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Sinners of Blackthorne U #1
Pretty When He Bleeds
Roman Bishop hides his pain behind bruises and penalties, using the ice to escape the ghosts of his past. But when Damon Ward, the brooding, tattooed art major with a grudge and a sharp tongue, returns to campus, Roman’s carefully constructed world begins to crack.
Damon is Caleb’s brother—the boy Roman loved and lost in the most devastating way possible. But where Caleb was light, Damon is all fire and shadows, dragging Roman into a dangerous game of hate, lust, and regret.
What starts as a battle of wills turns into something darker, something neither of them can control. Damon wants revenge, and Roman craves the pain Damon is more than willing to give. But as their obsession spirals out of control, the line between love and destruction blurs, leaving them both questioning how far they’re willing to go—and whether they’ll survive the fallout.
Hate feels a lot like love when it cuts this deep.
Damon is Caleb’s brother—the boy Roman loved and lost in the most devastating way possible. But where Caleb was light, Damon is all fire and shadows, dragging Roman into a dangerous game of hate, lust, and regret.
What starts as a battle of wills turns into something darker, something neither of them can control. Damon wants revenge, and Roman craves the pain Damon is more than willing to give. But as their obsession spirals out of control, the line between love and destruction blurs, leaving them both questioning how far they’re willing to go—and whether they’ll survive the fallout.
Hate feels a lot like love when it cuts this deep.
352 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2025
453 people are currently reading
1291 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 198 reviews
May 14, 2025
This started off super strong but I started to have issues with a lot of the big plot points. First, too much sex not enough talking. They literally have zero serious conversations until 81% in. They go from Damon (mc1) has always disliked his little bros BFF Roman(mc2) for unknown reasons, little bro dies, Damon hates Roman more for no reason. To suddenly Damon becomes enamored & overprotective of Roman - which was cute AF, don't get me wrong, but huh?
-Amazing supporting friends, esp. Killian
-Sexy use of piercing including hips, nips, and double tongue
-CW: Roman gets a bj from friend Damien and Damon walks in/watches (prior to them becoming a couple)
It was almost a good book but it too many glaring issues for me to overlook. I literally jumped over the sex after awhile because I was desperate for some dialogue or answers. If Killian gets a book I'm reading it!
He watches me for a moment longer, then leans down and presses a kiss to my forehead, the gesture so unexpected it leaves me stunned.😍
-Amazing supporting friends, esp. Killian
-Sexy use of piercing including hips, nips, and double tongue
-CW: Roman gets a bj from friend Damien and Damon walks in/watches (prior to them becoming a couple)
It was almost a good book but it too many glaring issues for me to overlook. I literally jumped over the sex after awhile because I was desperate for some dialogue or answers. If Killian gets a book I'm reading it!
January 7, 2026
⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️
This one of those stories you’re excited to read and everyone loves and when you get to it…. it feels like you’re reading a different book.
The blurb as well as the hype and reviews made it sound like something amazing, dark, full of angst and tension…. And I agree it has all of that for the first 20% of the book.
After that? Well, they don’t hate each other and suddenly they are dating, they are soft and open, claiming each other and while this is cute……. I don’t see how this could work when the blurb promises something very different. If all of that had happened after the 50-60% mark this could have easily been a 4 stars maybe even 5 stars.
The last 10% were actually good, well written and very emotional which is the main reason I’m giving this 2.5 stars and not 2 stars. The first 20% were also amazing and very angsty, the focus on mental health was also very well done. I’m glad we got some big and heavy questions answered during the last 10% of the book because during 70% of the book, it felt like we forgot about all of that.
I could give it an higher rating because the things that were done right were amazing but it’s not enough when almost the whole book is disappointing and doesn’t fit what we were supposed to get.
Anyway, the author promised something and didn’t deliver. I’m disappointed, not sure if I’ll continue with this series.
Are the next books better/worth it?
🌶️🌶️
This one of those stories you’re excited to read and everyone loves and when you get to it…. it feels like you’re reading a different book.
The blurb as well as the hype and reviews made it sound like something amazing, dark, full of angst and tension…. And I agree it has all of that for the first 20% of the book.
After that? Well, they don’t hate each other and suddenly they are dating, they are soft and open, claiming each other and while this is cute……. I don’t see how this could work when the blurb promises something very different. If all of that had happened after the 50-60% mark this could have easily been a 4 stars maybe even 5 stars.
The last 10% were actually good, well written and very emotional which is the main reason I’m giving this 2.5 stars and not 2 stars. The first 20% were also amazing and very angsty, the focus on mental health was also very well done. I’m glad we got some big and heavy questions answered during the last 10% of the book because during 70% of the book, it felt like we forgot about all of that.
I could give it an higher rating because the things that were done right were amazing but it’s not enough when almost the whole book is disappointing and doesn’t fit what we were supposed to get.
Anyway, the author promised something and didn’t deliver. I’m disappointed, not sure if I’ll continue with this series.
Are the next books better/worth it?
![Profile Image for Megan [At The Cottage].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1634561405i%2F25103878._UY200_CR50%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 19, 2025
MM Romance
Hurt/Comfort
2.5 Stars ⭐️
I enjoyed the first 35%-ish of this book because it reminded me of Bethany Winters’ Like You Hate Me but instead of dead sister’s best friend, it’s dead brother’s best friend/boyfriend and I was eating this shit up. Roman was in a secret relationship with his best friend Caleb for years until a tragedy changed everything. Damon, Caleb’s brother, has never forgiven Roman for what happened and comes back to town to make his life hell. I was hooked. They can’t stand each other but can’t stay away from each other. Perfect setup for me despite the names Damon and Roman being so fucking similar that I was confused af for a good portion of this book. Not cool author 😂
Roman is reckless and tries to mask his emotional pain with physical pain by getting into fights and Damon is happy to make him bleed. This dynamic was hot and full of tension but then at 40% it completely disappeared and so did my interest. The MCs did 180’s and became totally different people and decided to be together? Ok but this book is 344 pages so from 40-80% it’s just sex, sex and more sex. It was hot at first but there are some heavy themes in this book and it felt like they weren’t given the attention they deserved anymore. I stuck with it despite being quite bored and skimming through a lot of the sex scenes because this is marketed as dark romance and I assumed the last 20% would bring the drama. Spoiler alert, it didn’t and I don’t consider this book dark romance either. I would describe this as two broken angry boys, who find hurt/comfort in each other and have lots of sex.
At the start, it had some good mental health rep but that got kind of lost as time went on but I still looked forward to picking this book up until the last 10%. This did have a twist of sorts as predictable as it was 🙄🙄 I won’t spoil it but two of the three things made me a bit teary eyed and I thought they were well done however the third thing irritated the hell out of me and made no sense to the entire story. It felt stupid and is ultimately what is dragging my rating down into the ground. Really? 🙄🙄 It’s making me confused on wtf to rate this book because 2 stars feels too low but 3 stars feels way too high. 🙄
According to the author this will be a 10 book series and there are some side characters that I am super curious about so I know my masochistic self will pick them up despite this one starting great but ultimately going to shit for me. That said, I did enjoy the hurt comfort in this book, I just wish the tension and pining was drawn out farther so there was more plot in the 344 pages.
Hurt/Comfort
2.5 Stars ⭐️
I enjoyed the first 35%-ish of this book because it reminded me of Bethany Winters’ Like You Hate Me but instead of dead sister’s best friend, it’s dead brother’s best friend/boyfriend and I was eating this shit up. Roman was in a secret relationship with his best friend Caleb for years until a tragedy changed everything. Damon, Caleb’s brother, has never forgiven Roman for what happened and comes back to town to make his life hell. I was hooked. They can’t stand each other but can’t stay away from each other. Perfect setup for me despite the names Damon and Roman being so fucking similar that I was confused af for a good portion of this book. Not cool author 😂
Roman is reckless and tries to mask his emotional pain with physical pain by getting into fights and Damon is happy to make him bleed. This dynamic was hot and full of tension but then at 40% it completely disappeared and so did my interest. The MCs did 180’s and became totally different people and decided to be together? Ok but this book is 344 pages so from 40-80% it’s just sex, sex and more sex. It was hot at first but there are some heavy themes in this book and it felt like they weren’t given the attention they deserved anymore. I stuck with it despite being quite bored and skimming through a lot of the sex scenes because this is marketed as dark romance and I assumed the last 20% would bring the drama. Spoiler alert, it didn’t and I don’t consider this book dark romance either. I would describe this as two broken angry boys, who find hurt/comfort in each other and have lots of sex.
At the start, it had some good mental health rep but that got kind of lost as time went on but I still looked forward to picking this book up until the last 10%. This did have a twist of sorts as predictable as it was 🙄🙄 I won’t spoil it but two of the three things made me a bit teary eyed and I thought they were well done however the third thing irritated the hell out of me and made no sense to the entire story. It felt stupid and is ultimately what is dragging my rating down into the ground. Really? 🙄🙄 It’s making me confused on wtf to rate this book because 2 stars feels too low but 3 stars feels way too high. 🙄
According to the author this will be a 10 book series and there are some side characters that I am super curious about so I know my masochistic self will pick them up despite this one starting great but ultimately going to shit for me. That said, I did enjoy the hurt comfort in this book, I just wish the tension and pining was drawn out farther so there was more plot in the 344 pages.
August 10, 2025
More of a 3.5? Theoretically, this is everything I LOVE in a book, but it just felt a little off. There are a few mild spoilers in my rant so don't read it if you don't want to know!
Can we please have more distinctive names for each MC!! These are Damon and Roman.... I cannot even remember how many times I had no clue which POV I was reading because the names sound similar, look similar when you're a fast reader...and on top of that, they both had angry and hurting personalities so I did find it really hard to notice which character I was reading. For me it would have made more sense for the brothers to have the similar names, and the other MC be Caleb!
I did like the premise of the story, but what we got didn't really match up to it or the title. The whole bleeding / violence kink?! was over really fast and then it was just any other hurt/comfort relationship. Caleb also overshadowed so much of the book, and the contents of his letters to Roman and Damon felt like a step too far? I cried a lot when they were talking about what had happened, but is it weird that I felt more emotionally attached to the ghost after just one letter to his parents than I did to the MC's after the whole book??
Also, I could not connect the dots as to why Damon blamed Roman (these names!!!) for Caleb's death. The only obvious link was that Roman and Caleb were best friends. There was nothing that actually made Damon think Roman had anything to do with it, so why didn't he blame himself, his parents, or Killian instead or equally when they all had strong relationships with Caleb? It just didn't add up to me and I think that was the biggest issue I had. If they had been enemies to lovers for any other reason then I think it would have made more sense, but there was zero logic behind this and my brain just wouldn't get on board with it.
I also missed where they decided to start liking each other? It was constant I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, and then all of a sudden Damon's treating Roman like he worships the ground he walks on and they're both saying they want to be together... For me, the catalyst to switch between the two paths of thinking was just totally missing, so it felt jarring when they started their relationship.
Also not a fan of constantly using sex as a coping mechanism. It's ok a few times, but it started to feel like every time these two had sex, it was to escape their overwhelming feelings or emotions, or as a way to act possessively. It never really came across that they were having sex just because they wanted to?!
My last complaint of my rant is that they kept calling each other possessive for saying they missed each other... To me that is not what possessive is, that's just a normal human response? Granted, my brain is wired a little different, but for me that was so weird to call that possessive behaviour? The marking, wearing the other's clothes, PDA and telling him he could only bleed for him covered the possessiveness, but these other random instances that got called possessive just left me confused!
I am intrigued enough by the side character's who are getting stories to keep reading the series though, despite this one just seeming weird to me 😂
Can we please have more distinctive names for each MC!! These are Damon and Roman.... I cannot even remember how many times I had no clue which POV I was reading because the names sound similar, look similar when you're a fast reader...and on top of that, they both had angry and hurting personalities so I did find it really hard to notice which character I was reading. For me it would have made more sense for the brothers to have the similar names, and the other MC be Caleb!
I did like the premise of the story, but what we got didn't really match up to it or the title. The whole bleeding / violence kink?! was over really fast and then it was just any other hurt/comfort relationship. Caleb also overshadowed so much of the book, and the contents of his letters to Roman and Damon felt like a step too far? I cried a lot when they were talking about what had happened, but is it weird that I felt more emotionally attached to the ghost after just one letter to his parents than I did to the MC's after the whole book??
Also, I could not connect the dots as to why Damon blamed Roman (these names!!!) for Caleb's death. The only obvious link was that Roman and Caleb were best friends. There was nothing that actually made Damon think Roman had anything to do with it, so why didn't he blame himself, his parents, or Killian instead or equally when they all had strong relationships with Caleb? It just didn't add up to me and I think that was the biggest issue I had. If they had been enemies to lovers for any other reason then I think it would have made more sense, but there was zero logic behind this and my brain just wouldn't get on board with it.
I also missed where they decided to start liking each other? It was constant I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, and then all of a sudden Damon's treating Roman like he worships the ground he walks on and they're both saying they want to be together... For me, the catalyst to switch between the two paths of thinking was just totally missing, so it felt jarring when they started their relationship.
Also not a fan of constantly using sex as a coping mechanism. It's ok a few times, but it started to feel like every time these two had sex, it was to escape their overwhelming feelings or emotions, or as a way to act possessively. It never really came across that they were having sex just because they wanted to?!
My last complaint of my rant is that they kept calling each other possessive for saying they missed each other... To me that is not what possessive is, that's just a normal human response? Granted, my brain is wired a little different, but for me that was so weird to call that possessive behaviour? The marking, wearing the other's clothes, PDA and telling him he could only bleed for him covered the possessiveness, but these other random instances that got called possessive just left me confused!
I am intrigued enough by the side character's who are getting stories to keep reading the series though, despite this one just seeming weird to me 😂
September 6, 2025
Reread Sept 6, 2025
I stand by my review 100%✅🌈💥💯🔥✨
✨✨✨✨✨🪄✨✨✨✨✨
Okay, I think we can rap up 2025, we're done, at least for the first half of the year.
This book was everything, ticked all my boxes.
Hello Avery Collins I'm so freaking glad to meet you! One of your influences is Bethany Winters, I could tell, you were spot on.
Damn this was good. 👏
All the stars
Almost 'Like You Hate Me' good.
The grief and devastation and pain and Hate and suffering were so real so potent. Watching these boys come to life was an absolute Joy🔥
I cannot wait for this book to come out in paperback so I can cuddle it in my grabby hands.
I am a fan 💯
.and duuuude... SLEEP TOKEN!
*Favorites
*to reread
*to buy paperback
I stand by my review 100%✅🌈💥💯🔥✨
✨✨✨✨✨🪄✨✨✨✨✨
Okay, I think we can rap up 2025, we're done, at least for the first half of the year.
This book was everything, ticked all my boxes.
Hello Avery Collins I'm so freaking glad to meet you! One of your influences is Bethany Winters, I could tell, you were spot on.
Damn this was good. 👏
All the stars
Almost 'Like You Hate Me' good.
The grief and devastation and pain and Hate and suffering were so real so potent. Watching these boys come to life was an absolute Joy🔥
I cannot wait for this book to come out in paperback so I can cuddle it in my grabby hands.
I am a fan 💯
.and duuuude... SLEEP TOKEN!
*Favorites
*to reread
*to buy paperback
September 9, 2025
⭐️
3.75 stars rounded up!
⭐️
My first read by this author, and one of this author's first novels, and overall it went well.
Could it have been better? Yeah, it had room for improvement. But it was a solid story and romance overall.
I think my main issue is that the blurb and tags promised a Dark Romance, with these two hating each other and some fucked-upness between them to ensue...
And that didn't really happen? At first there was some hatred and Damon hits Roman like...two times? (Don't worry, Roman wants it, or at least thinks he deserves it and so thinks he wants it)
But it didn't take long for Damon to see that none of what happened with his brother, Caleb, was Roman's fault and he kind of gets over his anger pretty quickly? Which does make sense in that him hating Roman for any of it in the first place is ridiculous. BUT if this is meant to be a Dark Romance where they hate each other...maybe a better reason should have been given for Damon to legit hate Roman? Or for things to be misconstrued so that Damon hates him, but later learns that he was wrong, and then change his mind? Or not be wrong, but get to know Roman better and let it go?
Like Roman did...nothing? Except not be at Caleb's funeral, which does suck, but not enough to hate someone and want to and actually follow through on punching them? Like it's obvious to infer that Roman is fucked up from Caleb's death - he and Caleb were secretly together for 3 years - and that he blames himself in some capacity seeing as he likes others to beat him up constantly. And given it's not a sexual kink thing, there's always a reason for someone being so masochistic.
So Damon's reason for hating Roman was flimsy and so while him getting over that makes sense, he gets over it so fast that it was a bit of a whiplash as well. While I was happy for them getting closer, it didn't feel earned at the same time.
I was just expecting more from something that promised some fucked-upness, some darkness.
Not to say this doesn't have dark elements, but I don't know if I'd say it falls under "Dark Romance" in the truest sense of the word. Dark elements are in this, but it doesn't feel DARK, if that makes sense?
Once Roman and Damon start something, they both mellow quite a bit? Damon still has his mental health problems, but he's not so angry anymore and Roman doesn't feel the need to have others hurt him, and he's mostly just there for Damon and worried about him.
The darkest element of this is Caleb having and we see the aftermath of that as well, in a quick flashback with Roman having so definitely keep that in mind before going into this. Heed the TWs at the beginning of this book for that.
On a less intense note, there's a scene near the beginning of Roman getting head from a friend of his and it's detailed, and Roman is really liking it. I wish we hadn't gotten that, as I really don't care for MCs to be with others, especially on page and in such a detailed way. And him liking it so much on top of that? Yeah it helped at the end that he saw Damon, who sees a good portion of the blowjob, and he says Damon's name instead of his friends and comes from Damon more than anything, but still....could have done without it.
Thankfully that's the only scene of them with anyone else and it's before they ever do anything, but I always like to let you guys know if something like that happens in a story as I would want to know too. They're never with anyone else after they start something as well, but it's still not something I enjoyed all the same.
Also they kiss like...basically right after - because Damon leaves and Roman follows him outside the house where the party is at - and I was like...he just had another guy's mouth on his dick and you're wanting to kiss and touch him and such? Idk I wouldn't want to be with someone right after they were with someone else if that were me, js.
Also another little niggle - I feel like they didn't care enough about the Caleb aspect of it all. By that I mean it didn't feel like Roman ever got even a little uncomfortable or feel all that bad about being with his apparent first love's brother. I know he felt they were quite different, but still? He was with Caleb for 3 years and he didn't feel strange at all about moving on after only 2 years to Caleb's brother? And Damon pretty much got over learning about their relationship almost as soon as he heard it. Like he never felt worried that he'd be compared to Caleb in their relationship? Hmm, okay...
But all those criticisms aside, I did really enjoy these two together and I loved their chemistry. I loved the journey they go on to heal from having lost Caleb. I love that they have Roman's friends and Damon's mother to lean on as they've both been through a lot at their young age.
When we get at the end, that did get to me and it was quite sad. Although if we had gotten more about Caleb and more flashback scenes with Caleb, they probably would have had me bawling. As we didn't get much about Caleb, I didn't cry but they were still quite sad. That's such a heavy topic and this story is really about these two dealing with the aftermath of it all.
So for one of this author's first works, it was still pretty solid overall. I will read more of this author in the future, and I hope future stories only get better.
As it is, this story wasn't the best, but it was nice overall. I am happy with where these two ended up and how happy they were together, after all the pain and anguish they'd endured.
I am eager for more!
My first read by this author, and one of this author's first novels, and overall it went well.
Could it have been better? Yeah, it had room for improvement. But it was a solid story and romance overall.
I think my main issue is that the blurb and tags promised a Dark Romance, with these two hating each other and some fucked-upness between them to ensue...
And that didn't really happen? At first there was some hatred and Damon hits Roman like...two times? (Don't worry, Roman wants it, or at least thinks he deserves it and so thinks he wants it)
But it didn't take long for Damon to see that none of what happened with his brother, Caleb, was Roman's fault and he kind of gets over his anger pretty quickly? Which does make sense in that him hating Roman for any of it in the first place is ridiculous. BUT if this is meant to be a Dark Romance where they hate each other...maybe a better reason should have been given for Damon to legit hate Roman? Or for things to be misconstrued so that Damon hates him, but later learns that he was wrong, and then change his mind? Or not be wrong, but get to know Roman better and let it go?
Like Roman did...nothing? Except not be at Caleb's funeral, which does suck, but not enough to hate someone and want to and actually follow through on punching them? Like it's obvious to infer that Roman is fucked up from Caleb's death - he and Caleb were secretly together for 3 years - and that he blames himself in some capacity seeing as he likes others to beat him up constantly. And given it's not a sexual kink thing, there's always a reason for someone being so masochistic.
So Damon's reason for hating Roman was flimsy and so while him getting over that makes sense, he gets over it so fast that it was a bit of a whiplash as well. While I was happy for them getting closer, it didn't feel earned at the same time.
I was just expecting more from something that promised some fucked-upness, some darkness.
Not to say this doesn't have dark elements, but I don't know if I'd say it falls under "Dark Romance" in the truest sense of the word. Dark elements are in this, but it doesn't feel DARK, if that makes sense?
Once Roman and Damon start something, they both mellow quite a bit? Damon still has his mental health problems, but he's not so angry anymore and Roman doesn't feel the need to have others hurt him, and he's mostly just there for Damon and worried about him.
The darkest element of this is Caleb having and we see the aftermath of that as well, in a quick flashback with Roman having so definitely keep that in mind before going into this. Heed the TWs at the beginning of this book for that.
On a less intense note, there's a scene near the beginning of Roman getting head from a friend of his and it's detailed, and Roman is really liking it. I wish we hadn't gotten that, as I really don't care for MCs to be with others, especially on page and in such a detailed way. And him liking it so much on top of that? Yeah it helped at the end that he saw Damon, who sees a good portion of the blowjob, and he says Damon's name instead of his friends and comes from Damon more than anything, but still....could have done without it.
Thankfully that's the only scene of them with anyone else and it's before they ever do anything, but I always like to let you guys know if something like that happens in a story as I would want to know too. They're never with anyone else after they start something as well, but it's still not something I enjoyed all the same.
Also they kiss like...basically right after - because Damon leaves and Roman follows him outside the house where the party is at - and I was like...he just had another guy's mouth on his dick and you're wanting to kiss and touch him and such? Idk I wouldn't want to be with someone right after they were with someone else if that were me, js.
Also another little niggle - I feel like they didn't care enough about the Caleb aspect of it all. By that I mean it didn't feel like Roman ever got even a little uncomfortable or feel all that bad about being with his apparent first love's brother. I know he felt they were quite different, but still? He was with Caleb for 3 years and he didn't feel strange at all about moving on after only 2 years to Caleb's brother? And Damon pretty much got over learning about their relationship almost as soon as he heard it. Like he never felt worried that he'd be compared to Caleb in their relationship? Hmm, okay...
But all those criticisms aside, I did really enjoy these two together and I loved their chemistry. I loved the journey they go on to heal from having lost Caleb. I love that they have Roman's friends and Damon's mother to lean on as they've both been through a lot at their young age.
When we get at the end, that did get to me and it was quite sad. Although if we had gotten more about Caleb and more flashback scenes with Caleb, they probably would have had me bawling. As we didn't get much about Caleb, I didn't cry but they were still quite sad. That's such a heavy topic and this story is really about these two dealing with the aftermath of it all.
So for one of this author's first works, it was still pretty solid overall. I will read more of this author in the future, and I hope future stories only get better.
As it is, this story wasn't the best, but it was nice overall. I am happy with where these two ended up and how happy they were together, after all the pain and anguish they'd endured.
I am eager for more!
January 30, 2026
3.25⭐️ what a bummer...
Ok, so this is not the kind of book you can easily reduce to “I liked it” or “I didn’t.” This isn’t a bad book per se. It’s not poorly written. In many ways, it’s deeply thoughtful. Parts of this were almost 5-star worthy for me. Which is exactly why the parts that didn’t work for me are so frustrating. Contains minor spoilers (leitmotifs and structure).
In the beginning, this reads like a fairly standard dark hockey romance. Insta-lust, familiar dynamics, a setup that will feel very familiar if you’ve spent any time in this genre. There’s nothing wrong with that. It does what it’s supposed to do. The chemistry is there, the smut smuts, the characters flirt with the reader, etc. But for me, it stayed in the same old, same old category. I was engaged, but not emotionally hooked.
Then, somewhere in the middle, the book shifted. It stopped being just a romance and started engaging seriously with mental health, grief, survivor’s guilt, dissociation, and maladaptive coping mechanisms. It explored how people look for physical pain to numb emotional pain, how depression reshapes relationships, and how trauma doesn’t just disappear because someone falls in love. What I appreciated the most is that these themes aren’t treated superficially. They’re allowed to be uncomfortable. They’re allowed to be repetitive and exhausting, the way real mental illness often is.
Even more importantly, the relationship doesn’t turn into a magical cure.
They respond to each other’s needs in ways that feel believable. They don’t always get it right, but they try. And they try again. That middle section felt honest. It felt like two damaged people slowly figuring out how to exist together without destroying or hurting each other in the process. It felt authentic, and it made me care a lot.
And that’s why the final part of the book was such a disappointment.
Around the last quarter, the story introduces a major external element that reframes a lot of what came before it. An explanation, absolution, and narrative permission for everything to be okay now. And I couldn’t stop feeling that this was a sign the author didn’t fully trust her own characters or her readers.
Instead of letting all that emotional work stand on its own, the book gives them an additional safety net. Something that says, "See, it’s okay now you're allowed to do this." And for me, that cheapened everything.
It externalised their personal growth. It turned internal healing into something that needed validation from the outside. It shifted away from the characters’ own emotional labour. And I don't understand why!
Up until that point, their relationship felt earned through effort, patience, communication, and mutual care. After that point, it felt like the story was saying, " Let's play it safe, because in the beginning, I made you doubt. It felt like the author didn’t fully trust her own characters to stand on their own or the readers to fully support them. Instead of letting their emotional journey speak for itself, the book added a safety mechanism. Something that reassures the reader that there’s no moral or emotional ambiguity left. And I didn’t want or need that reassurance!
Because it undermined the work that had already been done!
After that reveal, the tone changed. The pain got softened. The grief got wrapped in comfort. Suddenly, the emotional weight that defined half the book started to fade. The story moved quickly toward resolution, and in doing so, it simplified what had previously been left messy. It felt like emotional shortcutting!
And that’s especially frustrating because this book had already proven it didn’t need it. The characters were strong enough. Their bond was believable enough. Their struggles made sense. I believed in them before the story tried to justify them....
So in the end, I’m left with a book that I respect, that moved me in places, and that still let me down in an important way. This isn’t a bad book. It’s thoughtful. It’s emotionally aware. It takes mental health seriously. It does many things better than most books in this genre. But it loses confidence in itself at the end, and that loss of confidence shows.
That’s why this is a 3.25-star read for me.
Ok, so this is not the kind of book you can easily reduce to “I liked it” or “I didn’t.” This isn’t a bad book per se. It’s not poorly written. In many ways, it’s deeply thoughtful. Parts of this were almost 5-star worthy for me. Which is exactly why the parts that didn’t work for me are so frustrating. Contains minor spoilers (leitmotifs and structure).
In the beginning, this reads like a fairly standard dark hockey romance. Insta-lust, familiar dynamics, a setup that will feel very familiar if you’ve spent any time in this genre. There’s nothing wrong with that. It does what it’s supposed to do. The chemistry is there, the smut smuts, the characters flirt with the reader, etc. But for me, it stayed in the same old, same old category. I was engaged, but not emotionally hooked.
Then, somewhere in the middle, the book shifted. It stopped being just a romance and started engaging seriously with mental health, grief, survivor’s guilt, dissociation, and maladaptive coping mechanisms. It explored how people look for physical pain to numb emotional pain, how depression reshapes relationships, and how trauma doesn’t just disappear because someone falls in love. What I appreciated the most is that these themes aren’t treated superficially. They’re allowed to be uncomfortable. They’re allowed to be repetitive and exhausting, the way real mental illness often is.
Even more importantly, the relationship doesn’t turn into a magical cure.
They respond to each other’s needs in ways that feel believable. They don’t always get it right, but they try. And they try again. That middle section felt honest. It felt like two damaged people slowly figuring out how to exist together without destroying or hurting each other in the process. It felt authentic, and it made me care a lot.
And that’s why the final part of the book was such a disappointment.
Around the last quarter, the story introduces a major external element that reframes a lot of what came before it. An explanation, absolution, and narrative permission for everything to be okay now. And I couldn’t stop feeling that this was a sign the author didn’t fully trust her own characters or her readers.
Instead of letting all that emotional work stand on its own, the book gives them an additional safety net. Something that says, "See, it’s okay now you're allowed to do this." And for me, that cheapened everything.
It externalised their personal growth. It turned internal healing into something that needed validation from the outside. It shifted away from the characters’ own emotional labour. And I don't understand why!
Up until that point, their relationship felt earned through effort, patience, communication, and mutual care. After that point, it felt like the story was saying, " Let's play it safe, because in the beginning, I made you doubt. It felt like the author didn’t fully trust her own characters to stand on their own or the readers to fully support them. Instead of letting their emotional journey speak for itself, the book added a safety mechanism. Something that reassures the reader that there’s no moral or emotional ambiguity left. And I didn’t want or need that reassurance!
Because it undermined the work that had already been done!
After that reveal, the tone changed. The pain got softened. The grief got wrapped in comfort. Suddenly, the emotional weight that defined half the book started to fade. The story moved quickly toward resolution, and in doing so, it simplified what had previously been left messy. It felt like emotional shortcutting!
And that’s especially frustrating because this book had already proven it didn’t need it. The characters were strong enough. Their bond was believable enough. Their struggles made sense. I believed in them before the story tried to justify them....
So in the end, I’m left with a book that I respect, that moved me in places, and that still let me down in an important way. This isn’t a bad book. It’s thoughtful. It’s emotionally aware. It takes mental health seriously. It does many things better than most books in this genre. But it loses confidence in itself at the end, and that loss of confidence shows.
That’s why this is a 3.25-star read for me.
February 3, 2026
2.75 ⭐️ If this is a dark hate-to-love romance, then I’m the Queen of England.
September 10, 2025
I want to rate this higher because this made me feel a lot of feels, but there were a bunch of things I didn’t like about it and yeah… I just don’t think I can. 🤷🏻♀️
January 31, 2026
Maybe like 3.5. 4ish Idk we were going around in circles for 80% book. I wanted more of killian most of the time cause it was something different. However the letters, sent me and yeah tears.
I’m glad the broken bits got HEA. Just needed something else.
I’m glad the broken bits got HEA. Just needed something else.
October 16, 2025
5 Stars!⭐️
3.5🌶️
YALL, This Book Was SO Good. This Definitely Git Me Out Of My Slump That I Was Having For Almost 2 Weeks. This Is How You Do A Dark Hockey Romance Y’all Cause This Was GOOD! Roman And Damon Were Just SUCH An Amazing Couple. They Were Toxic In The Beginning, But They Ended Up Being The Person They Can’t Love Without Fir Each Other And That Was Just So Special To See. Ugh I Love Them So Much, I Love Them Your Honor It’s Official. The Side Characters, UGH They Were So Good Y’all, Especially Killian, The Fact We Have To Wait Till The Last Book For His Story Is An Actual Crime, But I Already Gave Theory’s Of Who He Could End Up With. But I’m SO Excited For Book 2 Which Is Lucas Book, We Saw Him In This Book And Y’all, I Already Love Him And I Want His Book BADLY! I Am Also So Glad I Signed Up For Avery’s Street Team Cause Now I Want To Read All Her MM Books So I’m So Happy I Signed Up. But Y’all, I HIGHLY Recommend Y’all Read This Book Because It Was SO Good And This Has The Potential To Be A New Favorite Series Ever For Me Because I’m ALREADY OBSESSED With How This Is Set Up. Definitely One Of My Favorites This Year And A New Favorite Read For Me. Avery, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOU GIRL! For Making This Series And Giving Us Roman And Damon And The Side Characters And Introducing Us To This World That I Cannot Wait To Continue. I Cannot Wait To Read More From You💕🫶
3.5🌶️
YALL, This Book Was SO Good. This Definitely Git Me Out Of My Slump That I Was Having For Almost 2 Weeks. This Is How You Do A Dark Hockey Romance Y’all Cause This Was GOOD! Roman And Damon Were Just SUCH An Amazing Couple. They Were Toxic In The Beginning, But They Ended Up Being The Person They Can’t Love Without Fir Each Other And That Was Just So Special To See. Ugh I Love Them So Much, I Love Them Your Honor It’s Official. The Side Characters, UGH They Were So Good Y’all, Especially Killian, The Fact We Have To Wait Till The Last Book For His Story Is An Actual Crime, But I Already Gave Theory’s Of Who He Could End Up With. But I’m SO Excited For Book 2 Which Is Lucas Book, We Saw Him In This Book And Y’all, I Already Love Him And I Want His Book BADLY! I Am Also So Glad I Signed Up For Avery’s Street Team Cause Now I Want To Read All Her MM Books So I’m So Happy I Signed Up. But Y’all, I HIGHLY Recommend Y’all Read This Book Because It Was SO Good And This Has The Potential To Be A New Favorite Series Ever For Me Because I’m ALREADY OBSESSED With How This Is Set Up. Definitely One Of My Favorites This Year And A New Favorite Read For Me. Avery, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YOU GIRL! For Making This Series And Giving Us Roman And Damon And The Side Characters And Introducing Us To This World That I Cannot Wait To Continue. I Cannot Wait To Read More From You💕🫶
April 25, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
this was so good & surprisingly made me cry????
these two were so entertaining - the banter was everything. i love me some broken boys & that hurt/comfort element was so good. 🥺
these two were made for each other!
those letters distorted me!!!
the possessiveness and jealousy had me foaming at the mouth!!!
this was so good & surprisingly made me cry????
these two were so entertaining - the banter was everything. i love me some broken boys & that hurt/comfort element was so good. 🥺
these two were made for each other!
those letters distorted me!!!
the possessiveness and jealousy had me foaming at the mouth!!!
May 25, 2025
DNF. Good premise, but incredibly juvenile writing. High octane, but very much for the 16 year old crowd.
January 10, 2026
4⭐️ — The tension between them is thick enough to choke. (c)
The tension at the beginning feels slightly forced and a bit rushed, but it did not ruin the experience for me.
What truly stood out is the dynamic between the characters. It is intense, heavy, and emotionally charged in the best way.
You can feel how broken they are, how much pain they carry, and how that pain slowly turns into connection.
What I loved the most is the absence of cheap drama.
No artificial conflicts, no unnecessary emotional swings, no “everything is perfect — sudden disaster — rushed happy ending” cliché.
Thank you to Avery Collins for respecting the story and the characters instead of using overdone tricks 🖤
It was more than just good.
The tension at the beginning feels slightly forced and a bit rushed, but it did not ruin the experience for me.
What truly stood out is the dynamic between the characters. It is intense, heavy, and emotionally charged in the best way.
You can feel how broken they are, how much pain they carry, and how that pain slowly turns into connection.
What I loved the most is the absence of cheap drama.
No artificial conflicts, no unnecessary emotional swings, no “everything is perfect — sudden disaster — rushed happy ending” cliché.
Thank you to Avery Collins for respecting the story and the characters instead of using overdone tricks 🖤
It was more than just good.
dnf
August 24, 2025I really thought this book was going to be everything I love, two men bound by grief and hatred, guilt twisting every interaction, and the promise of a dark, gut-wrenching romance. The setup was so good. Roman drowning in guilt and self-destruction, Damon storming back into his life with revenge burning through him I was hooked. Their first clash had teeth. I thought, yes, this is going to hurt in the best way.
But then… nothing. The story went from seething hatred and mutual blame to “I’m so lucky to have you” without earning that shift. No believable emotional arc, no payoff for all that pain it set up. For the last 20% I read, I kept hoping something would click, but I was dragging my feet the whole time. Maybe the second half changes everything, but honestly? It felt like too big a gamble when I couldn’t even make myself want to turn the next page. I had to stop at 50%. It just wasn’t working for me.
But then… nothing. The story went from seething hatred and mutual blame to “I’m so lucky to have you” without earning that shift. No believable emotional arc, no payoff for all that pain it set up. For the last 20% I read, I kept hoping something would click, but I was dragging my feet the whole time. Maybe the second half changes everything, but honestly? It felt like too big a gamble when I couldn’t even make myself want to turn the next page. I had to stop at 50%. It just wasn’t working for me.
May 10, 2025
3.75⭐️
“And you wanna know the worst part? The absolute worst part? Every time I look at Damon, I don’t even see his brother anymore. Not even when he’s wearing Caleb’s leather jacket. I don’t fucking see the guy I loved. I just see Damon.”
“And you wanna know the worst part? The absolute worst part? Every time I look at Damon, I don’t even see his brother anymore. Not even when he’s wearing Caleb’s leather jacket. I don’t fucking see the guy I loved. I just see Damon.”
July 31, 2025
intense for sure but a little bit more toxic bullshit before they got together would have been better.
dnf
September 10, 2025It’s me, not the book. 🖤
May 3, 2025
3.75/5 stars 3.5/5 spice
For a book presented as a dark romance, I found this to be incredibly sweet. Yes, in the beginning these two hate each other and things get violent but that didn’t really last long. I thought we’d have more angst and roughness but they quickly turned hate to never wanting to be apart. It seemed like Damon had returned to seek revenge on Roman but he didn’t really do anything except get under his skin sometimes and become infatuation with him.
I enjoyed how possessive and feral Damon was over Roman, marking him up, claiming him, and telling him he was only his. Even when he started to become clingy it was cute and when they made one another blush. These two needed each other to stay grounded and sane.
Both boys are broken from the death of Caleb however, Damon is the one really struggling with the added negative voices in his head caused by his father. There were so many important conversations these two should have had at the beginning but they didn’t have them until the end of the book.
Overall, I did have a good time reading this and my interest is peaked with the other characters in this book who will be getting their own story. Especially Killian, he was such an amazing friend to Roman and had dark side to him. Also, I can’t forget the throat goat, Damien. He seemed like a goofy good guy.
- Hockey player X artist
- Deceased boyfriend’s brother
- Hate to love
- Grief
- Pierced, pain seeker MMC
- Tatted, biker, possessive MMC
- Mental health rep
For a book presented as a dark romance, I found this to be incredibly sweet. Yes, in the beginning these two hate each other and things get violent but that didn’t really last long. I thought we’d have more angst and roughness but they quickly turned hate to never wanting to be apart. It seemed like Damon had returned to seek revenge on Roman but he didn’t really do anything except get under his skin sometimes and become infatuation with him.
I enjoyed how possessive and feral Damon was over Roman, marking him up, claiming him, and telling him he was only his. Even when he started to become clingy it was cute and when they made one another blush. These two needed each other to stay grounded and sane.
Both boys are broken from the death of Caleb however, Damon is the one really struggling with the added negative voices in his head caused by his father. There were so many important conversations these two should have had at the beginning but they didn’t have them until the end of the book.
Overall, I did have a good time reading this and my interest is peaked with the other characters in this book who will be getting their own story. Especially Killian, he was such an amazing friend to Roman and had dark side to him. Also, I can’t forget the throat goat, Damien. He seemed like a goofy good guy.
- Hockey player X artist
- Deceased boyfriend’s brother
- Hate to love
- Grief
- Pierced, pain seeker MMC
- Tatted, biker, possessive MMC
- Mental health rep
August 5, 2025
Okay so look... I think this was supposed to be an enemies to lovers trope but they ended up going from enemies to lovers in no amount of time and for no apparent reason. There was a lot of talking that could have happened between the characters to catapult this story from a lackluster 2 stars to 4 stars if the angst had been angsty enough and the dialogue fleshed out enough.
The bones of the structure are good. The writing is solid. It's just..missing..... something important that ties me to the characters and makes me believe in the choices they are making. I'll give it a few years then check back in on Collins. Perhaps by then the Thing I Can't Quite Put My Finger Upon will have been located and pushed into the story and I'll love their writing aplenty. But for now, I must bid you adieu.
The bones of the structure are good. The writing is solid. It's just..missing..... something important that ties me to the characters and makes me believe in the choices they are making. I'll give it a few years then check back in on Collins. Perhaps by then the Thing I Can't Quite Put My Finger Upon will have been located and pushed into the story and I'll love their writing aplenty. But for now, I must bid you adieu.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 14, 2025
It was way too repetitive and could have used better editing. 100 pages could have easily been cut out. I just really didn’t care for the writing and there were too many plot holes.
I didn’t realize this was going to be a 10 book series or I wouldn’t have started it. But at the same time I don’t want to wait 10 years for it to finish.
I didn’t realize this was going to be a 10 book series or I wouldn’t have started it. But at the same time I don’t want to wait 10 years for it to finish.
July 7, 2025
DNF - it started great. The anger, the pain, the hate, then it was just, over. They were both obsessed and wanting to be together and I was so confused as to how it was so quick. A 180 for them both, but why? I wanted to see more anger, more fighting, more blood.
Read
January 26, 2026DNF @ 17% couldn’t connect to the characters and felt oddly similar to Like You Hate Me
May 17, 2025
3 ⭐️ 3.5 🌶️ i have mixed feelings.
It’s the almost there for me book. The topic is heavy, yes. I see what the author is trying to do here. Some scenes are very good (ex: the hurt/comfort caring scene and the unhinged ones), especially at the beginning when there’s tension between the 2 of them and lots of unknown. it’s not a badly written book. And…(can’t believe i say this) less smut scenes and more emotional connections and shared grief would take this story to the next level.
The names of the 2 main characters are too similar together that sometimes in their chapter, I kept on getting confused that it’s the other one’s POV. May be this is just me.
Damon’s 180-switch from hating Roman, wanting revenge to become passionately obsessed with him was so quick…I even thought THAT would be the twist and it’d cause the third-act breakup for them; that his revenge is Damon convincing Roman that he was all in then pull the rug under Roman’s feet. But none of that happened 😏. Also, Damon’s reason for hating Roman was just that he needed someone to blame, not because there was a misunderstanding or something he saw that he interpreted incorrectly. Anyway, this whole thing was drummed up so high for me, then when i got to the reveal part, it was just flat and flop for me.
The “wrong for being together” tension and the grief process…i want to see more in depth, experienced by each character independently and together.
The mental health rep: I need it to be more described and the hard process through it all. It’s obvious that Damon has more than just dealing with the fact that he is gay in a household that does not support it. I wanted toward the end or at least in the epilogue they show progress toward supporting Damon’s condition or how they are working at it and living with it together.
The shock/emotional wrapped up towards the end was too short (and convenient). I feel that the heavy topic was kinda pushed under the rug so that Damon and Roman can have their immediate steamy scene.
And then at the very end, we get a random primal kink scene thrown into the mix.
It’s the almost there for me book. The topic is heavy, yes. I see what the author is trying to do here. Some scenes are very good (ex: the hurt/comfort caring scene and the unhinged ones), especially at the beginning when there’s tension between the 2 of them and lots of unknown. it’s not a badly written book. And…(can’t believe i say this) less smut scenes and more emotional connections and shared grief would take this story to the next level.
The names of the 2 main characters are too similar together that sometimes in their chapter, I kept on getting confused that it’s the other one’s POV. May be this is just me.
Damon’s 180-switch from hating Roman, wanting revenge to become passionately obsessed with him was so quick…I even thought THAT would be the twist and it’d cause the third-act breakup for them; that his revenge is Damon convincing Roman that he was all in then pull the rug under Roman’s feet. But none of that happened 😏. Also, Damon’s reason for hating Roman was just that he needed someone to blame, not because there was a misunderstanding or something he saw that he interpreted incorrectly. Anyway, this whole thing was drummed up so high for me, then when i got to the reveal part, it was just flat and flop for me.
The “wrong for being together” tension and the grief process…i want to see more in depth, experienced by each character independently and together.
The mental health rep: I need it to be more described and the hard process through it all. It’s obvious that Damon has more than just dealing with the fact that he is gay in a household that does not support it. I wanted toward the end or at least in the epilogue they show progress toward supporting Damon’s condition or how they are working at it and living with it together.
The shock/emotional wrapped up towards the end was too short (and convenient). I feel that the heavy topic was kinda pushed under the rug so that Damon and Roman can have their immediate steamy scene.
And then at the very end, we get a random primal kink scene thrown into the mix.
June 28, 2025
2.5-3
I'm looooosing intereeeest. 61% things feel the saaaameeee. I wish their getting together wasn't as soon in the story. Right now I'd need for something to happen because if not I'm going to DNF (ps the hockey match kept me on reading but omg some scenes are just fuuucking long and repetitive) I really love her writing style tho and I'm going to try other of her books
after finishing the book:
it got less repetitive because it wasn't them all the time doing the same thing
anyways I agree with some comments that there are certain phrases that are repetitive "shut up", "good" , "you're staring"
and even certain verbs, expressions etc
and yes I dig the writing style buuuut I think it's lacking emotion. I mean I love descriptive, showing not telling writing but think I needed more internal dialogue like yea
I didn't cry either and I don't know what else to say, I might have some more words in the future but sometimes the MCs were annoying and I was bored in some parts, too
also lol the most important part is the story and I have no idea how I feel about it
I feel Caleb should have had his own POV chapter or something or some flashbacks of them 3 because I felt like the letters were trying to be there just to tell the reader "look, if Caleb called it, then you have to believe their relationship too" like don't do Caleb dirty idk my feelings
so yea the set up wasn't my fave
Killian was the best side character and I'll try to read his book, hopefully the plot and how everything develops is more enjoyable
I'm looooosing intereeeest. 61% things feel the saaaameeee. I wish their getting together wasn't as soon in the story. Right now I'd need for something to happen because if not I'm going to DNF (ps the hockey match kept me on reading but omg some scenes are just fuuucking long and repetitive) I really love her writing style tho and I'm going to try other of her books
after finishing the book:
it got less repetitive because it wasn't them all the time doing the same thing
anyways I agree with some comments that there are certain phrases that are repetitive "shut up", "good" , "you're staring"
and even certain verbs, expressions etc
and yes I dig the writing style buuuut I think it's lacking emotion. I mean I love descriptive, showing not telling writing but think I needed more internal dialogue like yea
I didn't cry either and I don't know what else to say, I might have some more words in the future but sometimes the MCs were annoying and I was bored in some parts, too
also lol the most important part is the story and I have no idea how I feel about it
I feel Caleb should have had his own POV chapter or something or some flashbacks of them 3 because I felt like the letters were trying to be there just to tell the reader "look, if Caleb called it, then you have to believe their relationship too" like don't do Caleb dirty idk my feelings
so yea the set up wasn't my fave
Killian was the best side character and I'll try to read his book, hopefully the plot and how everything develops is more enjoyable
February 8, 2026
Audiobook update: This audiobook is so well done!! So many kudos! The casting for this series is top tier!!. We have Gregory Salinas as Damon and Devon Ryder as Roman and just - WOW! They hit it out of the park! I think these narrators are my current dream team, honestly. So yes - an absolute pleasure to listen to them read this story about these broken boys.
May 22, 2025
DNF @ 49%
May 22, 2025
Incredible read
Being able to find your person in spite of the pain
MM Romance
Heavy Hurt/Comfort
Dark theme (check TWs)
Jock/Artist
Hockey Romance
Mental Health Representation
Schminky spicy spice
⭐️ 5/5 🥺5/5 🌶️5/5
I was captivated by the beautiful cover but was HOOKED by the phenomenal writting! These beautifully broken characters took my heart and made a home! In this story you have Damon and Roman that share a somewhat common bond through loosing a loved one!!
Damon lost his brother and Roman lost his first love
This book will having you on an emotional roller coaster for sure. best believe you will be feeling it all the pain the hurt the guilty the anguish just pouring out of them but then most of all your feel the LOVE that grows and blossoms between Roman and Damon! I’m telling this book was everything I couldn’t put it down but I also didn’t want it to end! By far a top fav of the year read for me!
And the spice get your fans out because not only is the tension tensioning with these two it’s down right SPICY!! Chefs kiss on the spice and the schminky ness of it all I enjoyed EVERY.Single. Spicy. Moment!!
A must read for sure!! Don’t miss out
-Happy Reading 📚
Being able to find your person in spite of the pain
MM Romance
Heavy Hurt/Comfort
Dark theme (check TWs)
Jock/Artist
Hockey Romance
Mental Health Representation
Schminky spicy spice
⭐️ 5/5 🥺5/5 🌶️5/5
I was captivated by the beautiful cover but was HOOKED by the phenomenal writting! These beautifully broken characters took my heart and made a home! In this story you have Damon and Roman that share a somewhat common bond through loosing a loved one!!
Damon lost his brother and Roman lost his first love
This book will having you on an emotional roller coaster for sure. best believe you will be feeling it all the pain the hurt the guilty the anguish just pouring out of them but then most of all your feel the LOVE that grows and blossoms between Roman and Damon! I’m telling this book was everything I couldn’t put it down but I also didn’t want it to end! By far a top fav of the year read for me!
And the spice get your fans out because not only is the tension tensioning with these two it’s down right SPICY!! Chefs kiss on the spice and the schminky ness of it all I enjoyed EVERY.Single. Spicy. Moment!!
A must read for sure!! Don’t miss out
-Happy Reading 📚
June 26, 2025
The beginning was seemed promising but I felt like it moved too fast with the progress not making any sense.
Damon blames Roman for his brothers suicide, says he’s gonna get revenge and make him pay. Then they have an altercation and suddenly there’s no more enemies? Just ‘oh he got my dick hard’ and then all is forgotten.
They’re a full blown couple by the 40% mark after just 1 blowjob. “Are we together now?” “Yeah”. ?? So the whole premise of the story is done and done before the halfway point and then it’s just a regular old romance with a little mental health issue thrown in.
The couple spice scenes we got were good, but I’m not a fan of the books that have spice, and then get to a certain point and suddenly there’s no spice, it’s all fade to black and saying what they did off page. It annoys me when the book switches it up to showing nothing.
I’ll likely read Killians book when it comes out because it’s likely gonna be with Zach, which I’m interested to read. I just hope the author doesn’t make the same mistakes as above on their book.
Damon blames Roman for his brothers suicide, says he’s gonna get revenge and make him pay. Then they have an altercation and suddenly there’s no more enemies? Just ‘oh he got my dick hard’ and then all is forgotten.
They’re a full blown couple by the 40% mark after just 1 blowjob. “Are we together now?” “Yeah”. ?? So the whole premise of the story is done and done before the halfway point and then it’s just a regular old romance with a little mental health issue thrown in.
The couple spice scenes we got were good, but I’m not a fan of the books that have spice, and then get to a certain point and suddenly there’s no spice, it’s all fade to black and saying what they did off page. It annoys me when the book switches it up to showing nothing.
I’ll likely read Killians book when it comes out because it’s likely gonna be with Zach, which I’m interested to read. I just hope the author doesn’t make the same mistakes as above on their book.
June 14, 2025
Scoville heat rating: 🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵 5/5!!!
It’s been probably 3 years since I’ve read a novel that has affected me this way. Words can’t describe how deeply to the core Damon and Roman’s story pulled me in and broke my heart. At first, the writing style was a little jarring but it grows on you, making you realize that it’s really just the voice of these two broody but hurting men, trapped in the pain of the past.
This is my first Collins novel and I’m hooked. I literally cried. Thank goodness the next novel in the series comes out in less than a month, because I doubt I’ll find something this hits this hard for a while.
It’s been probably 3 years since I’ve read a novel that has affected me this way. Words can’t describe how deeply to the core Damon and Roman’s story pulled me in and broke my heart. At first, the writing style was a little jarring but it grows on you, making you realize that it’s really just the voice of these two broody but hurting men, trapped in the pain of the past.
This is my first Collins novel and I’m hooked. I literally cried. Thank goodness the next novel in the series comes out in less than a month, because I doubt I’ll find something this hits this hard for a while.
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