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Reckless Games #2
Never Will I Ever
He's the one I swore I'd never ever fall for.
A teammate’s betrayal. A banishment. A secret revealed.
That’s all it took to unravel my life at the seams.
The punishment for my past mistakes goes further than expulsion,
and penance can only come from the worst hell
Summer camp.
Ten weeks spent wrangling a bunch of kids is bad enough,
only to get worse when I meet my new co-counselor.
The back-stabber himself.
Kaleb LaMothe.
Being forced to coexist adds more tension to our already shaky foundation,
but it also pushes us to uncover deeper parts of each other.
Until animosity becomes a feeling far more dangerous.
An attraction so potent, I lose sight of why I’m stuck in the wilderness to begin with.
And if I’m not careful, I might lose something else entirely.
Like my heart.
*𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘻𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤7
A teammate’s betrayal. A banishment. A secret revealed.
That’s all it took to unravel my life at the seams.
The punishment for my past mistakes goes further than expulsion,
and penance can only come from the worst hell
Summer camp.
Ten weeks spent wrangling a bunch of kids is bad enough,
only to get worse when I meet my new co-counselor.
The back-stabber himself.
Kaleb LaMothe.
Being forced to coexist adds more tension to our already shaky foundation,
but it also pushes us to uncover deeper parts of each other.
Until animosity becomes a feeling far more dangerous.
An attraction so potent, I lose sight of why I’m stuck in the wilderness to begin with.
And if I’m not careful, I might lose something else entirely.
Like my heart.
*𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘥𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘱 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘴, 𝘨𝘳𝘶𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘻𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘔𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘰𝘥, 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘥𝘰𝘰𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘻𝘷𝘰𝘶𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘱 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘥𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘤7
402 pages, Paperback
First published February 17, 2025
929 people are currently reading
4870 people want to read
About the author
C.E. Ricci
15 books4,617 followersCE Ricci is a USA Today and international best-selling author who enjoys plenty of things in her free time, but writing about herself in the third person isn’t one of them. She believes home isn’t a place, but a feeling, and it’s one she gets when she’s chilling lakeside or on hiking trails with her dogs, camera in hand. She’s addicted to all things photography, plants, peaks, puppies, and paperbacks, though not necessarily in that order. Music is her love language, and traveling the country (and world) is the way she chooses to find most of her inspiration for whatever epic love story she will tell next!
CE Ricci is represented by Two Daisy Media.
For all subsidiary rights, please contact Savannah Greenwell: info@twodaisy.com
Join CE Ricci's reader group here!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wreck...
CE Ricci is represented by Two Daisy Media.
For all subsidiary rights, please contact Savannah Greenwell: info@twodaisy.com
Join CE Ricci's reader group here!
https://www.facebook.com/groups/wreck...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 707 reviews
August 11, 2025
Never Will I Ever is a fantastic second chance rivals to lovers romance. I love a villain's redemption arc. Avery is a character I was curious about in Dont you Dare and in this story his journey of feeling lost and shamed to someone who knows his heart and truly wants to change was amazingly done.
Kaleb is an amazing character. He holds strong to his principles, loves fiercely, and is very protective of his younger brothers and the kids at camp. His intense disdain and suspicion for Avery's motives were rightly given, so their slow-burn friendship was great to see him slowly thaw his icy feelings towards Avery.
Overall I loved being back in this world with these characters. Avery is a complicated character who has a lot of baggage to overcome, and seeing his growth and healing made for some amazing moments for his character. Kaleb's endless patience and willingness to forgive also was a great counter to Avery's inner angst. Together they made for quite an unforgettable story. Loved this story from beginning to end and hope to see a continuation of these characters someday.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
Kaleb is an amazing character. He holds strong to his principles, loves fiercely, and is very protective of his younger brothers and the kids at camp. His intense disdain and suspicion for Avery's motives were rightly given, so their slow-burn friendship was great to see him slowly thaw his icy feelings towards Avery.
Overall I loved being back in this world with these characters. Avery is a complicated character who has a lot of baggage to overcome, and seeing his growth and healing made for some amazing moments for his character. Kaleb's endless patience and willingness to forgive also was a great counter to Avery's inner angst. Together they made for quite an unforgettable story. Loved this story from beginning to end and hope to see a continuation of these characters someday.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
dnf
February 22, 2025This was one of my most anticipated books of the year but I find myself barely able to get through the pages😭 calling it quits at 14%!!
February 17, 2025
3.5**** stars
If I haven’t liked so much how this story panned out in the end I probably would’ve rounded down. But since I have and the last third was finally what I was looking forward to, it’s all good.
But sadly, for a book I’ve been excited for for two years to come out I was actually a lot bored. Or it was just me not really in the mood for this kids-summer-camp thingy. But yeah, it was that and also this whole internalized hate because daddy is a big old homophobe.
Still, as I come to expect from this author, Avery and Kaleb’s illicit affair during camp was hot as hell so together with the great last part I chalk this up as a win overall, especially since Ms Ricci struggled to bring us this story at all.
Ugh. *swoon
I think I still should’ve waited for the audio and maybe I would’ve enjoyed it more then.
*************
Standalones Foltyn College
Book 1 - Don’t You Dare - 3.5 stars
Book 2 - Never Will I Ever - 3.5 stars
-------------
*pre-finishing notes*
edit: January 2025: is it really finally coming????? 🥹
edit November 2023:
After I just finished my re-read of Don’t You Dare I had to take a peak at Avery’s story. So I dug out my copy of the Anti-Valentine anthology and read the first chapters. And I must say I’m intrigued.
Tho I don’t know for what outcome I wish for even though I now understand better what drove Avery to his petty attack of Keene’s and Aspen’s privacy. So, do I wish for Avery to get accepted back to school to finish his degree or wish for the school to stand by their decision?
I hope Ms Ricci is going to release the full novel soon.
If I haven’t liked so much how this story panned out in the end I probably would’ve rounded down. But since I have and the last third was finally what I was looking forward to, it’s all good.
“Don’t make me regret this,” he utters, barely audible even in the stark silence. My forehead rolls against his when I shake my head. “Never will I ever.”
But sadly, for a book I’ve been excited for for two years to come out I was actually a lot bored. Or it was just me not really in the mood for this kids-summer-camp thingy. But yeah, it was that and also this whole internalized hate because daddy is a big old homophobe.
Still, as I come to expect from this author, Avery and Kaleb’s illicit affair during camp was hot as hell so together with the great last part I chalk this up as a win overall, especially since Ms Ricci struggled to bring us this story at all.
“You feel so good,” he mutters against my lips. “So right. So fucking mine.”
Ugh. *swoon
I think I still should’ve waited for the audio and maybe I would’ve enjoyed it more then.
*************
Standalones Foltyn College
Book 1 - Don’t You Dare - 3.5 stars
Book 2 - Never Will I Ever - 3.5 stars
-------------
*pre-finishing notes*
edit: January 2025: is it really finally coming????? 🥹
edit November 2023:
After I just finished my re-read of Don’t You Dare I had to take a peak at Avery’s story. So I dug out my copy of the Anti-Valentine anthology and read the first chapters. And I must say I’m intrigued.
“I don’t know why I want to do it again, either. Because I’m not…” […]
“Well, there’s not going to be a repeat.” […]
“Remember that when you come back begging for more.” […]
“Never will I ever.”
Tho I don’t know for what outcome I wish for even though I now understand better what drove Avery to his petty attack of Keene’s and Aspen’s privacy. So, do I wish for Avery to get accepted back to school to finish his degree or wish for the school to stand by their decision?
I hope Ms Ricci is going to release the full novel soon.
February 20, 2025
3.5
This is the first time I've read a CE Ricci book and not cried or felt that really strong emotional pull to the story and the characters. I was actually a little underwhelmed by Kaleb and Avery, which was very surprising for me because I've been waiting for their story for ages! The best parts of the story were actually when they were mentoring the kids at the summer camp, and the way Colton confronts Kaleb and Elijah calls out Avery on his behaviour were the most emotionally impacting moments.
Although I liked them together and the way Kaleb gets Avery to start moving past his internal homophobia was mostly engaging to read when it wasn't revolving around sex scenes, I did feel a little like I was being beat over the head by the fact that Avery felt an immense amount of shame at being who he was. It was on almost every page, in almost every conversation between the two and I just wanted to shake Avery and tell him to stop complaining and start actually working to overcome his issues! It started to feel like groundhog day and it was like the plot took one step forwards, two steps back every time it was brought up with Shame becoming the third person in their relationship. Shame just ended up taking over the whole story and it took so long for Avery to make any real progress that I did kind of lose interest.
I did like the conversations that both Kaleb and Avery had with Keene at the end of the book, but I wanted to see more of Kaleb and Avery actually together happily. What was Avery doing after the summer camp? Where was he living? How was his relationship with his dad? What was he experiencing in his therapy sessions? Does he still have the same internal battle? Does Kaleb graduate? What are their future plans? There were just too many unanswered questions because so much of the book takes place at the summer camp and then the resolution to the plot and them finally getting together openly is over so quickly!
Definitely a frustrating read!
This is the first time I've read a CE Ricci book and not cried or felt that really strong emotional pull to the story and the characters. I was actually a little underwhelmed by Kaleb and Avery, which was very surprising for me because I've been waiting for their story for ages! The best parts of the story were actually when they were mentoring the kids at the summer camp, and the way Colton confronts Kaleb and Elijah calls out Avery on his behaviour were the most emotionally impacting moments.
Although I liked them together and the way Kaleb gets Avery to start moving past his internal homophobia was mostly engaging to read when it wasn't revolving around sex scenes, I did feel a little like I was being beat over the head by the fact that Avery felt an immense amount of shame at being who he was. It was on almost every page, in almost every conversation between the two and I just wanted to shake Avery and tell him to stop complaining and start actually working to overcome his issues! It started to feel like groundhog day and it was like the plot took one step forwards, two steps back every time it was brought up with Shame becoming the third person in their relationship. Shame just ended up taking over the whole story and it took so long for Avery to make any real progress that I did kind of lose interest.
I did like the conversations that both Kaleb and Avery had with Keene at the end of the book, but I wanted to see more of Kaleb and Avery actually together happily. What was Avery doing after the summer camp? Where was he living? How was his relationship with his dad? What was he experiencing in his therapy sessions? Does he still have the same internal battle? Does Kaleb graduate? What are their future plans? There were just too many unanswered questions because so much of the book takes place at the summer camp and then the resolution to the plot and them finally getting together openly is over so quickly!
Definitely a frustrating read!
February 22, 2025
yeah this was good✨
this book reminded me that if I like the characters, I’ll enjoy the story—no matter what ( though I did enjoy the plot too )
this book reminded me that if I like the characters, I’ll enjoy the story—no matter what ( though I did enjoy the plot too )
February 10, 2025
RTC but I love Avery Reynolds and these 2 are literally the only C.E. Ricci characters i can see becoming parents 😂
Put it on your tbr bc the cameos gave me life (I'll have a proper review ASAP)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Put it on your tbr bc the cameos gave me life (I'll have a proper review ASAP)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
June 19, 2025
I really did not enjoy reading this book and it took forever to finish it. I forced myself to see it through but it never got to the point where I thought it was good. I really dislike books where we act like an MC making one mistake (albeit a really bad one) means he needs to atone for it the ENTIRE book or he's irredeemable. The idea of one MC having to endlessly prove that he's worthy of the love of the other MC (who naturally has never had a mistake ever) is so unappealing. The writing was good but the 'jump through hoops to be worthy of love' thing left a bad taste in my mouth. I prefer books where both characters experience growth together.
April 16, 2025
No wow moment. Nothing really stood out for me. A fan of CE Ricci but definitely not this one. The story felt… overused.
February 17, 2025
"I’m sure he wants an answer, but I’m too busy staring at him in the dim moonlight while I wait for the world to shift back onto its axis. Only it doesn’t. It stays tilted, and the whole thing has me off balance."
I inhale anything C.E. Ricci writes and Never Will I Ever was no exception. Whilst this is ostensibly a standalone read, I do recommend you read it after Don't You Dare, which is set in the same universe and features some cameos from Aspen and Keene from that book (which I loved!)
This is Avery and Kaleb's story.
Like Don't You Dare, Never Will I Ever isn't the typically dark, angsty read that are my fave C.E. Ricci books, but I do love a redemption arc and a flawed character like Avery just sings to my soul.
What To Expect:
🖤 MM college romance
🖤 Teammates to enemies to lovers
🖤 Summer camp
🖤 Some internalised angst
🖤 Redemption arc
🖤 Gay awakening
🖤 First times
🖤 Sweet and spicy
🖤 HEA
4 stars
I inhale anything C.E. Ricci writes and Never Will I Ever was no exception. Whilst this is ostensibly a standalone read, I do recommend you read it after Don't You Dare, which is set in the same universe and features some cameos from Aspen and Keene from that book (which I loved!)
This is Avery and Kaleb's story.
Like Don't You Dare, Never Will I Ever isn't the typically dark, angsty read that are my fave C.E. Ricci books, but I do love a redemption arc and a flawed character like Avery just sings to my soul.
What To Expect:
🖤 MM college romance
🖤 Teammates to enemies to lovers
🖤 Summer camp
🖤 Some internalised angst
🖤 Redemption arc
🖤 Gay awakening
🖤 First times
🖤 Sweet and spicy
🖤 HEA
4 stars
March 29, 2025
Tropes: hurt/comfort, animosity to love
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 2/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: medium
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: internalized homophobia, homophobic father, third act break up
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: No
Other person drama: neither are with anyone else once they start something.
3.5 stars
Avery and Kaleb are 21. They've played college baseball together for a few years. Kaleb is gay and semi-out, he just doesn't bring it up with people he's not close with. Avery is gay, but it's implied that he's never been with a man before, he struggles deeply with internalized homophobia because of his homophobic father. They were friendly with each other at first, but once Kaleb realized Avery was homophobic he backed off. A couple months ago Avery publicly outed two of their teammates and got expelled from college. Kaleb is the one that narced on Avery, telling everyone it was Avery. Avery's dad comes up with a plan for Avery to the counselor at the dean's brother's camp over the summer and try to get on his good side and get back into college so he can graduate on time. Kaleb has worked at the camp for years. And they are startled to see each other.
They start off really resenting each other and being combative. Over the weeks, they start talking, getting to know each other, making peace with each other. Avery comes out to Kaleb, and they start hooking up. It's casual for Kaleb and Kaleb hasn't truly got over what Avery did, and he is still hung up on the fact that his friends and family would really disapprove of him being with Avery because what he did was so bad. I kind of found Kaleb a bit of a weak character because he was so influenced by what other people thought and he seemed too casual about Avery. It seemed to me that Avery had deeper feelings.
This was an okay book. I liked the way that Avery and Kaleb's relationship developed in parallel to Avery developing as a person and starting to build a connection with the kids at camp and open himself up. I didn't like Avery leaving camp when he did, it felt like a betrayal of the kids. When Avery is trying to mend fences at the end, I think it was kind of dumb that Avery didn't go to Keene and Aspen first. It's kind of awkward to make up with your love interest and then say hold up just got to go apologize to some other dudes, meet you back at your place in a few. I did like the epilogue, the ending came full circle.
Some notable moments:
"“So you can say ass, but he can’t say crap?” Dayton asks, brows furrowed. Cole nods before aiming a smug little smile at me. “Seems pretty hypocritical if you ask me.” My fork clatters to the table, my cool nowhere to be found this morning. “I’m an adult, and the both of you are far from one.” “So what you’re saying is we can be hypocrites when we’re adults,” Day concludes, a smarmy little smile on his lips. Colton smirks back. “I think that’s exactly what he’s saying.” Do not kill your brothers. Do not kill your brothers."
"The crunching of our boots on the path serves as the soundtrack for our trek, along with the chirping of birds and the summer breeze rustling the trees. And, of course, there’s Avery’s bitching thrown in the mix too. “Where in the ever-loving fuck are you leading me, LaMothe?” he muses, grinning as he takes in the forest on either side of the path. “Still looking for the best cliff to push me off so you’re finally rid of me?” “No need; I already know which one I’d pick,” I bat right back before aiming a smirk over my shoulder."
"“We better get out there with them before someone drowns.” “They’re wearing lifejackets,” I remind him. “They’d have to try really hard for that to happen.” “Yeah, well, sometimes I wouldn’t put it past Cole to hold Day underwater with his paddle.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 2/5
Kinks: n/a
Angst: medium
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: internalized homophobia, homophobic father, third act break up
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: No
Other person drama: neither are with anyone else once they start something.
3.5 stars
Avery and Kaleb are 21. They've played college baseball together for a few years. Kaleb is gay and semi-out, he just doesn't bring it up with people he's not close with. Avery is gay, but it's implied that he's never been with a man before, he struggles deeply with internalized homophobia because of his homophobic father. They were friendly with each other at first, but once Kaleb realized Avery was homophobic he backed off. A couple months ago Avery publicly outed two of their teammates and got expelled from college. Kaleb is the one that narced on Avery, telling everyone it was Avery. Avery's dad comes up with a plan for Avery to the counselor at the dean's brother's camp over the summer and try to get on his good side and get back into college so he can graduate on time. Kaleb has worked at the camp for years. And they are startled to see each other.
They start off really resenting each other and being combative. Over the weeks, they start talking, getting to know each other, making peace with each other. Avery comes out to Kaleb, and they start hooking up. It's casual for Kaleb and Kaleb hasn't truly got over what Avery did, and he is still hung up on the fact that his friends and family would really disapprove of him being with Avery because what he did was so bad. I kind of found Kaleb a bit of a weak character because he was so influenced by what other people thought and he seemed too casual about Avery. It seemed to me that Avery had deeper feelings.
This was an okay book. I liked the way that Avery and Kaleb's relationship developed in parallel to Avery developing as a person and starting to build a connection with the kids at camp and open himself up. I didn't like Avery leaving camp when he did, it felt like a betrayal of the kids. When Avery is trying to mend fences at the end, I think it was kind of dumb that Avery didn't go to Keene and Aspen first. It's kind of awkward to make up with your love interest and then say hold up just got to go apologize to some other dudes, meet you back at your place in a few. I did like the epilogue, the ending came full circle.
Some notable moments:
"“So you can say ass, but he can’t say crap?” Dayton asks, brows furrowed. Cole nods before aiming a smug little smile at me. “Seems pretty hypocritical if you ask me.” My fork clatters to the table, my cool nowhere to be found this morning. “I’m an adult, and the both of you are far from one.” “So what you’re saying is we can be hypocrites when we’re adults,” Day concludes, a smarmy little smile on his lips. Colton smirks back. “I think that’s exactly what he’s saying.” Do not kill your brothers. Do not kill your brothers."
"The crunching of our boots on the path serves as the soundtrack for our trek, along with the chirping of birds and the summer breeze rustling the trees. And, of course, there’s Avery’s bitching thrown in the mix too. “Where in the ever-loving fuck are you leading me, LaMothe?” he muses, grinning as he takes in the forest on either side of the path. “Still looking for the best cliff to push me off so you’re finally rid of me?” “No need; I already know which one I’d pick,” I bat right back before aiming a smirk over my shoulder."
"“We better get out there with them before someone drowns.” “They’re wearing lifejackets,” I remind him. “They’d have to try really hard for that to happen.” “Yeah, well, sometimes I wouldn’t put it past Cole to hold Day underwater with his paddle.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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October 19, 2025
MM Romance
Forced Proximity
3 Stars ⭐️
🎵Narrated by Brandon Francis and Zachary Johnson🎵 I love these two narrators and they are the reason I didn’t even hesitate using a credit on this when it dropped. Their performances were 5 stars hands down, I just wish I felt the same about the book.
I listened to this a few months ago so my review won’t be all that in depth but I wanted to say a few things. I will NOT spoil Don’t You Dare but will mention it.
1. It is imperative that you read the first book in this series, Don’t You Dare, before even considering this book. This book is the consequences of what happened in Don’t You Dare and even though this book talks about it, it needs to be experienced to really understand the magnitude of the situation. I highly recommend the audio of DYD. Pen and Kee are one of my favorite couples of all time and to really get into this book, you need the full story.
2. The narrator’s absolutely rocked this audiobook and the majority of my stars are for them because I am almost 99% sure I would have DNF’d this book had I not been listening to it and that’s what the rest of this review will be about.
This has been one of my most anticipated books since it appeared in an anthology ages ago. I thought DYD was a standalone so I wasn’t expecting to ever see these characters again. When I read the short and then realized this was going to be a full length book I was a bit nervous because I wasn’t sure if I even wanted Avery to be redeemed. What he did in DYD was seriously vile but I love a good redemption story and I like the world these books take place in so I’ve been low-key yearning for this book for years. I think I probably overhyped it in my head because this didn’t quite work for me. Unfortunately, I never quite felt like Avery atoned for what he did in DYD especially when his dad pulls some strings for him to go to this summer camp because it was just another shitty thing he was doing. I’m also surprised the camp director let him be a counselor there knowing what he did especially when he has LBGTQ+ staff and campers. It’s the kind of thing a person would be permanently cancelled over so I understood why Kaleb was so upset. I still liked the part from the anthology but the rest of this book felt very phoned in. It felt like the author struggled writing this because everything was so predictable and that made it quite boring. I struggled with why Kaleb even liked Avery because he just wasn’t likable and being hidden went against everything Kaleb stood for. I believed they liked to fuck but I never felt like Avery redeemed himself and it made this book disappointing. This author is a huge fan of 3rd act break ups and I can’t think of a single book of hers that doesn’t have one. I don’t mind a 3rd act break up if there is a great grovel or something incredibly swoony happens due to it but neither of those things happened in this. What happened was so predictable and just once I’d love to read one of these where the closeted guy is so down bad for the other MC that he has the courage to stand up for himself. I also would love if authors let shitty parents stay shitty. Avery’s dad was a POS and I was in no mood for redemption of such an asshole especially when Avery’s own was lacking.
I should probably say what I enjoyed because this sounds so negative and not a 3 star read 🤣 I enjoyed seeing cameos from our DYD boys even if I found Avery’s apology a bit lackluster. OMG can I say anything nice?? 🤦🏻♀️🙄😂 I liked the camp setting because I love a good forced proximity situation with all the UST. I enjoyed the campers too especially Kaleb’s brothers and I’d be interested in reading a next generation type of book for them.
I’m hoping that this author will do a short story to wrap up this series because this one especially had an abrupt ending. A lot of my questions were left unanswered about where Kaleb and Avery were headed. It very much felt like a HFN. DYD ended without an epilogue spanning years too but because Pen & Kee are soulmates and best friends, it felt like a real HEA. DYD wrapped up all the storylines too but this one left some things a bit unfinished and I’d really like to see a short epilogue into their future.
Forced Proximity
3 Stars ⭐️
🎵Narrated by Brandon Francis and Zachary Johnson🎵 I love these two narrators and they are the reason I didn’t even hesitate using a credit on this when it dropped. Their performances were 5 stars hands down, I just wish I felt the same about the book.
I listened to this a few months ago so my review won’t be all that in depth but I wanted to say a few things. I will NOT spoil Don’t You Dare but will mention it.
1. It is imperative that you read the first book in this series, Don’t You Dare, before even considering this book. This book is the consequences of what happened in Don’t You Dare and even though this book talks about it, it needs to be experienced to really understand the magnitude of the situation. I highly recommend the audio of DYD. Pen and Kee are one of my favorite couples of all time and to really get into this book, you need the full story.
2. The narrator’s absolutely rocked this audiobook and the majority of my stars are for them because I am almost 99% sure I would have DNF’d this book had I not been listening to it and that’s what the rest of this review will be about.
This has been one of my most anticipated books since it appeared in an anthology ages ago. I thought DYD was a standalone so I wasn’t expecting to ever see these characters again. When I read the short and then realized this was going to be a full length book I was a bit nervous because I wasn’t sure if I even wanted Avery to be redeemed. What he did in DYD was seriously vile but I love a good redemption story and I like the world these books take place in so I’ve been low-key yearning for this book for years. I think I probably overhyped it in my head because this didn’t quite work for me. Unfortunately, I never quite felt like Avery atoned for what he did in DYD especially when his dad pulls some strings for him to go to this summer camp because it was just another shitty thing he was doing. I’m also surprised the camp director let him be a counselor there knowing what he did especially when he has LBGTQ+ staff and campers. It’s the kind of thing a person would be permanently cancelled over so I understood why Kaleb was so upset. I still liked the part from the anthology but the rest of this book felt very phoned in. It felt like the author struggled writing this because everything was so predictable and that made it quite boring. I struggled with why Kaleb even liked Avery because he just wasn’t likable and being hidden went against everything Kaleb stood for. I believed they liked to fuck but I never felt like Avery redeemed himself and it made this book disappointing. This author is a huge fan of 3rd act break ups and I can’t think of a single book of hers that doesn’t have one. I don’t mind a 3rd act break up if there is a great grovel or something incredibly swoony happens due to it but neither of those things happened in this. What happened was so predictable and just once I’d love to read one of these where the closeted guy is so down bad for the other MC that he has the courage to stand up for himself. I also would love if authors let shitty parents stay shitty. Avery’s dad was a POS and I was in no mood for redemption of such an asshole especially when Avery’s own was lacking.
I should probably say what I enjoyed because this sounds so negative and not a 3 star read 🤣 I enjoyed seeing cameos from our DYD boys even if I found Avery’s apology a bit lackluster. OMG can I say anything nice?? 🤦🏻♀️🙄😂 I liked the camp setting because I love a good forced proximity situation with all the UST. I enjoyed the campers too especially Kaleb’s brothers and I’d be interested in reading a next generation type of book for them.
I’m hoping that this author will do a short story to wrap up this series because this one especially had an abrupt ending. A lot of my questions were left unanswered about where Kaleb and Avery were headed. It very much felt like a HFN. DYD ended without an epilogue spanning years too but because Pen & Kee are soulmates and best friends, it felt like a real HEA. DYD wrapped up all the storylines too but this one left some things a bit unfinished and I’d really like to see a short epilogue into their future.
Read
August 19, 2025I made it to 70%. I’m too old to sit through books that aren’t sparking joy.
February 18, 2025
Tropes & what to expect:
- Friends to enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Workplace romance
- Secret relationship
- One tent + one canoe
I always enjoy CE Ricci's MM romance books, so I knew I'd have a good time reading this one too!
I am so happy Avery redeemed himself and that Kaleb took a large part in helping him change himself for the better. I loved that they rebuilt their friendship and that it turned into more. That Avery finally accepted himself and went for what he wanted/who he loved.
Overall, this was a solid read. As always, I'm looking forward to CE Ricci's next release!
- Friends to enemies to lovers
- Forced proximity
- Workplace romance
- Secret relationship
- One tent + one canoe
I always enjoy CE Ricci's MM romance books, so I knew I'd have a good time reading this one too!
I am so happy Avery redeemed himself and that Kaleb took a large part in helping him change himself for the better. I loved that they rebuilt their friendship and that it turned into more. That Avery finally accepted himself and went for what he wanted/who he loved.
Overall, this was a solid read. As always, I'm looking forward to CE Ricci's next release!
April 22, 2023
I never knew I needed an enemies to lovers camp councillor romance more than I do now. I can’t wait to read Avery and Kaleb’s full story because the tension and the angst is literally killing me.
March 23, 2025
This was such a cute read, and I loved the sweet moments between Kaleb and Avery.🥰
It’s been a long time since I read Don’t You Dare, where we first saw Avery getting expelled from school. This is his redemption story, and I liked getting a glimpse into what was really going on in his mind. I’m glad Kaleb was the one to undo the shame Avery’s dad caused him, and that Avery was able to work through his issues with his father.🥹
Overall, this was a fun and sweet read, and I loved the brief scene with Keene and Aspen at the end. It was nice to see them become friends again. 😌
Safety info:
- There is no OWD, OMD, or scenes with OP.
- There is no information on whether Avery has been with others after meeting Kaleb, but he has been on a dating app for gay men to explore his feelings. That’s where he texted Keene from Don’t You Dare. They only texted because they were both in the closet, but nothing else happened since Keene deleted the app after he and Aspen started dating. Avery has only ever been with women in the past.
- Kaleb has used the app once or twice for hookups, and it seems like he was with OP after meeting Avery, but they were only friends at the time.
- Neither of them came across as manhoes.
- No others after they start exploring their feelings for each other.
- Ends with a HEA.
It’s been a long time since I read Don’t You Dare, where we first saw Avery getting expelled from school. This is his redemption story, and I liked getting a glimpse into what was really going on in his mind. I’m glad Kaleb was the one to undo the shame Avery’s dad caused him, and that Avery was able to work through his issues with his father.🥹
Overall, this was a fun and sweet read, and I loved the brief scene with Keene and Aspen at the end. It was nice to see them become friends again. 😌
Safety info:
- There is no OWD, OMD, or scenes with OP.
- There is no information on whether Avery has been with others after meeting Kaleb, but he has been on a dating app for gay men to explore his feelings. That’s where he texted Keene from Don’t You Dare. They only texted because they were both in the closet, but nothing else happened since Keene deleted the app after he and Aspen started dating. Avery has only ever been with women in the past.
- Kaleb has used the app once or twice for hookups, and it seems like he was with OP after meeting Avery, but they were only friends at the time.
- Neither of them came across as manhoes.
- No others after they start exploring their feelings for each other.
- Ends with a HEA.
March 4, 2025
I don't always love a redemption arc or think everyone deserves one, but I absolutely loved Avery and Kaleb's story. NWIE picks up at Avery getting expelled from college after his actions in DYD. His dad, who is a terrible person, comes up with this crazy plan to have Avery work at summer camp to get back in the Dean's good graces and hopefully back into school the next year. Avery definitely wasn't expecting to get paired with Kaleb, who turned him in to the Dean, as his so-counselor for the summer.
The more I learned about Avery and his internal turmoil, the more it broke my heart for him. NWIE is not only his redemption arc, but he also learned to accept himself for who he truly is, despite the all of the shame he was taught to feel. I was happy to see the amount of growth he experienced throughout the story. There will never be any excusing his actions in the past, but I feel he learned from his mistakes was and earned his redemption. I loved everything about Kaleb and I think they are truly the perfect match for each other. I'm glad Avery was able to find his person and acceptance of himself. This book gave Avery the closure he needed with Keene and Aspen and it gave me the closure I needed for him as a reader. CE Ricci never disappoints and Avery and Kaleb's story has been one of my favorites.
The more I learned about Avery and his internal turmoil, the more it broke my heart for him. NWIE is not only his redemption arc, but he also learned to accept himself for who he truly is, despite the all of the shame he was taught to feel. I was happy to see the amount of growth he experienced throughout the story. There will never be any excusing his actions in the past, but I feel he learned from his mistakes was and earned his redemption. I loved everything about Kaleb and I think they are truly the perfect match for each other. I'm glad Avery was able to find his person and acceptance of himself. This book gave Avery the closure he needed with Keene and Aspen and it gave me the closure I needed for him as a reader. CE Ricci never disappoints and Avery and Kaleb's story has been one of my favorites.
February 22, 2025
This is the type of book I'd usually love, but nope.
I really didn't like Kaleb at all. Avery was okay though.
Disappointing, considering that I liked the first book a lot.
I really didn't like Kaleb at all. Avery was okay though.
Disappointing, considering that I liked the first book a lot.
February 25, 2025
I had fun until 70% and then I wanted to fight. So much started crumbling when we got to that point. It almost felt like the whole book was pointless because nothing was making sense. The whole reason they couldn’t be together was null and void when Kaleb got back to school and his friend was like “oh idc that much” basically. A friend he didn’t text or call all summer but we were supposed to believe they were so close that he was holding a grudge and feeling guilty for messing around with someone who hurt them in the past.
Then the dad plotline fell flat.. his dad was supposed to be this horrible person and we he really only ever talked about him once and then at the end they had one conversation and all was well. Also didn’t like the phone call with Elijah. And the conversation with Colton? The twin who was upset.. what 11 year old is that concerned about their older brother’s sex life and should be giving out dating advice.
Idk idk idk I was with everything until about 60-70% when everything started falling apart and it really showed how much they were in a bubble and the reason they couldn’t be together was so weak. It felt like the book should have had a very different plot than it did. Outside of that I was here for the vibes, the spice and banter between the boys was hella good.
Love CE Ricci writing and will always read her work but this one just wasn’t for me & that’s okay!
Then the dad plotline fell flat.. his dad was supposed to be this horrible person and we he really only ever talked about him once and then at the end they had one conversation and all was well. Also didn’t like the phone call with Elijah. And the conversation with Colton? The twin who was upset.. what 11 year old is that concerned about their older brother’s sex life and should be giving out dating advice.
Idk idk idk I was with everything until about 60-70% when everything started falling apart and it really showed how much they were in a bubble and the reason they couldn’t be together was so weak. It felt like the book should have had a very different plot than it did. Outside of that I was here for the vibes, the spice and banter between the boys was hella good.
Love CE Ricci writing and will always read her work but this one just wasn’t for me & that’s okay!
February 28, 2025
my favorite C.E. Ricci book next to Head Above Water and Iced Out 💯 enough said 🙌🏻
September 1, 2025
3.5⭐️
this was actually really sweet and i loved the softness between avery and kaleb
this was actually really sweet and i loved the softness between avery and kaleb
February 19, 2025
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
If you told me at the end of Don’t you Dare that Avery Reynolds was going to end up one of my favorite CE Ricci heroes, I wouldn’t have believed you. but here we are, because This book was pure magic and one of the best redemption arcs I’ve read in a while!
I loved Avery and Kaleb so much and something about this book healed me in a way I didn’t know I needed.
• enemies to lovers
• forced Proximity
• summer camp
• redemption arc
• baseball player MMCs
This book broke my heart, hurt my feelings, made me believe in second chances and made me swoon and made me cry and all I can say is thank you may I have some more 😂
Kaleb and Avery used to be friends on the Foltyn College baseball team until Avery outed one of his teammates publicly and Kaleb turned him in for it. Now Avery is expelled and his only chance of getting back into school is being a counselor at a summer camp run by the Dean’s family. Too bad his fellow counselor is none other than Kaleb.
I love enemies to lovers done right and this book had such good tension and angst. I loved that the forced proximity made our boys figure themselves and their feelings out. Plus the spice was immaculate. I don’t know why the best name “baby” just hits different in an MM romance but it has the ability to turn me into a puddle. 🫠🫠🫠
I loved every second of this. Even the third act break up and I swear I was giddy that we got to see a little more of this world!
SPICE: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
If you told me at the end of Don’t you Dare that Avery Reynolds was going to end up one of my favorite CE Ricci heroes, I wouldn’t have believed you. but here we are, because This book was pure magic and one of the best redemption arcs I’ve read in a while!
I loved Avery and Kaleb so much and something about this book healed me in a way I didn’t know I needed.
• enemies to lovers
• forced Proximity
• summer camp
• redemption arc
• baseball player MMCs
This book broke my heart, hurt my feelings, made me believe in second chances and made me swoon and made me cry and all I can say is thank you may I have some more 😂
Kaleb and Avery used to be friends on the Foltyn College baseball team until Avery outed one of his teammates publicly and Kaleb turned him in for it. Now Avery is expelled and his only chance of getting back into school is being a counselor at a summer camp run by the Dean’s family. Too bad his fellow counselor is none other than Kaleb.
I love enemies to lovers done right and this book had such good tension and angst. I loved that the forced proximity made our boys figure themselves and their feelings out. Plus the spice was immaculate. I don’t know why the best name “baby” just hits different in an MM romance but it has the ability to turn me into a puddle. 🫠🫠🫠
I loved every second of this. Even the third act break up and I swear I was giddy that we got to see a little more of this world!
May 12, 2025
I just wanted to come on here and tell ce ricci she will never see the pearly gates of heaven.
// 11.1.25
So apparently this WILL come out in February.. not excited bc i dont trust that lady AND she hates the couple n book bad it’s obvious sigh.. 2 yrs wait for nothing//
I respect CE riccis dedication to writing mid works with absolutely no love behind them
// 11.1.25
So apparently this WILL come out in February.. not excited bc i dont trust that lady AND she hates the couple n book bad it’s obvious sigh.. 2 yrs wait for nothing//
I respect CE riccis dedication to writing mid works with absolutely no love behind them
February 21, 2025
DNF 82%
After almost tossing the towel in the ring many times, I’m finally throwing it all the way in. I kept going with this, not because I was enjoying it, but because I just kept hoping it would get better…but it just kept getting worse.
I love a good redemption arc and the premise for this fit so perfectly. I liked the summer camp theme where these two are forced to spend time together. I like the influence that spending time in nature and with a bunch of kids can have on you. I liked these two finding their friendship again.
But, this was missing something. There’s no emotion behind or within the writing. These characters are going thru all the motions that they should be, but I’m not feeling the emotions that they should be experiencing.
For me, this story felt forced. Like it wasn’t coming naturally and didn’t know what it wanted to be. It really wasn’t angsty, but it wasn’t overly sweet either. It just felt stuck in some weird limbo.
And, I really wasn’t a fan of the writing in general. The first 40% is long and heavy-handed on inner monologues. This could have easily been edited down. There’s also a lot of repetition. We constantly read about “sky blue eyes”, “forest green eyes”, jolts of electricity upon touching. These details are perfectly fine being mentioned once or twice, but they are re-iterated numerous times throughout the whole book.
Not to mention, one of my pet peeves is when authors are constantly spelling the character’s thoughts out, in case, I as a reader, can’t interpret what they would be thinking. I shouldn’t need to be told. I should be shown.
Some plot points just didn’t make sense either. A 20-something college student is listening to criticism from his 11-year-old brother and accepting it. You strive to redeem yourself, then once said redemption has been achieved, you just up and quit what got you there? Certain things seemed added to push the drama meter up.
I’m not the biggest fan of C.E. Ricci’s writing, but I have enjoyed some of her books (Don’t You Dare & Follow the River) and did come in with an expectation that it would have the same quality of writing as those. Unfortunately, I didn’t find this nearly as well-written as those and I really struggled just to get to the point I did. I’m just not sure her writing style is for me.
After almost tossing the towel in the ring many times, I’m finally throwing it all the way in. I kept going with this, not because I was enjoying it, but because I just kept hoping it would get better…but it just kept getting worse.
I love a good redemption arc and the premise for this fit so perfectly. I liked the summer camp theme where these two are forced to spend time together. I like the influence that spending time in nature and with a bunch of kids can have on you. I liked these two finding their friendship again.
But, this was missing something. There’s no emotion behind or within the writing. These characters are going thru all the motions that they should be, but I’m not feeling the emotions that they should be experiencing.
For me, this story felt forced. Like it wasn’t coming naturally and didn’t know what it wanted to be. It really wasn’t angsty, but it wasn’t overly sweet either. It just felt stuck in some weird limbo.
And, I really wasn’t a fan of the writing in general. The first 40% is long and heavy-handed on inner monologues. This could have easily been edited down. There’s also a lot of repetition. We constantly read about “sky blue eyes”, “forest green eyes”, jolts of electricity upon touching. These details are perfectly fine being mentioned once or twice, but they are re-iterated numerous times throughout the whole book.
Not to mention, one of my pet peeves is when authors are constantly spelling the character’s thoughts out, in case, I as a reader, can’t interpret what they would be thinking. I shouldn’t need to be told. I should be shown.
Some plot points just didn’t make sense either. A 20-something college student is listening to criticism from his 11-year-old brother and accepting it. You strive to redeem yourself, then once said redemption has been achieved, you just up and quit what got you there? Certain things seemed added to push the drama meter up.
I’m not the biggest fan of C.E. Ricci’s writing, but I have enjoyed some of her books (Don’t You Dare & Follow the River) and did come in with an expectation that it would have the same quality of writing as those. Unfortunately, I didn’t find this nearly as well-written as those and I really struggled just to get to the point I did. I’m just not sure her writing style is for me.
February 14, 2025
Y'all, @authorcericci NEVER misses, I loved Never Will I Ever SO much. I'm a huge fan of redemption stories, and she absolutely nailed it for Avery, the (albeit misunderstood) villain of my FAVORITE C.E. Ricci book, Don't You Dare. Though it definitely has its share of angst, it's mostly things that Avery has to work through in his head - there's not a lot of external conflict. And y'all, the summer camp vibes are IMMACULATE, this would be a PERFECT summer read!
Though it's been nearly two years since I read Don't You Dare, I do remember being pretty upset with Avery at the end of that book. I will note that a reread of that book is NOT necessary before starting Never Will I Ever, as the major events are summarized nicely, but I do think the story would have hit a little differently HAD I reread (though I might not have empathized with Avery quite as quickly!). This poor guy - his internalized homophobia is INTENSE and is a major theme throughout the book. Sweet, responsible Kaleb is understandably annoyed by Avery at first, but once he finds out what's going on in his head, he softens immediately... and they both finally give in to the SCORCHING tension between them. And OF COURSE there's a creative luͤbe situation - it wouldn't be a C.E. Ricci book without it!
I absolutely LOVED the summer camp setting - perfect forced proximity situation, tons of opportunities for outdoor shenanigans, and oh gosh, I loved all of the interactions with the campers. Some of my favorite moments were actually when Kaleb and Avery had heart to hearts with their charges, and sweet Eli was definitely my favorite secondary character. A summer time reread of this one is a must! I cannot wait for release so more people can read it! Forever grateful for the opportunity to read this one early.
Though it's been nearly two years since I read Don't You Dare, I do remember being pretty upset with Avery at the end of that book. I will note that a reread of that book is NOT necessary before starting Never Will I Ever, as the major events are summarized nicely, but I do think the story would have hit a little differently HAD I reread (though I might not have empathized with Avery quite as quickly!). This poor guy - his internalized homophobia is INTENSE and is a major theme throughout the book. Sweet, responsible Kaleb is understandably annoyed by Avery at first, but once he finds out what's going on in his head, he softens immediately... and they both finally give in to the SCORCHING tension between them. And OF COURSE there's a creative luͤbe situation - it wouldn't be a C.E. Ricci book without it!
I absolutely LOVED the summer camp setting - perfect forced proximity situation, tons of opportunities for outdoor shenanigans, and oh gosh, I loved all of the interactions with the campers. Some of my favorite moments were actually when Kaleb and Avery had heart to hearts with their charges, and sweet Eli was definitely my favorite secondary character. A summer time reread of this one is a must! I cannot wait for release so more people can read it! Forever grateful for the opportunity to read this one early.
January 14, 2025
C E Ricci says never will i ever write this book apparently
edited 1/12/25
alright apparently it’s now coming out on 2/17 we shall seeee
edited 1/12/25
alright apparently it’s now coming out on 2/17 we shall seeee
February 26, 2025
Avery • Kaleb…<3.
….
“But never will I ever turn my back on the person you helped me become; the person you saw all along.” ♾️.
….
Let’s do this a bit differently. In this age, I feel just anyone can write a story, click publish. But in a sea of authors I can fish out a handful of ones that feel so authentic just by the way they write. I am not going to list my sacred list of authors I will sink with ♾️. to the deep end but be sure that CE Ricci is one of them.
I will forever stand by this author. Only a few can evoke such emotions out of me by a written word. And it’s always a pleasure to be reunited with CE’s words. It’s the balance, the subtelness, the characters traits you want to coccoon and surround yourself with. It’s the hard truths, all in the details, it’s the humanity. And the tears. Yup, I will admit I didn’t think this one will call them up but there we were.
Welcome home, Avery and Kaleb ♾️.
“You can always tell me the hard things, kid.” <3.
….
Taylor Swift - this is me trying
.
Point North, Jeris Johnson - Dark Days
.
guccihighwaters - in the dark
….
“Just like I know the parts of myself I’ve refused to give voice…” // “Maybe instead of worrying about what he might accidentally teach them, you can make this summer about what you know you can teach him.” // “…no matter how much I wish I didn’t. It’s attraction. Desire.” // “It’s isolating, living like this…” // “…what is sure to be the greatest kiss of my life.” // “I’m your equal!” // “When it comes to sexuality, I’ve realized sometimes the ones who scream the loudest against us are the ones harboring the very same secret.” // “Believe in yourself, kid. You belong here.” - “So do you, you know.” // “…blue eyes glowing with the reflection of the sunset.” // “Because you feel safe. That’s not something I’ve really felt before.” // “Don’t make me regret this.” - “Never will I ever.” // “His mind, his flaws, his insecurities.” // “But isn’t betraying my heart worse?” // “…and he’s the most beautiful, heartbreaking thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.” // “You silenced the deafening screams, taught me how to lock up the darkness and finally let in the light.” // “Avery!” …
….
….
“But never will I ever turn my back on the person you helped me become; the person you saw all along.” ♾️.
….
Let’s do this a bit differently. In this age, I feel just anyone can write a story, click publish. But in a sea of authors I can fish out a handful of ones that feel so authentic just by the way they write. I am not going to list my sacred list of authors I will sink with ♾️. to the deep end but be sure that CE Ricci is one of them.
I will forever stand by this author. Only a few can evoke such emotions out of me by a written word. And it’s always a pleasure to be reunited with CE’s words. It’s the balance, the subtelness, the characters traits you want to coccoon and surround yourself with. It’s the hard truths, all in the details, it’s the humanity. And the tears. Yup, I will admit I didn’t think this one will call them up but there we were.
Welcome home, Avery and Kaleb ♾️.
“You can always tell me the hard things, kid.” <3.
….
Taylor Swift - this is me trying
.
Point North, Jeris Johnson - Dark Days
.
guccihighwaters - in the dark
….
“Just like I know the parts of myself I’ve refused to give voice…” // “Maybe instead of worrying about what he might accidentally teach them, you can make this summer about what you know you can teach him.” // “…no matter how much I wish I didn’t. It’s attraction. Desire.” // “It’s isolating, living like this…” // “…what is sure to be the greatest kiss of my life.” // “I’m your equal!” // “When it comes to sexuality, I’ve realized sometimes the ones who scream the loudest against us are the ones harboring the very same secret.” // “Believe in yourself, kid. You belong here.” - “So do you, you know.” // “…blue eyes glowing with the reflection of the sunset.” // “Because you feel safe. That’s not something I’ve really felt before.” // “Don’t make me regret this.” - “Never will I ever.” // “His mind, his flaws, his insecurities.” // “But isn’t betraying my heart worse?” // “…and he’s the most beautiful, heartbreaking thing I’ve ever laid eyes on.” // “You silenced the deafening screams, taught me how to lock up the darkness and finally let in the light.” // “Avery!” …
….
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February 23, 2025
“𝘋𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴,” 𝘩𝘦 𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦. 𝘔𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘴 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘐 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥. “𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘐 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳.”
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟
Spice: ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
We meet Avery in Don't You Dare and I HIGHLY recommend reading that before this to get the full understanding of his character.
Let me start off with the positives..
I really enjoyed the concept of the plot and the setting! For some reason, summer camp is one of my favorite settings for books. It's got the perfect blend of forced proximity and a little secret romance in nature.
I enjoyed getting to know Kaleb more, since we got the briefest of interactions from him in DYD. He seems to be a very complex but chill character at the same time. He had some great cheeky moments and was definitely fun in the spicy scenes.
Now, for the things I didn't quite enjoy..
＊ＳＰＯＩＬＥＲＳ ＦＯＲ ＤＹＤ ＢＥＬＯＷ＊ ＩＦ ＹＯＵ ＨＡＶＥＮ＇Ｔ ＲＥＡＤ ＤＯＮ＇Ｔ ＹＯＵ
ＤＡＲＥ ＤＯＮ＇Ｔ ＫＥＥＰ ＲＥＡＤＩＮＧ＊ ＳＰＯＩＬＥＲＳ ＢＥＬＯＷ ＳＰＯＩＬＥＲＳ ＢＥＬＯＷ＊
Honestly, I was bored. Because there was such a lack of character development and overall moments that contributed to the theme of redemption, I found myself drifting off and thinking about other books.
I also hated that Kaleb and Avery had been teammates and friends, and this had been referenced multiple times, but their relationship seemed like they were complete strangers. Not only between their interactions but also other people. It was a super weird dynamic and almost felt like they would pick and choose when they were old teammates and when they were strangers. I understand Avery did a horrible thing, but he's not a a total stranger.. it was really weird I don't even know how to explain it.
I felt like they had zero chemistry except for the event that ties them together. Felt extremely forced out of sympathy and convenience.
I was so excited for this story and falling in love with Avery and having empathy for him, but if anything, I dislike his character NOW more than I did in DYD. Super disappointed. The only reason i gave 3 stars instead of 2 was the last 15% of the book.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟
Spice: ❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
We meet Avery in Don't You Dare and I HIGHLY recommend reading that before this to get the full understanding of his character.
Let me start off with the positives..
I really enjoyed the concept of the plot and the setting! For some reason, summer camp is one of my favorite settings for books. It's got the perfect blend of forced proximity and a little secret romance in nature.
I enjoyed getting to know Kaleb more, since we got the briefest of interactions from him in DYD. He seems to be a very complex but chill character at the same time. He had some great cheeky moments and was definitely fun in the spicy scenes.
Now, for the things I didn't quite enjoy..
＊ＳＰＯＩＬＥＲＳ ＦＯＲ ＤＹＤ ＢＥＬＯＷ＊ ＩＦ ＹＯＵ ＨＡＶＥＮ＇Ｔ ＲＥＡＤ ＤＯＮ＇Ｔ ＹＯＵ
ＤＡＲＥ ＤＯＮ＇Ｔ ＫＥＥＰ ＲＥＡＤＩＮＧ＊ ＳＰＯＩＬＥＲＳ ＢＥＬＯＷ ＳＰＯＩＬＥＲＳ ＢＥＬＯＷ＊
Honestly, I was bored. Because there was such a lack of character development and overall moments that contributed to the theme of redemption, I found myself drifting off and thinking about other books.
I also hated that Kaleb and Avery had been teammates and friends, and this had been referenced multiple times, but their relationship seemed like they were complete strangers. Not only between their interactions but also other people. It was a super weird dynamic and almost felt like they would pick and choose when they were old teammates and when they were strangers. I understand Avery did a horrible thing, but he's not a a total stranger.. it was really weird I don't even know how to explain it.
I felt like they had zero chemistry except for the event that ties them together. Felt extremely forced out of sympathy and convenience.
I was so excited for this story and falling in love with Avery and having empathy for him, but if anything, I dislike his character NOW more than I did in DYD. Super disappointed. The only reason i gave 3 stars instead of 2 was the last 15% of the book.
December 1, 2025
I think I liked this one more than the first book in this series. Ricci said she doesn't like to write redemption arcs, but this was great. Avery was soooo bad in the first book; it was great to see him grow and mature. His story brought tears to my eyes quite a few times. Kaleb was a great pairing for him, too. Very much enjoyed how he took Avery and made him into a new man.
April 8, 2025
OMG! This book was amazing, I love redemption character’s books and this books gave us that! Avery was a fucking dick in DYD but here, he is a cinnamon roll, known his version of the story, what he suffered with his dad and can’t coming out.
One of the things I liked too is the kids, all of them, specially Elijah, he stole my heart. I laughed at their jokes. I loved all of them.
Kaleb, god, how i loved his character. The way he love Avery and Avery loves him is a perfection. How I loved their development character. How Kaleb was perfect to Avery, how he begins to trust him and knows Avery reality.
Thank you for this amazing book and a perfect couple, Avery and Kaleb ❤️
One of the things I liked too is the kids, all of them, specially Elijah, he stole my heart. I laughed at their jokes. I loved all of them.
Kaleb, god, how i loved his character. The way he love Avery and Avery loves him is a perfection. How I loved their development character. How Kaleb was perfect to Avery, how he begins to trust him and knows Avery reality.
Thank you for this amazing book and a perfect couple, Avery and Kaleb ❤️
February 18, 2025
4.5☆
🅢🅟🅘🅒🅔:🌶🌶🌶
🅛🅐🅤🅖🅗🅢:🤣🤣
🅣🅔🅐🅡🅢:🥲
🅜🅒🅢: Avery, Kaleb
🅟🅞🅥: 1st Dual
🅣🅡🅞🅟🅔🅢: Best Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Second Chance, Secret Romance.
Ricci mi Reina, mi Diosa. Amo tus libros y este fue hermoso, las segundas oportunidades un Friends yo Enemies to Lovers que he amado de principio a fin, sin dejar de lado la calidad de personajes que son Avery y Kaleb.
🅢🅟🅘🅒🅔:🌶🌶🌶
🅛🅐🅤🅖🅗🅢:🤣🤣
🅣🅔🅐🅡🅢:🥲
🅜🅒🅢: Avery, Kaleb
🅟🅞🅥: 1st Dual
🅣🅡🅞🅟🅔🅢: Best Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Second Chance, Secret Romance.
Ricci mi Reina, mi Diosa. Amo tus libros y este fue hermoso, las segundas oportunidades un Friends yo Enemies to Lovers que he amado de principio a fin, sin dejar de lado la calidad de personajes que son Avery y Kaleb.
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