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Men Of Porth Luck #1
Just This Once
Love hurts. Love heals. Love stays.The Men of Porth Luck series is a steamy, gritty, and emotional MM small-town romance collection chock full of angst, deep connections, and healing soulmate love.
Just This Once - Men Of Porth Luck, #1
A broken soldier. A guarded nurse. A love that shouldn’t happen—and yet...
"Of course it f**king does."
Mal’s just passing through. Skylar’s the small-town nurse who fixes everyone but himself. Mal swears he won't fall, but Sky’s smile hides shadows he can’t ignore.
Those pewter-grey eyes.
That sun-kissed hair.
That ink.
We’re a mistake waiting to happen.
Inevitable. Excruciating.
So what’s the harm in Just This Once?
🔥 Steamy MM romance
💔 Hurt/comfort & gritty angst
🏡 Small town, big hearts, found family
Just This Once - Men Of Porth Luck, #1
A broken soldier. A guarded nurse. A love that shouldn’t happen—and yet...
"Of course it f**king does."
Mal’s just passing through. Skylar’s the small-town nurse who fixes everyone but himself. Mal swears he won't fall, but Sky’s smile hides shadows he can’t ignore.
Those pewter-grey eyes.
That sun-kissed hair.
That ink.
We’re a mistake waiting to happen.
Inevitable. Excruciating.
So what’s the harm in Just This Once?
🔥 Steamy MM romance
💔 Hurt/comfort & gritty angst
🏡 Small town, big hearts, found family
379 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 2, 2025
155 people are currently reading
495 people want to read
About the author
Garrett Leigh
91 books2,416 followersShe/Her
Bonus Material available for all books on Garrett's Patreon account. Includes short stories from Misfits, Slide, Strays, What Remains, Dream, and much more. Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/garrettleigh
Facebook Fan Group, Garrett's Den... https://www.facebook.com/groups/garre...
Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British romance author and artist. Her debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and she is a 4 time LAMBDA finalist.
In 2017, she won the EPIC award in contemporary romance with her military novel, Between Ghosts, and the contemporary romance category in the Bisexual Book Awards with her novel What Remains.
Garrett is also an award winning cover designer, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com
Bonus Material available for all books on Garrett's Patreon account. Includes short stories from Misfits, Slide, Strays, What Remains, Dream, and much more. Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/garrettleigh
Facebook Fan Group, Garrett's Den... https://www.facebook.com/groups/garre...
Garrett Leigh is an award-winning British romance author and artist. Her debut novel, Slide, won Best Bisexual Debut at the 2014 Rainbow Book Awards, and she is a 4 time LAMBDA finalist.
In 2017, she won the EPIC award in contemporary romance with her military novel, Between Ghosts, and the contemporary romance category in the Bisexual Book Awards with her novel What Remains.
Garrett is also an award winning cover designer, taking the silver medal at the Benjamin Franklin Book Awards in 2016. She designs for various publishing houses and independent authors at blackjazzdesign.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
October 1, 2025
✨Happy release day to these sad bois looking for love✨
4.5 stars ✨✨✨ I had been looking forward to this books release cause I've been searching for a place I could pick up and read more Garrett Leigh but her giant back catalogue is intimidating as hell and nothing quite hit right for me when searching, but the premise of this one, and it being the start of a new series, seemed to be the stars aligning and telling me this is the place to dive in! and I am glad that I did!
Mal Gallaghar, recently discharged soldier with a bucket load of trauma, is reluctantly heading back home to Porth Luck and into the house his brother Jack lives in and shares with his closest friends Sol and Skylar. Mal has some pretty complicated feelings about this, along with some pretty serious commitment issues and decides a one night stand with the hot and haunted looking guy at the bar will make him feel better. Except it never happens because it turns out the hot stranger in the bar is actually his brother's friend Skylar and Mal's soon to be room mate and immediately he's off limits. This sure as hell doesn't stop both Mal and Skylar staring hard though.
I did find myself thinking regularly that just about everyone here was in desperate need of therapy but the found family vibes were so sweet and watching them all care and support each other was wonderful. I would encourage readers to take Leigh's content warnings with regards to Skylar seriously though. Skylar's undiagnosed disordered eating and eating disorder is a prominent feature in the story and doesn't shy away from the impact it has on him or his life and it is rough at times.
This book is the very definition of a hard won HEA and it always warms my heart when two broken and damaged characters find solace and safety in each other. But lordy it takes a bit. Mal and Skylars slow burn chemistry together had me hooked and unable to put this book down and while I enjoyed how hot they were together, it did feel like once they hooked up that we started to get some time jumps in the plot to move the story along which I don't care for cause those quieter moments are often the ones I want to see.
While this book is a stand alone, it features a number of characters from Leigh's previous work, predominantly from her Rebel Kings MC series. It is absolutely not essential pre-reading (I haven't read it myself) but there are elements to that series that are obviously spoilt given it occurs after those books. Thank you for Sarah for answering all my questions about the previous characters and who we do or don't know and if they were important lol.
Very angsty, sharp and damaged boys, find each other and start to heal. I binged the hell out of this book. A little part of me wishes that the ending was longer, but given how intertwined all the men of Porth Luck are I know Mal and Skylar will pop up in the next book ❤️ and I can't wait for Jack and Sols story (I already know it's gonna be so saaaaaaaad). In the same vein, the ending has felt a little unresolved to me, but I again suspect this will be a feature in the next book so I'll be patient lol.
planned release of 2 October 25
Thank you to GRR for an opportunity to read this ARC and share my thoughts and feelings
4.5 stars ✨✨✨ I had been looking forward to this books release cause I've been searching for a place I could pick up and read more Garrett Leigh but her giant back catalogue is intimidating as hell and nothing quite hit right for me when searching, but the premise of this one, and it being the start of a new series, seemed to be the stars aligning and telling me this is the place to dive in! and I am glad that I did!
Mal Gallaghar, recently discharged soldier with a bucket load of trauma, is reluctantly heading back home to Porth Luck and into the house his brother Jack lives in and shares with his closest friends Sol and Skylar. Mal has some pretty complicated feelings about this, along with some pretty serious commitment issues and decides a one night stand with the hot and haunted looking guy at the bar will make him feel better. Except it never happens because it turns out the hot stranger in the bar is actually his brother's friend Skylar and Mal's soon to be room mate and immediately he's off limits. This sure as hell doesn't stop both Mal and Skylar staring hard though.
I did find myself thinking regularly that just about everyone here was in desperate need of therapy but the found family vibes were so sweet and watching them all care and support each other was wonderful. I would encourage readers to take Leigh's content warnings with regards to Skylar seriously though. Skylar's undiagnosed disordered eating and eating disorder is a prominent feature in the story and doesn't shy away from the impact it has on him or his life and it is rough at times.
This book is the very definition of a hard won HEA and it always warms my heart when two broken and damaged characters find solace and safety in each other. But lordy it takes a bit. Mal and Skylars slow burn chemistry together had me hooked and unable to put this book down and while I enjoyed how hot they were together, it did feel like once they hooked up that we started to get some time jumps in the plot to move the story along which I don't care for cause those quieter moments are often the ones I want to see.
While this book is a stand alone, it features a number of characters from Leigh's previous work, predominantly from her Rebel Kings MC series. It is absolutely not essential pre-reading (I haven't read it myself) but there are elements to that series that are obviously spoilt given it occurs after those books. Thank you for Sarah for answering all my questions about the previous characters and who we do or don't know and if they were important lol.
Very angsty, sharp and damaged boys, find each other and start to heal. I binged the hell out of this book. A little part of me wishes that the ending was longer, but given how intertwined all the men of Porth Luck are I know Mal and Skylar will pop up in the next book ❤️ and I can't wait for Jack and Sols story (I already know it's gonna be so saaaaaaaad). In the same vein, the ending has felt a little unresolved to me, but I again suspect this will be a feature in the next book so I'll be patient lol.
planned release of 2 October 25
Thank you to GRR for an opportunity to read this ARC and share my thoughts and feelings
October 8, 2025
Damn these two have mighty fine chemistry 🔥 aaaaaand a whole truckload of issues, all excellently delved into, with depth and sensitivity. This had me up reading until 5am like an utter maniac. Could not put this down!
“Just this once has turned into a fucked-up game of just one more, and it needs to fucking stop. We need to stop.”
I loved all the new series vibes here, Rebel Kings was great but I was ready to move on to the English coastal town of Porth Luck and finally getting some more time with those sexy fishermen - Sol and Oscar. The found family is PERFECTION. I enjoyed the dynamic between Skylar and Mal, the push and pull, the caring yet resisting, so much delicious intensity!
I think Garrett Leigh writes complex war veterans, mental health disorders and medical issues beautifully. They feel real, full of grit and not simply fixed by falling in love. Also she shows a realistic life in the public health care system and the lack of access to therapy when people are not wealthy, as well as the all too common likelihood that people who need it most are actually the least likely to access it.
This is a spin off from the Rebel Kings series which spans 11 books. Is it necessary before reading this? No it’s not, but I do think it would be a better overall experience as it would be easier to get to know the characters and have a feel for Skylar’s personality and backstory, plus enjoy the RK connections. Having said that, it would be still be great on its own and there aren’t any spoilers for the RK series, nor do they feature too heavily.
As a big fan of Garret Leigh’s book I have noticed her more recent work in the Rebel Kings and this book have a slightly different writing style, still gritty and angsty, but the writing is more lyrical and dramatic in a way that doesn’t tickle my brain quite as perfectly as her earlier work. This is purely a personal preference of mine but if you read this book and find it not quite hitting the spot then definitely give her earlier books a go.
Still very much loved this and can’t wait for the rest of the cast to get their books. There is a lot of groundwork put into this, fleshing out the other characters as genuine people and I CANNOT WAIT to get stuck into them all.
Please heed the full content warnings, some tough themes are explored. Most prevalent on page is disordered/restricted eating due to history of trauma (no emphasis on diet culture, weight or physical appearance). There is also military trauma with Mal experiencing a war flashback in the prologue and Skylar has a pretty messed up past.
“Just this once has turned into a fucked-up game of just one more, and it needs to fucking stop. We need to stop.”
I loved all the new series vibes here, Rebel Kings was great but I was ready to move on to the English coastal town of Porth Luck and finally getting some more time with those sexy fishermen - Sol and Oscar. The found family is PERFECTION. I enjoyed the dynamic between Skylar and Mal, the push and pull, the caring yet resisting, so much delicious intensity!
I think Garrett Leigh writes complex war veterans, mental health disorders and medical issues beautifully. They feel real, full of grit and not simply fixed by falling in love. Also she shows a realistic life in the public health care system and the lack of access to therapy when people are not wealthy, as well as the all too common likelihood that people who need it most are actually the least likely to access it.
This is a spin off from the Rebel Kings series which spans 11 books. Is it necessary before reading this? No it’s not, but I do think it would be a better overall experience as it would be easier to get to know the characters and have a feel for Skylar’s personality and backstory, plus enjoy the RK connections. Having said that, it would be still be great on its own and there aren’t any spoilers for the RK series, nor do they feature too heavily.
As a big fan of Garret Leigh’s book I have noticed her more recent work in the Rebel Kings and this book have a slightly different writing style, still gritty and angsty, but the writing is more lyrical and dramatic in a way that doesn’t tickle my brain quite as perfectly as her earlier work. This is purely a personal preference of mine but if you read this book and find it not quite hitting the spot then definitely give her earlier books a go.
Still very much loved this and can’t wait for the rest of the cast to get their books. There is a lot of groundwork put into this, fleshing out the other characters as genuine people and I CANNOT WAIT to get stuck into them all.
Please heed the full content warnings, some tough themes are explored. Most prevalent on page is disordered/restricted eating due to history of trauma (no emphasis on diet culture, weight or physical appearance). There is also military trauma with Mal experiencing a war flashback in the prologue and Skylar has a pretty messed up past.
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November 3, 2025
Just This Once is book one in the Men of Porth Luck series by Garrett Leigh. I want to start by saying that I love Garrett Leigh and was obsessed with her Rebel Kings series. I also love all of her Christmas books! I was really looking forward to this new spin off series, to reading Skylar’s book. But, this book was much heavier than I anticipated. I also felt like it moved along very slowly. For these two reasons, I had trouble staying with it. You can read this if you haven’t read Rebel Kings. There are a few appearances of a few of the characters but its fine if you don’t know them.
Skylar Buchanan is an emergency room nurse. Skylar has previous ties to the Kings but is now living in Porth Luck with his close friends, Jack and Sol, above the bar they all own.
Mal Gallagher is thirty one years old and has just left the military due to an injury. Mal has been a soldier since he was sixteen years old. It’s the only life he knows. Mal is Jack’s younger brother and home to Porth Luck is the only place he has to go to while he figures things out.
Mal and Skylar meet by accident in a bar, not knowing who each other is, and the attraction, or the pull between them is instant. Once Sky figures it out, though, he stops everything. Because they are going to be housemates. And he never spends more than one night with anyone.
These two have so much darkness they are battling. Somehow, though, when they are near each other, they feel more peaceful, stronger, just better. But that’s a place neither of them can afford to go. They fight their attraction, until it gets too big for them and they just can’t fight it anymore.
Mal is struggling to find his place in civilian life. He is trying to help as best he can around the bar, fixing things, looking out for the others. Sal, one of the housemates, is having some trouble and Mal doesn’t hesitate to get involved.
As I said, even though the writing was fine, the book was just too heavy for me. I’m still giving it four stars because I believe the issue is with me. It did have a sweet ending and I was happy to see these two finally figure things out. It was definitely a hard fought battle. The way I’m feeling right now, though, I’m not sure if I’ll continue or not with the series. I’ll have to decide when the time comes.
Skylar Buchanan is an emergency room nurse. Skylar has previous ties to the Kings but is now living in Porth Luck with his close friends, Jack and Sol, above the bar they all own.
Mal Gallagher is thirty one years old and has just left the military due to an injury. Mal has been a soldier since he was sixteen years old. It’s the only life he knows. Mal is Jack’s younger brother and home to Porth Luck is the only place he has to go to while he figures things out.
Mal and Skylar meet by accident in a bar, not knowing who each other is, and the attraction, or the pull between them is instant. Once Sky figures it out, though, he stops everything. Because they are going to be housemates. And he never spends more than one night with anyone.
These two have so much darkness they are battling. Somehow, though, when they are near each other, they feel more peaceful, stronger, just better. But that’s a place neither of them can afford to go. They fight their attraction, until it gets too big for them and they just can’t fight it anymore.
Mal is struggling to find his place in civilian life. He is trying to help as best he can around the bar, fixing things, looking out for the others. Sal, one of the housemates, is having some trouble and Mal doesn’t hesitate to get involved.
As I said, even though the writing was fine, the book was just too heavy for me. I’m still giving it four stars because I believe the issue is with me. It did have a sweet ending and I was happy to see these two finally figure things out. It was definitely a hard fought battle. The way I’m feeling right now, though, I’m not sure if I’ll continue or not with the series. I’ll have to decide when the time comes.
September 19, 2025
It's well established that I'm a massive fan of the Garrettverse and I have been (im)patiently waiting for Skylar to get his story (pretty sure I've mentioned him in almost every review for the Rebel Kings series!!), and I was not disappointed! No one does moody, gritty storytelling like this and I always feel so immersed in the character's lives.
Skylar and Mal are the definition of broken boys and my heart ached for both of them. Skylar's back story was as horrifying as I thought it would be, but it was nice to finally find out more about his complex relationship with Cam and the Kings and why things are so fraught between them these days.
Mal's trauma is different to Skylar's and made me cry mutliple times through the book, but they somehow balance each other out and see who the other really is beneath the half-truths and deflections.
This is a really slow burn with a lot of tension and a strong chosen family dynamic, but the pining and want between these two was everything I love about Garrett's writing. Their internal battles are complex, the relationships are always multifaceted between the MCs but also with the other character's in their lives, and the love is so strong and beautiful.
I particularly enjoyed the appearances from Saint Malone (I still want to be his best friend and just sit in silence in the woods with him), Cam, Folk, Alexei and Decoy.
Jack and Sol's story is up next and I already know I'm going to cry so hard because their story has a lot of turmoil and grief in it from what we've already seen, but also so much love. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all plays out, and seeing them get their hard fought for HEA.
*****
I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review
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HRCYED2: New Release / TBR Game
Skylar and Mal are the definition of broken boys and my heart ached for both of them. Skylar's back story was as horrifying as I thought it would be, but it was nice to finally find out more about his complex relationship with Cam and the Kings and why things are so fraught between them these days.
Mal's trauma is different to Skylar's and made me cry mutliple times through the book, but they somehow balance each other out and see who the other really is beneath the half-truths and deflections.
This is a really slow burn with a lot of tension and a strong chosen family dynamic, but the pining and want between these two was everything I love about Garrett's writing. Their internal battles are complex, the relationships are always multifaceted between the MCs but also with the other character's in their lives, and the love is so strong and beautiful.
I particularly enjoyed the appearances from Saint Malone (I still want to be his best friend and just sit in silence in the woods with him), Cam, Folk, Alexei and Decoy.
Jack and Sol's story is up next and I already know I'm going to cry so hard because their story has a lot of turmoil and grief in it from what we've already seen, but also so much love. I'm looking forward to seeing how it all plays out, and seeing them get their hard fought for HEA.
*****
I received an ARC of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review
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HRCYED2: New Release / TBR Game
September 29, 2025
Arc Review: Just This Once , Men Of Porth Luck #1 By Garrett Leigh
Skylar & Mal 5⭐
Tropes & tags
🖤Almost Hookup to lovers
🖤Forced proximity
🖤Hate-to-love / reluctant attraction
🖤Tattooed heroes
🖤Military / medical backgrounds
🖤Found family
🖤Hurt / comfort
🖤Emotional angst
🖤Small Town
Two fucked ups refuse to fall in love with each other while completely falling in love with each other🖤 This could easy be the blurb 🙂
I was afraid to start this because it’s part of the Garrettverse and I haven’t read anything by this author yet. I worried I’d feel overwhelmed by all the side characters, who they were, where they came from. But nope—absolutely no problem on my end. Instead, I found myself with a brand new author to love, and a story that swept me away completely.
Mal Gallagher, a recently discharged soldier carrying more trauma than one man should ever have to bear. He comes back to Porth Luck, reluctantly moving into the house his brother Jack shares with Sol and Skylar. Mal’s plan? Keep his head down, avoid commitments, and numb his pain with a one-night stand. Except the hot stranger he meets at the bar—the one who looks just as haunted as he feels—turns out to be none other than Skylar, his brother’s friend, his new roommate, and immediately off-limits. That doesn’t stop the staring, the pining, or the impossible chemistry simmering between them.
Skylar, a nurse hidding how fragile he really is. His disordered eating and complicated history weigh heavily on him, and Garrett Leigh doesn’t shy away from showing the brutal reality of it. Watching Skylar try to hold everything together while slowly letting Mal see the cracks in his armor was gutting, raw, and ultimately beautiful.
Mal and Skylar are the definition of broken boys—damaged in different ways, but somehow balancing each other out. Their connection is both immediate and agonizingly slow, an insta-lust that transforms into a slow-burn romance, full of tension, hesitation, and eventually healing. This is the very definition of a hard-won HEA, and every moment of pining and pain made their solace in each other feel so much more earned.
And then there’s the house itself—a found family of men who are just as much a part of the journey as Mal and Skylar. Jack, Sol, Sev, Oscar, even Vinnie—they don’t just fill space; they add to the magic, the warmth, and the sense of home that defines this book but never overwhelm the story. Instead, they enrich it, reminding us that these lives are all interconnected.There's also Cameos from Rebel Kings MC characters (Saint, Cam, Folk, Alexei) that weave the wider Garrettverse.
The writing? Surreal. Everything builds like a crescendo—charged, ominous, intense—even the quietest moments are saturated with meaning. Garrett Leigh makes you feel the weight of every glance, every silence, every decision. While I usually don’t love books with lots of inner dialogue, that didn’t bother me here at all. In fact, this one has plenty of deep thoughts, moments of being stuck in your own head—but I absolutely loved every word. Even through all that introspection, the intensity of their feelings and pining shone through. And yes, even during sex scenes, you can feel the raw need, the pleasure, and the perfection of the connection. This book enthralled me completely.
This book roughed me up in the best way. It’s complex, dramatic, painful, and healing all at once. A house full of broken boys who just want to love—and who find, in each other, the strength to try.
And as much as I adored Mal and Skylar, I can’t wait for Jack and Sol’s book. Their bond is already brimming with love and grief, and I know it’s going to destroy me… Can't wait <3
Let me just add that this book isn’t without flaws. There are a few empty holes—like where did the disordered eating come from? Both Mal and Skylar (honestly, the whole house) could benefit from therapy. I’m also curious about Skylar’s tattoos, or why Mal hasn’t reconnected with his old team—will he? I have so many questions about them and their future, but since this series will focus on the other people in the house, I guess catching glimpses of them that way will have to do (even if it’s not my favorite way to check in on a couple 😅). Still, none of this stopped me from thoroughly loving them.
I received a free copy of this book via GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.
⚠️TWs
PTSD / war trauma (from Mal’s military background)
Disordered eating / eating disorder (Skylar)
Mental health distress / depression / anxiety
Commitment issues, emotional avoidance / detachment
Intense emotional scenes / angst
Found family dynamics with emotional dependency and interpersonal tensions
❣️Book Safety & Content
Cheating: No
OM/OW Drama: No
Sharing: No
Third-Act Breakup: No ish, even living in the same house they sometimes go without seeing each other for days at the peak of their push-and-pull
Role Dynamics: Versatile - 1 switching scene, but mostly strict
POV: 1st person (dual)
Format: Series (each book follows a different couple)
Ending: HFN I’m sure we will see them in the next books 🤞
Angst Level:Medium /High
Spice Level: Medium
Communication: Some miscommunication
Pining: Mutual
Skylar & Mal 5⭐
You think you’re the damage, but what if you’re the fix?
Tropes & tags
🖤Almost Hookup to lovers
🖤Forced proximity
🖤Hate-to-love / reluctant attraction
🖤Tattooed heroes
🖤Military / medical backgrounds
🖤Found family
🖤Hurt / comfort
🖤Emotional angst
🖤Small Town
Two fucked ups refuse to fall in love with each other while completely falling in love with each other🖤 This could easy be the blurb 🙂
I was afraid to start this because it’s part of the Garrettverse and I haven’t read anything by this author yet. I worried I’d feel overwhelmed by all the side characters, who they were, where they came from. But nope—absolutely no problem on my end. Instead, I found myself with a brand new author to love, and a story that swept me away completely.
Mal Gallagher, a recently discharged soldier carrying more trauma than one man should ever have to bear. He comes back to Porth Luck, reluctantly moving into the house his brother Jack shares with Sol and Skylar. Mal’s plan? Keep his head down, avoid commitments, and numb his pain with a one-night stand. Except the hot stranger he meets at the bar—the one who looks just as haunted as he feels—turns out to be none other than Skylar, his brother’s friend, his new roommate, and immediately off-limits. That doesn’t stop the staring, the pining, or the impossible chemistry simmering between them.
Skylar, a nurse hidding how fragile he really is. His disordered eating and complicated history weigh heavily on him, and Garrett Leigh doesn’t shy away from showing the brutal reality of it. Watching Skylar try to hold everything together while slowly letting Mal see the cracks in his armor was gutting, raw, and ultimately beautiful.
Mal and Skylar are the definition of broken boys—damaged in different ways, but somehow balancing each other out. Their connection is both immediate and agonizingly slow, an insta-lust that transforms into a slow-burn romance, full of tension, hesitation, and eventually healing. This is the very definition of a hard-won HEA, and every moment of pining and pain made their solace in each other feel so much more earned.
You make me fucking crazy and I’m wondering if it’s the only thing keeping me sane.”
And then there’s the house itself—a found family of men who are just as much a part of the journey as Mal and Skylar. Jack, Sol, Sev, Oscar, even Vinnie—they don’t just fill space; they add to the magic, the warmth, and the sense of home that defines this book but never overwhelm the story. Instead, they enrich it, reminding us that these lives are all interconnected.There's also Cameos from Rebel Kings MC characters (Saint, Cam, Folk, Alexei) that weave the wider Garrettverse.
The writing? Surreal. Everything builds like a crescendo—charged, ominous, intense—even the quietest moments are saturated with meaning. Garrett Leigh makes you feel the weight of every glance, every silence, every decision. While I usually don’t love books with lots of inner dialogue, that didn’t bother me here at all. In fact, this one has plenty of deep thoughts, moments of being stuck in your own head—but I absolutely loved every word. Even through all that introspection, the intensity of their feelings and pining shone through. And yes, even during sex scenes, you can feel the raw need, the pleasure, and the perfection of the connection. This book enthralled me completely.
He’s not a cornered animal anymore.
He’s cornering me.
And fool that I am, I’m letting him.
But his mouth on mine, his hot breath stealing the literal air from my fucking lungs, it’s so good I lose what little cognitive function I ever had around him in the first place. I lose the ability to separate the primal attraction I know is real for both of us and the masterclass in derailment he’s treating me to.
This book roughed me up in the best way. It’s complex, dramatic, painful, and healing all at once. A house full of broken boys who just want to love—and who find, in each other, the strength to try.
And as much as I adored Mal and Skylar, I can’t wait for Jack and Sol’s book. Their bond is already brimming with love and grief, and I know it’s going to destroy me… Can't wait <3
I’m not supposed to be here. I was just passing through. But somehow just this once has become forever, and I wouldn’t change a fucking thing.
Let me just add that this book isn’t without flaws. There are a few empty holes—like where did the disordered eating come from? Both Mal and Skylar (honestly, the whole house) could benefit from therapy. I’m also curious about Skylar’s tattoos, or why Mal hasn’t reconnected with his old team—will he? I have so many questions about them and their future, but since this series will focus on the other people in the house, I guess catching glimpses of them that way will have to do (even if it’s not my favorite way to check in on a couple 😅). Still, none of this stopped me from thoroughly loving them.
I received a free copy of this book via GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.
⚠️TWs
PTSD / war trauma (from Mal’s military background)
Disordered eating / eating disorder (Skylar)
Mental health distress / depression / anxiety
Commitment issues, emotional avoidance / detachment
Intense emotional scenes / angst
Found family dynamics with emotional dependency and interpersonal tensions
❣️Book Safety & Content
Cheating: No
OM/OW Drama: No
Sharing: No
Third-Act Breakup: No ish, even living in the same house they sometimes go without seeing each other for days at the peak of their push-and-pull
Role Dynamics: Versatile - 1 switching scene, but mostly strict
POV: 1st person (dual)
Format: Series (each book follows a different couple)
Ending: HFN I’m sure we will see them in the next books 🤞
Angst Level:Medium /High
Spice Level: Medium
Communication: Some miscommunication
Pining: Mutual
October 17, 2025
**** 4.5 stars ****
I’m so happy I picked this one up after feeling totally disconnected from my last read!
Just This Once was just what I needed.
I found myself fully invested in their journey from the start.
It had an engaging storyline, believable characters, and all the feels with angst in spades. 😍
Thank you, Ariana! 🫶
I’m so happy I picked this one up after feeling totally disconnected from my last read!
Just This Once was just what I needed.
I found myself fully invested in their journey from the start.
It had an engaging storyline, believable characters, and all the feels with angst in spades. 😍
Thank you, Ariana! 🫶
Read
December 15, 20254.5⭐️ Wow. So much trauma packed into one book.
So, on one side, experiencing this story feels like dragging a mattress up 30 flights of stairs. It’s heavy AF and painful.
But on the other, GL’s writing is SO good. I love how so many of her sentences hold a deeper meaning and provoke thought. I love how she kept Skylar’s and Mal’s backstories a bit of a mystery until the end. It kept me intrigued. And I especially loved the passion between them. Nothing like two sad boys leaning on each other for support. The hurt/comfort vibes were nuclear.
But I gotta say, Sky’s eating disorder was very tough for me to read. I had to keep putting it down, and it took me a week to get through it. But I have to give her props for making it all feel so realistic that it would affect me that much.
The only downfall for me was that every single character needed therapy, and no one got it. Why?? 😭
So, on one side, experiencing this story feels like dragging a mattress up 30 flights of stairs. It’s heavy AF and painful.
But on the other, GL’s writing is SO good. I love how so many of her sentences hold a deeper meaning and provoke thought. I love how she kept Skylar’s and Mal’s backstories a bit of a mystery until the end. It kept me intrigued. And I especially loved the passion between them. Nothing like two sad boys leaning on each other for support. The hurt/comfort vibes were nuclear.
But I gotta say, Sky’s eating disorder was very tough for me to read. I had to keep putting it down, and it took me a week to get through it. But I have to give her props for making it all feel so realistic that it would affect me that much.
The only downfall for me was that every single character needed therapy, and no one got it. Why?? 😭
October 12, 2025
This Is Not A Love Song, it's a War Of Hearts (with thanks to PiL and Ruelle for the song titles 😁)
Come to me
In the night hours
I will wait for you
And I can't sleep
'Cause thoughts devour
Thoughts of you consume
I can't help but love you
Even though I try not to
I can't help but want you
I know that I'd die without you
Because, of course, nothing could be easy for my boy Skylar.
And please, please heed the trigger warnings for this book. This is not sunshine and flowers, this is pain, and guilt, hurt and repressed emotions, excruciating mental torment and medical conditions that would flaw even the strongest of men.
That these two somehow manage to find their way through all their traumas is a tribute to stubbornness on the part of Mal and a dawning realisation on Skylar's that he can let someone else help him live with the repercussions of his past.
Skylar's been there, in the background, from the start of the Rebel Kings series, the A&E nurse with the gunmetal grey eyes and a connection to the MC club that clearly brings him pain, while he also can't walk away from patching them up.
So, it's no surprise that the only man who can reach him, is someone almost as broken as he is. Malachy Gallagher, an ex-Paratrooper and SAS operative, injured out of service on an op in which his best friend died in his arms.
These two meet before they know their connection. Mal is the younger brother of Jack Gallagher, part owner of The Joker in Porth Luck, along with Sky and fisherman Sol Bosanko, and when their paths cross in a seedy pub where men meet anonymously to fuck, something draws them together.
A phone call interrupts their seaside encounter and, from the moment Skylar realises who Mal is, his walls are raised and his feelings locked up tight.
I can't remember how many conversations I've had with Garrett about Skylar and his past, the links with the Rebel Kings, what happened to make him the guarded man he is, but one who clearly is a born healer and nurturer.
For everyone but himself.
Well, nothing could have prepared me for this story. I don't think I could love anyone more than I love Malachy Gallagher simply because of how he saw Skylar, he sees Skylar, broken parts and all, and he won't be cowed into backing away.
Because this bird with the broken wings needs to learn how to fly again, and who better than a man who commanded the skies as a member of the Regiment, to do that?!
Of course, nothing runs smoothly, and they ebb and flow like the tides that Sol and Mal navigate while dealing with a set of dickheads intent on taking out their main rival in Porth Luck.
And this brings us to the Rebel Kings who, of course, have their own ex-Special Forces in Folk Whitlock, and how their turn to legit business has left a vacuum in the fishing village that Mal cottons onto pretty quickly.
I loved this bit of the book, as we see how the connection between the club and Porth Luck, especially The Joker and Sol, is entwined with the wider Rebel Kings world, somehow to Skylar's Northern roots too.
And fair play to Garrett, she laid the Easter Eggs for this revelation to come back in Devil's Dance and Saint's Song and it's a real punch to the gut when that penny drops!
As Skylar and Mal spend more time in the melting pot of The Joker, where emotions are always running high, as Jack's own SAS career ending injuries bring their own level of trauma and complications, they can't stop clashing.
But each time they do, Mal gains more insight into Skylar's world, his disordered eating and his eating disorder (not the same thing but each powerfully controlling his life), and he knows there's something deeply buried that's the cause of it.
Mal frightens Skylar, because he knows he could be the one to break the vice he holds on both his control and his heart, and that level of emotion might end him. Yet, he can't help his attraction and, when he finally cracks, the explosion is almost as great as the one that took out Mal's team.
This is a slow burn romance, the UST is off the charts but the fight doesn't end until around the 60% mark and it's needed. When they finally come together, it's clashing teeth, biting skin and rough hands and it's epic!
Don't expect that to solve anything though, because it just shuts Skylar's doors tighter, while he's willing to give up access to his body, forget any chance of getting into his heart or head.
Until the dam finally bursts when an act of stupidity puts Mal back in SAS operator mode and forces Skylar to accept his very real feelings for the complicated soldier who's now disappeared in a rage of lethal power.
I don't think I can adequately express just how much I loved this book. I've been waiting so long for Skylar to finally tell his story, I wasn't expecting it would be such a brutally, emotionally draining, but ultimately rewarding and exhilarating ride.
But I knew it would be a tough read and it was, but it's also a book filled with the power of love, the power of friendships, of family, both those of blood and those made by ties which aren't broken even when someone walks away.
The Rebel Kings own my heart, but this book owns my soul.
#ARC kindly received from the author via Foreword PR, I am voluntarily leaving a review
Come to me
In the night hours
I will wait for you
And I can't sleep
'Cause thoughts devour
Thoughts of you consume
I can't help but love you
Even though I try not to
I can't help but want you
I know that I'd die without you
Because, of course, nothing could be easy for my boy Skylar.
And please, please heed the trigger warnings for this book. This is not sunshine and flowers, this is pain, and guilt, hurt and repressed emotions, excruciating mental torment and medical conditions that would flaw even the strongest of men.
That these two somehow manage to find their way through all their traumas is a tribute to stubbornness on the part of Mal and a dawning realisation on Skylar's that he can let someone else help him live with the repercussions of his past.
Skylar's been there, in the background, from the start of the Rebel Kings series, the A&E nurse with the gunmetal grey eyes and a connection to the MC club that clearly brings him pain, while he also can't walk away from patching them up.
So, it's no surprise that the only man who can reach him, is someone almost as broken as he is. Malachy Gallagher, an ex-Paratrooper and SAS operative, injured out of service on an op in which his best friend died in his arms.
These two meet before they know their connection. Mal is the younger brother of Jack Gallagher, part owner of The Joker in Porth Luck, along with Sky and fisherman Sol Bosanko, and when their paths cross in a seedy pub where men meet anonymously to fuck, something draws them together.
A phone call interrupts their seaside encounter and, from the moment Skylar realises who Mal is, his walls are raised and his feelings locked up tight.
I can't remember how many conversations I've had with Garrett about Skylar and his past, the links with the Rebel Kings, what happened to make him the guarded man he is, but one who clearly is a born healer and nurturer.
For everyone but himself.
Well, nothing could have prepared me for this story. I don't think I could love anyone more than I love Malachy Gallagher simply because of how he saw Skylar, he sees Skylar, broken parts and all, and he won't be cowed into backing away.
Because this bird with the broken wings needs to learn how to fly again, and who better than a man who commanded the skies as a member of the Regiment, to do that?!
Of course, nothing runs smoothly, and they ebb and flow like the tides that Sol and Mal navigate while dealing with a set of dickheads intent on taking out their main rival in Porth Luck.
And this brings us to the Rebel Kings who, of course, have their own ex-Special Forces in Folk Whitlock, and how their turn to legit business has left a vacuum in the fishing village that Mal cottons onto pretty quickly.
I loved this bit of the book, as we see how the connection between the club and Porth Luck, especially The Joker and Sol, is entwined with the wider Rebel Kings world, somehow to Skylar's Northern roots too.
And fair play to Garrett, she laid the Easter Eggs for this revelation to come back in Devil's Dance and Saint's Song and it's a real punch to the gut when that penny drops!
As Skylar and Mal spend more time in the melting pot of The Joker, where emotions are always running high, as Jack's own SAS career ending injuries bring their own level of trauma and complications, they can't stop clashing.
But each time they do, Mal gains more insight into Skylar's world, his disordered eating and his eating disorder (not the same thing but each powerfully controlling his life), and he knows there's something deeply buried that's the cause of it.
Mal frightens Skylar, because he knows he could be the one to break the vice he holds on both his control and his heart, and that level of emotion might end him. Yet, he can't help his attraction and, when he finally cracks, the explosion is almost as great as the one that took out Mal's team.
This is a slow burn romance, the UST is off the charts but the fight doesn't end until around the 60% mark and it's needed. When they finally come together, it's clashing teeth, biting skin and rough hands and it's epic!
Don't expect that to solve anything though, because it just shuts Skylar's doors tighter, while he's willing to give up access to his body, forget any chance of getting into his heart or head.
Until the dam finally bursts when an act of stupidity puts Mal back in SAS operator mode and forces Skylar to accept his very real feelings for the complicated soldier who's now disappeared in a rage of lethal power.
I don't think I can adequately express just how much I loved this book. I've been waiting so long for Skylar to finally tell his story, I wasn't expecting it would be such a brutally, emotionally draining, but ultimately rewarding and exhilarating ride.
But I knew it would be a tough read and it was, but it's also a book filled with the power of love, the power of friendships, of family, both those of blood and those made by ties which aren't broken even when someone walks away.
The Rebel Kings own my heart, but this book owns my soul.
#ARC kindly received from the author via Foreword PR, I am voluntarily leaving a review
September 20, 2025
I absolutely love the Rebel Kings and the rest of the characters that appear in Garrett Leigh’s books. I have been waiting for Skylar’s story for what feels like forever, but it was worth the wait.
The stories are always raw, and although they carry some heavy topics, they are just so good that it’s impossible not to keep coming back for more. They’re so well written that it almost feels like they’re all a real bunch. The levels and the depth of each character’s story are woven into each book. Her storytelling is so compelling and the love that comes through all the dark moments is always strong and gorgeously written.
It was great to check in with some of the Rebel Kings too. Saint, Cam, Alexei and his genius, Folk, and Decoy. Even to hear how much regret Skylar had for stringing Bodhi along.
Skylar and Mal were like a collision with explosive passion that they find it hard to pull away from. Skylar’s trauma was as horrific as I was worried it would be, and the control he has over his own body in order to manage his past was so upsetting to read. Mal’s trauma was a little different but equally as upsetting; they became each other’s strength and escape from their haunting past.
The next story is Jack and Sol and I am so ready for it!
………………………………………………………….
I received an ARC from GRR, and this is my honest review.
The stories are always raw, and although they carry some heavy topics, they are just so good that it’s impossible not to keep coming back for more. They’re so well written that it almost feels like they’re all a real bunch. The levels and the depth of each character’s story are woven into each book. Her storytelling is so compelling and the love that comes through all the dark moments is always strong and gorgeously written.
It was great to check in with some of the Rebel Kings too. Saint, Cam, Alexei and his genius, Folk, and Decoy. Even to hear how much regret Skylar had for stringing Bodhi along.
Skylar and Mal were like a collision with explosive passion that they find it hard to pull away from. Skylar’s trauma was as horrific as I was worried it would be, and the control he has over his own body in order to manage his past was so upsetting to read. Mal’s trauma was a little different but equally as upsetting; they became each other’s strength and escape from their haunting past.
The next story is Jack and Sol and I am so ready for it!
………………………………………………………….
I received an ARC from GRR, and this is my honest review.
September 29, 2025
Oofff this is a heavy one!
Mal, recently discharged from the army, is headed back to Porth Luck when he hits up a bar looking for a one night stand. There he meets a gorgeous blonde who he instantly hits it off with, but before the deed is done he learns that the hottie is none other than his soon to be roommate.
Mal and Skylar are drawn to one another, despite knowing the fallout isn’t worth it if they cross the line, but the chemistry between them is hard to resist. Both have a lot of trauma and baggage to work through, and their HEA is hella hard won.
Just This Once was a bit of slow start for me, but overall I really enjoyed it.
Mal, recently discharged from the army, is headed back to Porth Luck when he hits up a bar looking for a one night stand. There he meets a gorgeous blonde who he instantly hits it off with, but before the deed is done he learns that the hottie is none other than his soon to be roommate.
Mal and Skylar are drawn to one another, despite knowing the fallout isn’t worth it if they cross the line, but the chemistry between them is hard to resist. Both have a lot of trauma and baggage to work through, and their HEA is hella hard won.
Just This Once was a bit of slow start for me, but overall I really enjoyed it.
September 28, 2025
I got this as an ARC and I’m still new to ARC reading, so I feel a little guilty DNFing… but honestly, this one just felt like homework. I wasn’t having fun.
I’ve realized Garrett Leigh just isn’t for me. The writing itself isn’t bad—it’s just not a style I enjoy. More than that, while this book is technically the first of a new series, it’s also part of the broader “Garrettverse,” and I felt like I’d wandered into the middle of a long-running story. It’s like walking into a room where your friends are halfway done watching a movie. Everyone else seems to know what was happening while I’m sitting there lost, too awkward to ask for context.
It was slow. There’s also a storyline around an eating disorder that didn’t work for me in a romance context. And yes, I fully admit that when I was ready to give up, I did my usual trick of searching “lube” to see when the first sex scene happens. Spoiler: not until almost 70% in (slow burn fans, rejoice). But even then, it felt as disjointed as the rest of the book.
So, lesson learned: the Garrettverse is not for me.
I’ve realized Garrett Leigh just isn’t for me. The writing itself isn’t bad—it’s just not a style I enjoy. More than that, while this book is technically the first of a new series, it’s also part of the broader “Garrettverse,” and I felt like I’d wandered into the middle of a long-running story. It’s like walking into a room where your friends are halfway done watching a movie. Everyone else seems to know what was happening while I’m sitting there lost, too awkward to ask for context.
It was slow. There’s also a storyline around an eating disorder that didn’t work for me in a romance context. And yes, I fully admit that when I was ready to give up, I did my usual trick of searching “lube” to see when the first sex scene happens. Spoiler: not until almost 70% in (slow burn fans, rejoice). But even then, it felt as disjointed as the rest of the book.
So, lesson learned: the Garrettverse is not for me.
September 20, 2025
3.25⭐️
A story of turmoil and attraction, that blooms into romance. Mal has just returned from the army to live with his brother, Jake. After losing his best friend at war, and being through so much trauma, Mal is not okay, but also not ready to face how not-okay he really is. Jake has a roommate—Skylar. Skylar is a nurse who pushes his body to physical limits, as he has his own skeletons in the closet. This book follows how these men navigate their personal issues, some issues with friends and townies, and their relationship with each other.
You’re going to get:
-hurt / comfort
-heavy mental health stuff
-roommates
-instant attraction, slow spice
-found family
This book is the first in the series, but it has a lot of characters right off the bat. I found myself a little confused/overwhelmed by how many there were. I realized some of them are from the MC club series by Leigh, which I only read 2 books from. I suggest reading that series first, I think, because there are a lot of side characters that appear.
The writing style of this book is quite dramatic and profound, with lots of italicizes and short paragraphs. It’s the kind of book you want to read when you want to focus on emotions and trauma of characters.
Mal and Skylar have this interesting kind of push and pull relationship where they know they shouldn’t have feelings, or it would be too complicated. So instead they dance around each other, watch each other, and start to SEE each other. This makes it all the more satisfactory when they finally do get together!
Though the overarching story and the large number of characters didn’t vibe with me exactly, I do think that Mal and Skylar’s love was one that was long-fought for and deep. I think other people will vibe with the writing style and enjoy this book even more than I did.
I received an advanced copy, these are my own thoughts.
A story of turmoil and attraction, that blooms into romance. Mal has just returned from the army to live with his brother, Jake. After losing his best friend at war, and being through so much trauma, Mal is not okay, but also not ready to face how not-okay he really is. Jake has a roommate—Skylar. Skylar is a nurse who pushes his body to physical limits, as he has his own skeletons in the closet. This book follows how these men navigate their personal issues, some issues with friends and townies, and their relationship with each other.
You’re going to get:
-hurt / comfort
-heavy mental health stuff
-roommates
-instant attraction, slow spice
-found family
This book is the first in the series, but it has a lot of characters right off the bat. I found myself a little confused/overwhelmed by how many there were. I realized some of them are from the MC club series by Leigh, which I only read 2 books from. I suggest reading that series first, I think, because there are a lot of side characters that appear.
The writing style of this book is quite dramatic and profound, with lots of italicizes and short paragraphs. It’s the kind of book you want to read when you want to focus on emotions and trauma of characters.
Mal and Skylar have this interesting kind of push and pull relationship where they know they shouldn’t have feelings, or it would be too complicated. So instead they dance around each other, watch each other, and start to SEE each other. This makes it all the more satisfactory when they finally do get together!
Though the overarching story and the large number of characters didn’t vibe with me exactly, I do think that Mal and Skylar’s love was one that was long-fought for and deep. I think other people will vibe with the writing style and enjoy this book even more than I did.
I received an advanced copy, these are my own thoughts.
i-ll-get-back-to-it
December 31, 2025DNF @ 14% — (Dec 30, 2024) This is me —> 😵💫 reading this. I think my head just isn’t in it right now because I’m super confused and can’t follow anything. It feels like it’s all over the place and maybe it’s just me. So I’m going to set this aside for now.
November 6, 2025
ETA: Review to come. I'm struggling to pull my thoughts together for this one. I don't think I've ever been so emotionally invested in two characters, and as a long time Rebel Kings fan, that's saying a lot. HOW, Garrett Leigh, HOW??
Can't explain how long I've been salivating for this book. 50% in and it's clear I didn't salivate ENOUGH.
This book is EVERYHING I needed for Skylar.
And who the hell told Garrett Leigh she could make a character as sexy as Mal???
I need therapy.
Can't explain how long I've been salivating for this book. 50% in and it's clear I didn't salivate ENOUGH.
This book is EVERYHING I needed for Skylar.
And who the hell told Garrett Leigh she could make a character as sexy as Mal???
I need therapy.
October 12, 2025
Internal Monologues??
Wow — I’m usually a huge GL fan, but this book was a real disappointment. The endless internal monologues from both Mal and Skylar dragged the story down; I found myself skimming entire sections just to get through it. The plot felt thin — a few issues with trash and fish, a mysterious past for Skylar that’s finally revealed at the end, and side characters who seemed completely oblivious.
And seriously, who just has ten grand lying around?
Even the scene with the Rebel Kings — which I expected to be a highlight — fell flat. I just couldn’t connect or feel invested. The pacing was slow, the tension was missing, and the “white food” issue was never really explained.
Overall, this one was a miss for me. I’m not sure I’ll bother with book two.
Wow — I’m usually a huge GL fan, but this book was a real disappointment. The endless internal monologues from both Mal and Skylar dragged the story down; I found myself skimming entire sections just to get through it. The plot felt thin — a few issues with trash and fish, a mysterious past for Skylar that’s finally revealed at the end, and side characters who seemed completely oblivious.
And seriously, who just has ten grand lying around?
Even the scene with the Rebel Kings — which I expected to be a highlight — fell flat. I just couldn’t connect or feel invested. The pacing was slow, the tension was missing, and the “white food” issue was never really explained.
Overall, this one was a miss for me. I’m not sure I’ll bother with book two.
November 18, 2025
I dislike it when a book is said to be "can be read as stand-alone" but not really. I expect this one to be only "adjacent" to Leigh's Rebel Kings series (which I don't read and don't plan to).
However, it was clear to me when I read it, that the characters were really intertwined. Like, Skylar's story maybe started there and I felt like I missed a lot of background/context. I struggled to read this because of that, but I managed because I did like Mal and Skylar as characters and wanted to see them together
This is another of Leigh's intense angst story, in my opinion. Mal and Skylar have their internal problems but I did believe they could be good together.
Now, I am VERY CURIOUS with Jack and Sol's story, which will be next. Unfortunately Sol also seemed to be a character appeared in Rebel Kings. I am now contemplating should I read that book or not. Sigh.
However, it was clear to me when I read it, that the characters were really intertwined. Like, Skylar's story maybe started there and I felt like I missed a lot of background/context. I struggled to read this because of that, but I managed because I did like Mal and Skylar as characters and wanted to see them together
This is another of Leigh's intense angst story, in my opinion. Mal and Skylar have their internal problems but I did believe they could be good together.
Now, I am VERY CURIOUS with Jack and Sol's story, which will be next. Unfortunately Sol also seemed to be a character appeared in Rebel Kings. I am now contemplating should I read that book or not. Sigh.
Read
October 19, 2025DNF 31%
The internal dialogue has me done. I’m a huge GL fan but this book isn’t working for me. I think they’ve talked a couple sentences to each other a half a dozen times at this point and it isn’t moving the story along. Suuuper frustrating.
The internal dialogue has me done. I’m a huge GL fan but this book isn’t working for me. I think they’ve talked a couple sentences to each other a half a dozen times at this point and it isn’t moving the story along. Suuuper frustrating.
October 7, 2025
This Will Rip Your Heart Out💔❤️🩹
If there is one thing that’s certain when you read a Garrett Leigh book it’s that it will rip your heart out, there will be tears, but it will slowly put you back together and you will fall in love with the characters, not just the two MCs but the people around them, loving and protecting them, all with depth of character and central to the story.
This story belongs to Skylar, we met him in the Rebel Kings books and knew he was going to be a complex character, and Mal, a soldier who grew up in Porth Luck and couldn’t wait to leave, following his older brother into the paratroopers and the SAS.
When Mal’s brother Jack is injured and suffers a TBI he finds his way back home to his best friend Sol, and with Skylar, who is a trauma nurse, they buy the old Joker pub as the Rebel Kings have gone ligit and moved out of the town. This is both a blessing and a curse for the locals as without the Kings ruling the town there is a lot of lawlessness.
This book is written in Dual POV, my favourite, and even though we hear the story in Skylar’s words it isn’t until near the end of the book that he actually opens up about his past and it is awful, and we find out why he has an attitude, has built very high walls and has a complex relationship with food.
We find out about Mal’s problems from the beginning when his battalion, his brothers, are ambushed and he loses his best friend. He suffers from Afib and is invalided out of the army and finds his way back to his brother and Sol and the pub he owns a quarter of.
We know that Skylar has ties to the Rebel Kings especially Cam their leader, but the truth is horrifying and comes as a shock. There is another interesting plot line concerning Sol and Mal becomes his saviour.
This is a hard fought HEA, both men are suffering with deep trauma and are coping in very different ways. We get great appearances from some of the Rebel Kings but they do not dominate the story.
From the moment Skylar and Mal met the chemistry was off the charts and then we have the push and pull of their complex relationship, wanting more but pulling back and you just knew that when they gave in it’s was going to be epic.
The relationship between Jack and Sol is intriguing. They have known each other most of their lives and it is obvious that Sol adores him, but Jack with his TBI seems unaware and I can’t wait for their story next.
I can’t recommend this book enough.
If there is one thing that’s certain when you read a Garrett Leigh book it’s that it will rip your heart out, there will be tears, but it will slowly put you back together and you will fall in love with the characters, not just the two MCs but the people around them, loving and protecting them, all with depth of character and central to the story.
This story belongs to Skylar, we met him in the Rebel Kings books and knew he was going to be a complex character, and Mal, a soldier who grew up in Porth Luck and couldn’t wait to leave, following his older brother into the paratroopers and the SAS.
When Mal’s brother Jack is injured and suffers a TBI he finds his way back home to his best friend Sol, and with Skylar, who is a trauma nurse, they buy the old Joker pub as the Rebel Kings have gone ligit and moved out of the town. This is both a blessing and a curse for the locals as without the Kings ruling the town there is a lot of lawlessness.
This book is written in Dual POV, my favourite, and even though we hear the story in Skylar’s words it isn’t until near the end of the book that he actually opens up about his past and it is awful, and we find out why he has an attitude, has built very high walls and has a complex relationship with food.
We find out about Mal’s problems from the beginning when his battalion, his brothers, are ambushed and he loses his best friend. He suffers from Afib and is invalided out of the army and finds his way back to his brother and Sol and the pub he owns a quarter of.
We know that Skylar has ties to the Rebel Kings especially Cam their leader, but the truth is horrifying and comes as a shock. There is another interesting plot line concerning Sol and Mal becomes his saviour.
This is a hard fought HEA, both men are suffering with deep trauma and are coping in very different ways. We get great appearances from some of the Rebel Kings but they do not dominate the story.
From the moment Skylar and Mal met the chemistry was off the charts and then we have the push and pull of their complex relationship, wanting more but pulling back and you just knew that when they gave in it’s was going to be epic.
The relationship between Jack and Sol is intriguing. They have known each other most of their lives and it is obvious that Sol adores him, but Jack with his TBI seems unaware and I can’t wait for their story next.
I can’t recommend this book enough.
November 7, 2025
B / 4 stars.
Nobody does gritty, angsty and deeply romantic quite like Garrett Leigh. Just This Once is the first book in her new Men of Porth Luck series, which features a chosen family of misfits who are working hard to make ends meet in a small Cornish town. Porth Luck is a spin off from the author’s Rebel Kings MC series and features some characters from those books in secondary roles while pushing some of the secondary characaters from that series to the fore and giving them their own stories. MC romances aren’t my jam so I haven’t read any of the Rebel Kings books, but I was able to follow this one easily enough - although I will say that there are a lot of characters, both new and recurring, and I did sometimes have to stop and remind myself how they related to each other.
Recently demobbed soldier Mal Gallagher lost his best friend during his last tour of duty and is drowing in guilt for what he perceives as his part in Vinnie’s death, struggling with untreated PTSD and with health issues he’s reluctant to acknowledge. He’s reluctantly moving into the house in Porth Luck his brother Jack – also former military – shares with his closest friends, Sol and Skylar, but has no plans to stick around. He just needs somewhere to get his shit together and decide what he wants to do next before he moves on.
Skylar Buchanan – whom I recognised as the ex-boyfriend of Bodhi Jones from Christmas On Stardust Lane – is a nurse at the local hospital. He’s extremely good at his job, but otherwise he’s a mess; he’s prickly and although he lives with friends, he tends to keep himself to himself, and he uses work as a distraction, taking lots of extra shifts so he can avoid thinking about the dark and complicated shit show of his past and the demons of the present that just won’t leave him alone.
He’s just clocked off a late shift but doesn’t want to go home – he’s too unsettled and on edge to face his housemates’ well-intentioned concern – so he heads to one of the underground bars “dark enough that no-one knows [his] name” to kill time, to just sit in a shadowed corner and stare at his phone while his head spins and he spaces out for a while. But he’s brought back to a sense of his surroundings when a man takes the seat next to him; tall and scruffy with ash-brown hair, an unshaven jaw and green eyes that pull Skylar in. But then it’s all too much - Skylar needs to get out of there, but as he gets up, his head starts pounding and his focus sways; a warm hand at his elbow helps steady him and the guy accompanies him outside.
Mal has very complicated feelings about going to live with his brother and has been deliberately delaying his arrival. This stop at a dive bar to indulge in a favourite avoidance technique and find someone to hook up with looks like a promising one; the gorgeous but haunted-looking stranger who’s caught his eye is just as up for it as Mal is, heat and attraction zinging between them – when a ringing phone breaks the spell – and both men realise they’re not exactly strangers after all and that they’re about to become housemates. Neither of them wants to further complicate an already complicated situation – Mal’s brother Jack has a tramatic brain injury and Mal feels guilty for not being around much or having the faintest clue how it has affected him, but even so, has no plans to stay in Porth Luck, and all of that puts Skylar firmly off-limits. And Skylar… well, Skylar isn’t looking to rock the boat either. He’s not in a place to be able to offer anyone anything other than anonymous sex, and doesn’t want to hurt Jack by taking up with and then dumping his brother. But knowing that starting something is a terrible idea doesn’t stop Mal and Skylar being so aware of each other, of the heat of each other’s presence, of the furtive gazes and the glancing touches and the intense chemistry that burns between them.
Just This Once is a deeply emotional hurt/comfort romance between two damaged individuals who try hard to not to fall for each other but who are unable to stop themselves doing exactly that. Their connection is immediate and visceral, but the initial insta-lust transforms into an almost agonisngly slow burn as they dance around each other and gradually start to really see one another. The romance is angsty and raw, full of tension and a kind of one-step-forward, two-steps-back hesitation, and watching as these two struggle to hold themselves together while fighting their complex internal battles, coming to let the other see the cracks in their tough outer shells to eventually reach a place where healing can begin, is extremely satisfying.
Mal and Skylar’s HEA is most definitely hard won, and I appreciated that neither is magically fixed by love; rather, they come to a greater understanding of what is broken in themselves and each other, and recognise that they need to make changes in their lives. At this point, I’ll encourage potential readers to take note of the author’s warnings at the beginning; Skylar’s undiagnosed and untreated disordered eating is a prominent feature of the story and Ms. Leigh doesn’t sugar coat anything or shy away from the way it impacts him or his life. His past trauma is truly horrific and the way he exerts control over his body now in order to manage the lack of it in his past can be hard to read.
I enjoyed the found-family aspect of the story and the way they – Jack, Sol, Oscar and Sev, as well as Mal and Skylar - all look out for each other is heartwarming and lovely to read. There’s also a sub-plot about a local gang who is threatening Sol and his business – he has a couple of small fishing boats – and trying to muscle in on the scene now that the Rebel Kings have “gone legit” which adds some tension to the story.
The setting is familiar and the character and relationship building is excellent – but I can’t deny that the writing is sometimes a bit too flowery for my taste. It’s dramatic and intense but can quickly tip over that dividing line between ‘dramatic’ and ‘purple’; YMMV of course, but for me, it goes a bit over the top at times.
Just This Once is an excellent start to this new series, a powerful and satisfyingly emotional read featuring two damaged men finding safety and comfort in each other. Despite my criticisms, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more about the Men of Porth Luck .
Nobody does gritty, angsty and deeply romantic quite like Garrett Leigh. Just This Once is the first book in her new Men of Porth Luck series, which features a chosen family of misfits who are working hard to make ends meet in a small Cornish town. Porth Luck is a spin off from the author’s Rebel Kings MC series and features some characters from those books in secondary roles while pushing some of the secondary characaters from that series to the fore and giving them their own stories. MC romances aren’t my jam so I haven’t read any of the Rebel Kings books, but I was able to follow this one easily enough - although I will say that there are a lot of characters, both new and recurring, and I did sometimes have to stop and remind myself how they related to each other.
Recently demobbed soldier Mal Gallagher lost his best friend during his last tour of duty and is drowing in guilt for what he perceives as his part in Vinnie’s death, struggling with untreated PTSD and with health issues he’s reluctant to acknowledge. He’s reluctantly moving into the house in Porth Luck his brother Jack – also former military – shares with his closest friends, Sol and Skylar, but has no plans to stick around. He just needs somewhere to get his shit together and decide what he wants to do next before he moves on.
Skylar Buchanan – whom I recognised as the ex-boyfriend of Bodhi Jones from Christmas On Stardust Lane – is a nurse at the local hospital. He’s extremely good at his job, but otherwise he’s a mess; he’s prickly and although he lives with friends, he tends to keep himself to himself, and he uses work as a distraction, taking lots of extra shifts so he can avoid thinking about the dark and complicated shit show of his past and the demons of the present that just won’t leave him alone.
He’s just clocked off a late shift but doesn’t want to go home – he’s too unsettled and on edge to face his housemates’ well-intentioned concern – so he heads to one of the underground bars “dark enough that no-one knows [his] name” to kill time, to just sit in a shadowed corner and stare at his phone while his head spins and he spaces out for a while. But he’s brought back to a sense of his surroundings when a man takes the seat next to him; tall and scruffy with ash-brown hair, an unshaven jaw and green eyes that pull Skylar in. But then it’s all too much - Skylar needs to get out of there, but as he gets up, his head starts pounding and his focus sways; a warm hand at his elbow helps steady him and the guy accompanies him outside.
Mal has very complicated feelings about going to live with his brother and has been deliberately delaying his arrival. This stop at a dive bar to indulge in a favourite avoidance technique and find someone to hook up with looks like a promising one; the gorgeous but haunted-looking stranger who’s caught his eye is just as up for it as Mal is, heat and attraction zinging between them – when a ringing phone breaks the spell – and both men realise they’re not exactly strangers after all and that they’re about to become housemates. Neither of them wants to further complicate an already complicated situation – Mal’s brother Jack has a tramatic brain injury and Mal feels guilty for not being around much or having the faintest clue how it has affected him, but even so, has no plans to stay in Porth Luck, and all of that puts Skylar firmly off-limits. And Skylar… well, Skylar isn’t looking to rock the boat either. He’s not in a place to be able to offer anyone anything other than anonymous sex, and doesn’t want to hurt Jack by taking up with and then dumping his brother. But knowing that starting something is a terrible idea doesn’t stop Mal and Skylar being so aware of each other, of the heat of each other’s presence, of the furtive gazes and the glancing touches and the intense chemistry that burns between them.
Just This Once is a deeply emotional hurt/comfort romance between two damaged individuals who try hard to not to fall for each other but who are unable to stop themselves doing exactly that. Their connection is immediate and visceral, but the initial insta-lust transforms into an almost agonisngly slow burn as they dance around each other and gradually start to really see one another. The romance is angsty and raw, full of tension and a kind of one-step-forward, two-steps-back hesitation, and watching as these two struggle to hold themselves together while fighting their complex internal battles, coming to let the other see the cracks in their tough outer shells to eventually reach a place where healing can begin, is extremely satisfying.
Mal and Skylar’s HEA is most definitely hard won, and I appreciated that neither is magically fixed by love; rather, they come to a greater understanding of what is broken in themselves and each other, and recognise that they need to make changes in their lives. At this point, I’ll encourage potential readers to take note of the author’s warnings at the beginning; Skylar’s undiagnosed and untreated disordered eating is a prominent feature of the story and Ms. Leigh doesn’t sugar coat anything or shy away from the way it impacts him or his life. His past trauma is truly horrific and the way he exerts control over his body now in order to manage the lack of it in his past can be hard to read.
I enjoyed the found-family aspect of the story and the way they – Jack, Sol, Oscar and Sev, as well as Mal and Skylar - all look out for each other is heartwarming and lovely to read. There’s also a sub-plot about a local gang who is threatening Sol and his business – he has a couple of small fishing boats – and trying to muscle in on the scene now that the Rebel Kings have “gone legit” which adds some tension to the story.
The setting is familiar and the character and relationship building is excellent – but I can’t deny that the writing is sometimes a bit too flowery for my taste. It’s dramatic and intense but can quickly tip over that dividing line between ‘dramatic’ and ‘purple’; YMMV of course, but for me, it goes a bit over the top at times.
Just This Once is an excellent start to this new series, a powerful and satisfyingly emotional read featuring two damaged men finding safety and comfort in each other. Despite my criticisms, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to reading more about the Men of Porth Luck .
October 7, 2025
4.5⭐️ Mal and Skylar broke my heart. Gosh the way Garrett Leigh writes is stupendous - heavy, poignant, words dragging you into the emotional worlds these characters are desperately trying to survive.
Mal is back in his small town of Porth Luck (which we are familiar with from the RK series) after a devastating loss, his life forever altered and coming home is never easy - there is unfinished business and the past to content with, his brother Jack and his best friend Sol his younger brother Sev and also Skylar. He meets a stranger a kindred spirit and instant attract ruin but something significant stops them.
Skylar has secrets, a land mine he has been trying to hold off exploding for most of his life. His history is horrific and no one knows other than Cam and it’s effected Skylar in profound ways.
Mal and Skylar are forbidden for many reasons, Mal may not stick around, they are both hiding a lot, Jack… but drawn together they are like magnets - just one more time becoming an inexorably deep connection they cannot deny.
Then there is the criminal underbelly which has risen in the RK’s absence - sifting the power balance and there are genuine threats to life for Sol, for Mal for everyone they love. But hey are not without recourse and the way the author plays this out was fantastic
This is a layered story, with deep profound emotional connections playing out not just between the MCs - it what makes it such a rich and beautiful story to read. There are sensitive themes of mental health with significant ramifications covered here so please look into those - the author has provided detailed content warnings.
I’m excited for this new series, Garrett Leigh is a favourite author of mine and I’m glad we get to still go back to Porth Luck, still stay in touch with the Rebek Kings and I love all the new characters we met. Can’t wait for Jack and Sol’s story.
Mal is back in his small town of Porth Luck (which we are familiar with from the RK series) after a devastating loss, his life forever altered and coming home is never easy - there is unfinished business and the past to content with, his brother Jack and his best friend Sol his younger brother Sev and also Skylar. He meets a stranger a kindred spirit and instant attract ruin but something significant stops them.
Skylar has secrets, a land mine he has been trying to hold off exploding for most of his life. His history is horrific and no one knows other than Cam and it’s effected Skylar in profound ways.
Mal and Skylar are forbidden for many reasons, Mal may not stick around, they are both hiding a lot, Jack… but drawn together they are like magnets - just one more time becoming an inexorably deep connection they cannot deny.
Then there is the criminal underbelly which has risen in the RK’s absence - sifting the power balance and there are genuine threats to life for Sol, for Mal for everyone they love. But hey are not without recourse and the way the author plays this out was fantastic
This is a layered story, with deep profound emotional connections playing out not just between the MCs - it what makes it such a rich and beautiful story to read. There are sensitive themes of mental health with significant ramifications covered here so please look into those - the author has provided detailed content warnings.
I’m excited for this new series, Garrett Leigh is a favourite author of mine and I’m glad we get to still go back to Porth Luck, still stay in touch with the Rebek Kings and I love all the new characters we met. Can’t wait for Jack and Sol’s story.
October 4, 2025
I really wanted to enjoy this book more than I actually did.
The story had some elements I appreciated, like the focus on two broken men trying to heal and the quiet way love was expressed through conversations and gestures that seem small at first but hold a lot of weight eventually.
As always the overload on side characters who are introduced as found family didn't really grip me. I can appreciate the idea of a group of friends trying to help each other through their bad times.
Something didn’t quite click for me. I never fully understood why the two leads were so drawn to each other, and the connection felt underdeveloped.
And while this is technically the start of a new series, I don’t think it works well as a standalone. Without having read the author’s other books, it might feel overwhelming.
In the end, it had pieces I liked, but overall the execution just didn’t land for me.
The story had some elements I appreciated, like the focus on two broken men trying to heal and the quiet way love was expressed through conversations and gestures that seem small at first but hold a lot of weight eventually.
As always the overload on side characters who are introduced as found family didn't really grip me. I can appreciate the idea of a group of friends trying to help each other through their bad times.
Something didn’t quite click for me. I never fully understood why the two leads were so drawn to each other, and the connection felt underdeveloped.
And while this is technically the start of a new series, I don’t think it works well as a standalone. Without having read the author’s other books, it might feel overwhelming.
In the end, it had pieces I liked, but overall the execution just didn’t land for me.
October 1, 2025
When there's a new Garrett Leigh book, I am always there, and this was a great read! It does feature some characters from other books, but I don't think you'd be too out of the loop to enjoy this as part of a separate series (as long as you're fine brushing past names you don't recognize). As a hurt/comfort lover, this book was right up my alley and everything I wanted right now. Definitely heed content warnings due to the heavier subject matter, but if you're ready for found family and a hard-fought happy ending, this is perfect for you.
October 4, 2025
Once again getting my heart shattered to pieces and put back together again by Garrett Leigh, while thanking her for it.
I’ve been dying to know more about Skyler for so long, every time he popped up in a Rebel Kings book I found myself asking “WHAT IS HIS STORY?!”. And my god, I didn’t think it would break my heart like it did.
Mal and Skyler were so freaking perfect, both broken by pain and loss beyond anything anyone could comprehend, they found each other and became each others life raft.
What a start to the Men of Porth Luck series…
I’ve been dying to know more about Skyler for so long, every time he popped up in a Rebel Kings book I found myself asking “WHAT IS HIS STORY?!”. And my god, I didn’t think it would break my heart like it did.
Mal and Skyler were so freaking perfect, both broken by pain and loss beyond anything anyone could comprehend, they found each other and became each others life raft.
What a start to the Men of Porth Luck series…
October 3, 2025
MY FAMILY 😭
October 8, 2025
finally got Skylar's backstory which was great.
October 6, 2025
3.25/5 stars! The premise of this story was strong, and I appreciated how much the characters ended up healing and growing through their connection. I just found myself overwhelmed by too many side characters I was supposed to be invested in, but wasn't. It was marketed as a standalone, but I wonder if that wasn't accurate. I did really enjoy the chemistry and spice between the MMCs.
October 8, 2025
Rating: 4
Steam: 3
PoV: dual, 1st person
Genre: contemporary romance, MM
Tropes / tags: hurt / comfort, hookup to more, small town
Garrett Leigh writes my favourite kind of hurt / comfort and 'broken' boys!
The way my heart ached for Skylar in this one… I had a feeling that his history would be devastating, but I still wasn't prepared for it. He was struggling, and it was difficult to see him hurting and spiralling. I loved the support and found family he had surrounding him though, it was obvious how much Jack, Oscar and Sol all cared about him and they tried to help him the best they could.
Mal was also struggling, but in different ways. He and Skylar were like oil and water at first, and for quite a bit of their story I couldn't tell if they would end up killing or fucking each other. I honestly don't think they knew either. There was a lot of push and pull going on, and Skylar definitely had some feral alley cat energy. The chemistry between them was through the roof though, and it was amusing to see them dance around each other.
Somehow they worked well together, and I loved seeing them find comfort and a safe place with each other, even if they tried to fight their connection. The hurt / comfort was beautiful, and I liked how the emotional part of their relationship was more of a slow burn and something that kept building through the entire story. They both truly deserved all the happily ever after that they could get, and it was very easy to feel and root for them.
Just This Once was an emotional read, with memorable characters and lots of hurt / comfort. It had the usual grit that's found in Garrett Leigh's stories, and I loved the connection to Rebel Kings MC. It was a great start to a new series, and I honestly can't wait for Jack's story - I was so intrigued by him and Sol!
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I received an advanced copy of this book, and these are my honest thoughts and opinions.
Steam: 3
PoV: dual, 1st person
Genre: contemporary romance, MM
Tropes / tags: hurt / comfort, hookup to more, small town
Garrett Leigh writes my favourite kind of hurt / comfort and 'broken' boys!
The way my heart ached for Skylar in this one… I had a feeling that his history would be devastating, but I still wasn't prepared for it. He was struggling, and it was difficult to see him hurting and spiralling. I loved the support and found family he had surrounding him though, it was obvious how much Jack, Oscar and Sol all cared about him and they tried to help him the best they could.
Mal was also struggling, but in different ways. He and Skylar were like oil and water at first, and for quite a bit of their story I couldn't tell if they would end up killing or fucking each other. I honestly don't think they knew either. There was a lot of push and pull going on, and Skylar definitely had some feral alley cat energy. The chemistry between them was through the roof though, and it was amusing to see them dance around each other.
Somehow they worked well together, and I loved seeing them find comfort and a safe place with each other, even if they tried to fight their connection. The hurt / comfort was beautiful, and I liked how the emotional part of their relationship was more of a slow burn and something that kept building through the entire story. They both truly deserved all the happily ever after that they could get, and it was very easy to feel and root for them.
Just This Once was an emotional read, with memorable characters and lots of hurt / comfort. It had the usual grit that's found in Garrett Leigh's stories, and I loved the connection to Rebel Kings MC. It was a great start to a new series, and I honestly can't wait for Jack's story - I was so intrigued by him and Sol!
-
I received an advanced copy of this book, and these are my honest thoughts and opinions.
October 18, 2025
Mal and Skyler ❤️
4.5 Stars ⭐️
Finally Skyler's story and it's an amazing. Omg, from the first page I just couldn't put this book down, I cannot confirm nor deny binging till the wee hours of the morning 😉 and I'll be damned If this story didn't break my heart and stitch it right back up. I have been curious about Skyler since his introduction in The Rebel Kings series and I was stoked to finally get his connection to them and it's a surprising one but so fitting to see why he's so important to Cam and the boys. Now, Let's talk about these two broken men who are fated to cross paths irregardless if either is ready. The chemistry between Skyler and Mal is undeniable from their first look and the magnetic pull is palpable. I adored this relationship build, it was emotionally charged as much as it was passionate, and extremely heartwarming. I especially enjoyed the push and pull vibe these two had going on yet they couldn't quit each other. The side characters in this book are equally amazing and I am so excited for the next one, I have a feeling is going to be a heartbreaker and I am here for it. I absolutely recommend this book.
* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *
4.5 Stars ⭐️
Finally Skyler's story and it's an amazing. Omg, from the first page I just couldn't put this book down, I cannot confirm nor deny binging till the wee hours of the morning 😉 and I'll be damned If this story didn't break my heart and stitch it right back up. I have been curious about Skyler since his introduction in The Rebel Kings series and I was stoked to finally get his connection to them and it's a surprising one but so fitting to see why he's so important to Cam and the boys. Now, Let's talk about these two broken men who are fated to cross paths irregardless if either is ready. The chemistry between Skyler and Mal is undeniable from their first look and the magnetic pull is palpable. I adored this relationship build, it was emotionally charged as much as it was passionate, and extremely heartwarming. I especially enjoyed the push and pull vibe these two had going on yet they couldn't quit each other. The side characters in this book are equally amazing and I am so excited for the next one, I have a feeling is going to be a heartbreaker and I am here for it. I absolutely recommend this book.
* I received an ARC from GRR, this is my open and honest review *
October 27, 2025
Garrett is always great at writing broken men coming together and finding solace in each other, so these 3 stars are ABSOLUTELY just a me thing. 😂 My reading mood wasn't quite aligned with it this time, and I was stressed the entire time I was reading trying to see how they would work. Because the broken parts in Sky and Mal are a lot, and I absolutely do love how Garrett doesn't mince ANY of it. I think it's just because that Garrett did so good setting up both characters' pain that it kind of like...made it hard for me to believe in the romance and feel super invested in it? But the pacing still works, and I enjoyed how it ended.
Just This Once is a also absolutely a treat if you read this after Rebel Kings with the cameos that are in it, and it was nice to finally get Skylar's story!
I'm SO EXCITED for the next one because once again, all my fave Garrett titles are always when two characters have history. 😏
Just This Once is a also absolutely a treat if you read this after Rebel Kings with the cameos that are in it, and it was nice to finally get Skylar's story!
I'm SO EXCITED for the next one because once again, all my fave Garrett titles are always when two characters have history. 😏
October 15, 2025
"I don't miss a singe thing about my old life (...) I've found new [rushes], better ones, in the quiet warmth of Skylar in my arms in the middle of the night (...) In the heart-healing moments when he smiles, and I remember how lucky I am to see it. It's not freefall over snow-capped mountains, but it feels like it. The danger of holding his heart in my hands. In him holding mine. Danger that ends in belonging instead of death, and this life... this bed, it's the sweetest war I've ever fought."
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