sympathy for him. He started with so much light, and hatred slowly stomped it out, turning him into someone unrecognizable. Then Beck helped bring that light back into his life.

I really enjoyed this book, though the pacing did feel a little slow at times. The full circle moment in the epilogue was perfect, a great way to end the story.