What do you think?
Rate this book
State of Us #2
Crossing Arizona
He was my home when I had nowhere else to go.
Xed
Matty's the only person who ever mattered to me. Since we were seven years old, he's been my rock, my anchor, and the light guiding me to safety when the world got too dark.
Then Hannah was born, and she became the glue holding us in place. It wasn’t perfect, but it was ours—a life we built with our together.
Until Matty made a choice that shattered it all. Now, I’m adrift, trying to figure out if I can forgive the man who promised me forever but left me behind.
Matty
I swore I’d always protect him—Xed, my best friend, the person who knew me better than I knew myself.
When Hannah came into our lives, I made another promise: to do everything in my power to keep them both safe.
But protecting Hannah meant making an impossible choice, one that tore me away from the only man I’ve ever wanted.
I made a mistake. Now, I’ll do whatever it takes to put the pieces back together…if I can keep from falling apart in the process.
Crossing Arizona is a full-length best friends-to-enemies-to-lovers MM romance containing themes and situations not intended for readers under the age of 18. This story features a queer awakening, black cat/golden retriever MCs, first times, and a guaranteed HEA.
This is book two in the State of Us series. It may be read as a standalone but is best enjoyed after "Finding Delaware" to avoid spoilers.
Xed
Matty's the only person who ever mattered to me. Since we were seven years old, he's been my rock, my anchor, and the light guiding me to safety when the world got too dark.
Then Hannah was born, and she became the glue holding us in place. It wasn’t perfect, but it was ours—a life we built with our together.
Until Matty made a choice that shattered it all. Now, I’m adrift, trying to figure out if I can forgive the man who promised me forever but left me behind.
Matty
I swore I’d always protect him—Xed, my best friend, the person who knew me better than I knew myself.
When Hannah came into our lives, I made another promise: to do everything in my power to keep them both safe.
But protecting Hannah meant making an impossible choice, one that tore me away from the only man I’ve ever wanted.
I made a mistake. Now, I’ll do whatever it takes to put the pieces back together…if I can keep from falling apart in the process.
Crossing Arizona is a full-length best friends-to-enemies-to-lovers MM romance containing themes and situations not intended for readers under the age of 18. This story features a queer awakening, black cat/golden retriever MCs, first times, and a guaranteed HEA.
This is book two in the State of Us series. It may be read as a standalone but is best enjoyed after "Finding Delaware" to avoid spoilers.
439 pages, Paperback
First published April 15, 2025
334 people are currently reading
1924 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 554 reviews
April 19, 2025
Matt is the biggest, dumbest, fucking cry baby on earth and Xed isn't much better. I'm mad that I thought this would be better than the first one.
I have thoughts but this was so 2 dimensional it isn't funny. This whole series so far is giving lost boys x from nothing fan fiction. I could ignore it with the first one but I couldn't here and I'm annoyed that I didn't dnf in the early stages (I have an issue with hate reading, no one is perfect).
initial thoughts:
- why the fuck were they docking so much in this? i was actually rolling my eyes reading about it.
- Salem is still the fucking worst FYI. We need to work on these female characters bc why are they all the fucking worst?
- Why is everyone tryna convince me this was so heartbreaking? I have literally no understanding of Matt's dumbass reasoning for things. I feel like giving him an actual character arc would have been more beneficial than just having him cry his way back into Xed's good graces but here we are.
- The uncle is a weird fucking creep and the way everyone let's him get away with his cooked behaviour whilst holding Val accountable is a choice....
anyway proper review to come but this is reminding me why I haven't read much adult mm at all this year. The market is aggressively oversaturated atp
I have thoughts but this was so 2 dimensional it isn't funny. This whole series so far is giving lost boys x from nothing fan fiction. I could ignore it with the first one but I couldn't here and I'm annoyed that I didn't dnf in the early stages (I have an issue with hate reading, no one is perfect).
initial thoughts:
- why the fuck were they docking so much in this? i was actually rolling my eyes reading about it.
- Salem is still the fucking worst FYI. We need to work on these female characters bc why are they all the fucking worst?
- Why is everyone tryna convince me this was so heartbreaking? I have literally no understanding of Matt's dumbass reasoning for things. I feel like giving him an actual character arc would have been more beneficial than just having him cry his way back into Xed's good graces but here we are.
- The uncle is a weird fucking creep and the way everyone let's him get away with his cooked behaviour whilst holding Val accountable is a choice....
anyway proper review to come but this is reminding me why I haven't read much adult mm at all this year. The market is aggressively oversaturated atp
May 1, 2025
Loved the first book. It was perfect to me! So did I go into this one with my expectations perhaps too high? Well, yes! The glimmers of Matty and Xed shown in the first installment had me so curious about them but this was a disappointment. Any feelings of investment or intrigue faded away as I got deeper into the story (which…yikes! It should be the opposite!) It’s a rehashing of the same central conflict over and over and over. It got tiring. I feel like we didn’t get to know Xed and Matty as much as we should have in their own book. They lacked depth. Too much time was spent on the central conflict, not nearly enough on the relationship and people we’re supposed to be rooting for. Additionally, the time jumps lacked structure. I couldn’t parse out where we were in the timeline sometimes and so many of the events in the book are scenes we saw in the first installment but from Xed or Matty’s POV. I don’t typically mind this in a series but when it’s *this* many scenes?! Come on. There weren’t many moments that made it feel like Matty and Xed were really meant for each other. A few nice words / gestures do not make up for one person giving giving giving until he’s all run out. Hell I’ll go as far to say I didn’t even feel like they should be together. That’s not because I’m anti toxic romance, far from it. But this was missing a key element. The fucking romance.
TLDR: I didn’t find this to be a heartbreaking epic but rather a frustrating and repetitive bore.
TLDR: I didn’t find this to be a heartbreaking epic but rather a frustrating and repetitive bore.
March 14, 2025
5 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶🌶/5
Format: ebook
”and then we had hannah, and she became our reason to breathe. everything she is, everything she’s becoming, i owe to my best friend. he… he raised her like a father. he is her father.”
okay, i swear i don’t remember finding delaware being this painful, because this story was actually brutal on my heart.
matty and xed are childhood best friends that have been each other’s ride or die since fourth grade. matty has been xed's safe space his entire life, with matty sneaking xed in every single night to escape his abusive aunt. i’m talking one-bed trope for literal decades. their closeness lasts up through college, where they start to see the lines of friendship beginning to blur. the only persistent issue in their lives is val—matty’s on again/off again girlfriend. and things take a real nosedive when val winds up pregnant.
”out of everything that’s happened between us, hannah is the best thing matty and i ever created together.”
prepare for tons of angst and mutual pining.
i think for a lot of the book i was kind of upset with matty, but i eventually did really start to understand his perspective. xed is just my sweet little sad boy and my chest constantly ached for him.
“i used to belong here. he used to make sure i belonged. now, i’m invisible. unwelcome.”
i loved the little family we got with matty, xed, and hannah. the way those boys loved that little girl just pulled on my heartstrings the whole time. we also got all of the amazing characters from book one back, up to even more shenanigans this time around. i loved seeing huck and tay again, and christian and salem, and even logan. but of course my favorite of all is uncle devon. bree, please give me his book soon. i need my ducati daddy so bad.
i really enjoyed the addiction and mental health representation in this book. bree’s stories are always very heavily focused on accountability and getting professional help. xed and matty worked super hard on themselves so they could finally reach their hard-fought hea, and it was beautiful.
i can’t wait to see what bree has in store for us next with this series, and also any future endeavors. she just never misses, i fear.
”’matty, our friendship, it’s… this state we’re in isn’t healthy.’
his head tilts to the side. ‘utah?’”
*i received a free, advanced copy of this book from the author and this is my voluntary, honest review.
bookstagram
Spice: 🌶️🌶🌶/5
Format: ebook
”and then we had hannah, and she became our reason to breathe. everything she is, everything she’s becoming, i owe to my best friend. he… he raised her like a father. he is her father.”
okay, i swear i don’t remember finding delaware being this painful, because this story was actually brutal on my heart.
matty and xed are childhood best friends that have been each other’s ride or die since fourth grade. matty has been xed's safe space his entire life, with matty sneaking xed in every single night to escape his abusive aunt. i’m talking one-bed trope for literal decades. their closeness lasts up through college, where they start to see the lines of friendship beginning to blur. the only persistent issue in their lives is val—matty’s on again/off again girlfriend. and things take a real nosedive when val winds up pregnant.
”out of everything that’s happened between us, hannah is the best thing matty and i ever created together.”
prepare for tons of angst and mutual pining.
i think for a lot of the book i was kind of upset with matty, but i eventually did really start to understand his perspective. xed is just my sweet little sad boy and my chest constantly ached for him.
“i used to belong here. he used to make sure i belonged. now, i’m invisible. unwelcome.”
i loved the little family we got with matty, xed, and hannah. the way those boys loved that little girl just pulled on my heartstrings the whole time. we also got all of the amazing characters from book one back, up to even more shenanigans this time around. i loved seeing huck and tay again, and christian and salem, and even logan. but of course my favorite of all is uncle devon. bree, please give me his book soon. i need my ducati daddy so bad.
i really enjoyed the addiction and mental health representation in this book. bree’s stories are always very heavily focused on accountability and getting professional help. xed and matty worked super hard on themselves so they could finally reach their hard-fought hea, and it was beautiful.
i can’t wait to see what bree has in store for us next with this series, and also any future endeavors. she just never misses, i fear.
”’matty, our friendship, it’s… this state we’re in isn’t healthy.’
his head tilts to the side. ‘utah?’”
*i received a free, advanced copy of this book from the author and this is my voluntary, honest review.
bookstagram
April 5, 2025
Crossing Arizona is an emotional second-chance romance between two best friends who have a tumultuous relationship because they can never seem to be on the same page. I enjoyed the heartwarming moments between them; it was difficult to watch them struggle so much, but seeing them piece together their broken selves and finally find their way back to each other made this story impactful and incredible to read.
Overall, I enjoyed this story. Even the sad and heartbreaking moments were well balanced as Xed and Matty navigated the complexities of their situation and all the messy emotions that came with it. The ending made it all worth it. I am so happy these two finally got their happily ever after; it was more than well deserved.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
Overall, I enjoyed this story. Even the sad and heartbreaking moments were well balanced as Xed and Matty navigated the complexities of their situation and all the messy emotions that came with it. The ending made it all worth it. I am so happy these two finally got their happily ever after; it was more than well deserved.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
April 20, 2025
Did I stay up to too-late-o’clock because I had to keep reading until this stopped hurting my feelings? Absolutely yes.
THE PREMISE: when two co-dependent best friends who’ve loved each other since they were kids are separated, and everything falls apart.
TROPES & VIBES:
- Codependent besties who cuddle
- Now and then time jumps x second chance romance
- Raising a kid together
- The “Ducky” nickname took years off my life 🥴
- This book aggressively hurt my feelings
- You’re Losing Me by Taylor Swift coded (I wouldn’t marry me either)
- *no one ever chooses me* 😭😭😭
3.5⭐️ 3🌶️ (check TWs)
THE PREMISE: when two co-dependent best friends who’ve loved each other since they were kids are separated, and everything falls apart.
TROPES & VIBES:
- Codependent besties who cuddle
- Now and then time jumps x second chance romance
- Raising a kid together
- The “Ducky” nickname took years off my life 🥴
- This book aggressively hurt my feelings
- You’re Losing Me by Taylor Swift coded (I wouldn’t marry me either)
- *no one ever chooses me* 😭😭😭
3.5⭐️ 3🌶️ (check TWs)
April 18, 2025
I really enjoyed this book quite a lot. The story is gritty and raw and delivered on the hurt/comfort. I liked so many aspects of the character building. There were a lot of great moments and lines of dialogue that make for good social media hooks. The longing is very well done.
Two things were lacking for me- the plot occurs at the same time as Finding Delaware and I feel as though that constrained the book a tad. Other than the unrequited love thing and Matty and Xed's love for Matty's daughter Hannah, I wanted more from the plot. The book read like a series of vivid moments with nothing in between them. I wanted a sense of their day to day instead of a blur. We don't really know what Xed does for work until the end of the book and Matty's career seems to be there as a way to justify why he has money. To give another example, I would've liked to see a few more scenes of Xed and Hannah before Matty decides to implode their lives. I felt Xed's love for Matty super clearly, but I didn't get his love for Hannah to a similar extent. A couple more cute moments would've delivered that, in my opinion. To some those details would be boring, but for me a stronger grounding of the characters would have elevated the book. I also missed a true sense of physicality of the 2 MCs (I know Matty is a big guy and Xed is half Filipino and has a mohawk but not much else). It's not something that made a big impact on my enjoyment of the book, but it was something I felt could have been improved.
I had very high expectations of this book and I definitely enjoyed it- but I wasn't racing for my kindle the way I thought I would.
Two things were lacking for me- the plot occurs at the same time as Finding Delaware and I feel as though that constrained the book a tad. Other than the unrequited love thing and Matty and Xed's love for Matty's daughter Hannah, I wanted more from the plot. The book read like a series of vivid moments with nothing in between them. I wanted a sense of their day to day instead of a blur. We don't really know what Xed does for work until the end of the book and Matty's career seems to be there as a way to justify why he has money. To give another example, I would've liked to see a few more scenes of Xed and Hannah before Matty decides to implode their lives. I felt Xed's love for Matty super clearly, but I didn't get his love for Hannah to a similar extent. A couple more cute moments would've delivered that, in my opinion. To some those details would be boring, but for me a stronger grounding of the characters would have elevated the book. I also missed a true sense of physicality of the 2 MCs (I know Matty is a big guy and Xed is half Filipino and has a mohawk but not much else). It's not something that made a big impact on my enjoyment of the book, but it was something I felt could have been improved.
I had very high expectations of this book and I definitely enjoyed it- but I wasn't racing for my kindle the way I thought I would.
April 15, 2025
Nobody can convince me that Matty actually loves Xed
June 19, 2025
Dnf'ed at 47% yesterday, and today I still finished it (because i'm really that incapable of dnfing...sigh...)
I am editing my review now after finishing but my score 100% remains the same.
I dont know what it is I'm missing about this book that others saw. To me, problem starts with the horrible group of friends. They are not a found-family, or the type of friends anyone would want to have tbh. They dont value each other, they on purpose hurt each other, are never there when one of them needs others and most of the time down right toxic. The whole thing, the way they communicate and act is all just very high school.
Also, even though this book is half the lenght of the first one, you can tell immidiately the author's doing it again: Throwing random stuff (heavy stuff) into the story, I dont know maybe to try to give the vibe of a dark story, without putting much weight into the said "dark" events. Which just feels like undermining a lot of very serious things like SA, SH, addiction. SA is acknowledged but its effects were never taken seriously, or seemed to have been minor. There is 1-2 sentense about why Matty is having a hard time accepting it as rape but thats it. He still thinks his daughter should have her rapist mom, who is actively using drugs and is abusive, in her life. Similar thing with the SH issue and its seriousness being overlooked.
As many said Matty is a horrible character. I also dont think he loves Xed and its just that he is used to depending on him. All 400 pages of sufferage and abuse Xed goes through is because Matty doesnt communicate with anyone. I understand he has his reasons (though I dont agree, to each to their own), I dont understand why he cant just say those reasons and instead acts like a 15 year old. I dont have it in me to criticize him at this point tbh...
---My highlights of some horrific things from the book (Possible spoilers...)---
-Matty's emotional manipulation of Xed by bringing up his daughter everytime Xed tries to have boundries.
-Salem crying after willingly sleeping with the uncle of her ex, and then with the said ex, and still whine about how Logan(the ex) was supposed to be her special one since he was a virgin (yep, it doesnt feel any better when said by a woman).
-Xed, deciding not to tell Matty that his bride to be is cheating, because "it is time he realizes the consequences of what he's done" and what better way to "teach a lesson" to the supposed love of your life than letting him marry his rapist. Bravoo!!
-For years, every time Xed clearly states what he wants from him, Matty's insistance on not giving an answer yet demanding and whining about "why cant things stay the same", and by the same he means, why cant I keep fucking you, have you as my emotional boyfriend, but act straight and completely ignore you publicly.
- Matty expecting congratulations and having a live-in, secret boyfriend just because he publicly said "I love someone".
- Instead of just talking to Xed like an adult when he FINALLY wanted to acknowledge Xed's needs, Matty having a public press conference. Second hand embrassessment was very strong during this.
-People seem to hate the whole 'ducky' thing, which I agree but honestly the whole Fungus-Creature thing was soooo much worse for me. What the hell is even that?? I couldnt read without grimacing.
I am editing my review now after finishing but my score 100% remains the same.
I dont know what it is I'm missing about this book that others saw. To me, problem starts with the horrible group of friends. They are not a found-family, or the type of friends anyone would want to have tbh. They dont value each other, they on purpose hurt each other, are never there when one of them needs others and most of the time down right toxic. The whole thing, the way they communicate and act is all just very high school.
Also, even though this book is half the lenght of the first one, you can tell immidiately the author's doing it again: Throwing random stuff (heavy stuff) into the story, I dont know maybe to try to give the vibe of a dark story, without putting much weight into the said "dark" events. Which just feels like undermining a lot of very serious things like SA, SH, addiction. SA is acknowledged but its effects were never taken seriously, or seemed to have been minor. There is 1-2 sentense about why Matty is having a hard time accepting it as rape but thats it. He still thinks his daughter should have her rapist mom, who is actively using drugs and is abusive, in her life. Similar thing with the SH issue and its seriousness being overlooked.
As many said Matty is a horrible character. I also dont think he loves Xed and its just that he is used to depending on him. All 400 pages of sufferage and abuse Xed goes through is because Matty doesnt communicate with anyone. I understand he has his reasons (though I dont agree, to each to their own), I dont understand why he cant just say those reasons and instead acts like a 15 year old. I dont have it in me to criticize him at this point tbh...
---My highlights of some horrific things from the book (Possible spoilers...)---
-Matty's emotional manipulation of Xed by bringing up his daughter everytime Xed tries to have boundries.
-Salem crying after willingly sleeping with the uncle of her ex, and then with the said ex, and still whine about how Logan(the ex) was supposed to be her special one since he was a virgin (yep, it doesnt feel any better when said by a woman).
-Xed, deciding not to tell Matty that his bride to be is cheating, because "it is time he realizes the consequences of what he's done" and what better way to "teach a lesson" to the supposed love of your life than letting him marry his rapist. Bravoo!!
-For years, every time Xed clearly states what he wants from him, Matty's insistance on not giving an answer yet demanding and whining about "why cant things stay the same", and by the same he means, why cant I keep fucking you, have you as my emotional boyfriend, but act straight and completely ignore you publicly.
- Matty expecting congratulations and having a live-in, secret boyfriend just because he publicly said "I love someone".
- Instead of just talking to Xed like an adult when he FINALLY wanted to acknowledge Xed's needs, Matty having a public press conference. Second hand embrassessment was very strong during this.
-People seem to hate the whole 'ducky' thing, which I agree but honestly the whole Fungus-Creature thing was soooo much worse for me. What the hell is even that?? I couldnt read without grimacing.
March 21, 2025
wow, i literally have no words. this was so amazing.
this was such a beautiful story, it hurt and broke me and then put me back together. everything i’ve read by bree has made me experience the whole spectrum of emotions and i love it every single time. the way she portrayed these characters was WONDERFUL & the way she made me HATE Valerie… 😮💨
you’re truly in for a ride when you pick up this book & it’s SO worth it.
hannah is SO precious!!! i also loved getting to see huck & tay in this story as well.
Ducky + Matty forever 🥹🦆
the smut was also on another level in this book… docking? gimmie more pls. 😮💨🤤
this was such a beautiful story, it hurt and broke me and then put me back together. everything i’ve read by bree has made me experience the whole spectrum of emotions and i love it every single time. the way she portrayed these characters was WONDERFUL & the way she made me HATE Valerie… 😮💨
you’re truly in for a ride when you pick up this book & it’s SO worth it.
hannah is SO precious!!! i also loved getting to see huck & tay in this story as well.
Ducky + Matty forever 🥹🦆
the smut was also on another level in this book… docking? gimmie more pls. 😮💨🤤
March 18, 2025
It’s been a while since I read a book with more than 300 pages in less than a day. I could not put this down!! It is firmly on my top reads of the year list, as is the case with all of Bree Wiley’s books. There’s just something about them that captivates me.
Xed and Matty were introduced in Finding Delaware, and I was beyond excited when I learned they were getting a story. I love friends to lovers so much. Their journey was NOT easy. It was like bungee jumping with no safety net. I was jerked around so much, but the whiplash and the neck pain was worth it. The angst was up there as we navigated through trauma, fear, guilt, anger, addiction, pining, friendship, and love with these two. My chest hurt at times watching them struggle.
Hannah was absolutely adorable, and she was such a pocket of much needed sunshine. She truly stole every scene she was in and I loved the way she held Xed and Matty together. And of course the friend group, all of who were complex and layered. I’m so excited to see more of them.
Go in as blind as possible, it makes it even better.
I received an advanced copy and this is my voluntary review.
Xed and Matty were introduced in Finding Delaware, and I was beyond excited when I learned they were getting a story. I love friends to lovers so much. Their journey was NOT easy. It was like bungee jumping with no safety net. I was jerked around so much, but the whiplash and the neck pain was worth it. The angst was up there as we navigated through trauma, fear, guilt, anger, addiction, pining, friendship, and love with these two. My chest hurt at times watching them struggle.
Hannah was absolutely adorable, and she was such a pocket of much needed sunshine. She truly stole every scene she was in and I loved the way she held Xed and Matty together. And of course the friend group, all of who were complex and layered. I’m so excited to see more of them.
Go in as blind as possible, it makes it even better.
I received an advanced copy and this is my voluntary review.
June 20, 2025
what an incredible waste of my time. should’ve just gone to bed instead of reading this shitshow.
ok first of all, abortion!! would’ve solved all their problems and this sordid book wouldn’t even have existed. second of all, valerie is a rapist. a r a p i s t. and an abuser. why were her actions so trivialized. i do not think they took the assault as seriously as they should’ve. and i understand matty’s a man and they deal with emotions differently, but goddamn he didn’t even process it.
and genuinely what was wrong with him?? he was genuinely so whiny and pathetic. does he not know what a lawyer is?? or how custody shit works? granted i barely know anything but she’s a mfing crackhead. what judge is giving that cunt full custody?? his problems would’ve all disappeared from the start if he’d just filed for full custody at hannah’s birth. and i still don’t understand why he moved to phoenix with the bitch. because she was blackmailing him or does he actually believe the shit he was spewing abt hannah needing a mom??
and another thing, he was so incredibly selfish. i will stand on this hill that he did not love xed. he needed him and was incredibly dependent on him, but he seriously didn’t care abt his feelings. you do not hurt someone you love THAT much and not even realize it. and the fucking nickname. literally one of the most hideous disgusting names in history. made my metaphorical balls shrivel up and burrow inside my body out of sheer cringe. oooo i’m getting mad.
also lowk hated the time jumps. i mean it flowed very well and actually added to the story, but yk just personally, it made me too anxious and i hated reading the past part. i just wanted to enjoy the angst of the present.
and finally, i genuinely hated the friend group. they were not very supportive or caring towards matt/xed as they were for tay/huck. idk i feel like tay was part of the main group but matt and xed were like side pieces of the friend group.
literally nothing’s redeemable abt this book. and it hurt my soul because finding delaware rocked my world. that shit set my expectations highhhhhh. taylor and huck had genuine problems that couldn’t have been solved so fucking easily. i mean parental abuse & neglect, addiction, poverty, homophobia, suicide and probably more. matty is a rich white man. if he just started using his brain, he would be golden. but ig that’s one of the plights of being human: stupidity. lobotomize him!!!
ok rant over. i gave up after finishing part one. nothing left worth reading. sad sad.
ok first of all, abortion!! would’ve solved all their problems and this sordid book wouldn’t even have existed. second of all, valerie is a rapist. a r a p i s t. and an abuser. why were her actions so trivialized. i do not think they took the assault as seriously as they should’ve. and i understand matty’s a man and they deal with emotions differently, but goddamn he didn’t even process it.
and genuinely what was wrong with him?? he was genuinely so whiny and pathetic. does he not know what a lawyer is?? or how custody shit works? granted i barely know anything but she’s a mfing crackhead. what judge is giving that cunt full custody?? his problems would’ve all disappeared from the start if he’d just filed for full custody at hannah’s birth. and i still don’t understand why he moved to phoenix with the bitch. because she was blackmailing him or does he actually believe the shit he was spewing abt hannah needing a mom??
and another thing, he was so incredibly selfish. i will stand on this hill that he did not love xed. he needed him and was incredibly dependent on him, but he seriously didn’t care abt his feelings. you do not hurt someone you love THAT much and not even realize it. and the fucking nickname. literally one of the most hideous disgusting names in history. made my metaphorical balls shrivel up and burrow inside my body out of sheer cringe. oooo i’m getting mad.
also lowk hated the time jumps. i mean it flowed very well and actually added to the story, but yk just personally, it made me too anxious and i hated reading the past part. i just wanted to enjoy the angst of the present.
and finally, i genuinely hated the friend group. they were not very supportive or caring towards matt/xed as they were for tay/huck. idk i feel like tay was part of the main group but matt and xed were like side pieces of the friend group.
literally nothing’s redeemable abt this book. and it hurt my soul because finding delaware rocked my world. that shit set my expectations highhhhhh. taylor and huck had genuine problems that couldn’t have been solved so fucking easily. i mean parental abuse & neglect, addiction, poverty, homophobia, suicide and probably more. matty is a rich white man. if he just started using his brain, he would be golden. but ig that’s one of the plights of being human: stupidity. lobotomize him!!!
ok rant over. i gave up after finishing part one. nothing left worth reading. sad sad.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 19, 2025
Terrible
This book is a mess. It romanticizes a toxic and semi-abusive relationship. Matty spends a good chunk of the story verbally attacking and gaslighting Xed every chance he gets. The only reason why they ended up together was because the author wanted them to. There was no growth; there was no instant moment when Matt realized his actions were wrong. He just decided he wanted to be with Xed, and that was it. After the fact, readers are meant to look at his situation like he is the forever victim, which would work if it wasn't for the fact that the last part of the story is so glossed over and rushed that it is difficult to care about anything. This deals with some heavy topics, but not really. Nothing included gets the attention it deserves, and that consists of the SA scene that took place. Matty fully acknowledges what happened. To him, but he also ignores it unless the situation calls for it. Even then, it is not treated as a big deal. How?? Why?? It's like the author had a plan and forgot it halfway through. I would only recommend this to those who like to hate read. Even still, I don't think this is worth reading.
This book is a mess. It romanticizes a toxic and semi-abusive relationship. Matty spends a good chunk of the story verbally attacking and gaslighting Xed every chance he gets. The only reason why they ended up together was because the author wanted them to. There was no growth; there was no instant moment when Matt realized his actions were wrong. He just decided he wanted to be with Xed, and that was it. After the fact, readers are meant to look at his situation like he is the forever victim, which would work if it wasn't for the fact that the last part of the story is so glossed over and rushed that it is difficult to care about anything. This deals with some heavy topics, but not really. Nothing included gets the attention it deserves, and that consists of the SA scene that took place. Matty fully acknowledges what happened. To him, but he also ignores it unless the situation calls for it. Even then, it is not treated as a big deal. How?? Why?? It's like the author had a plan and forgot it halfway through. I would only recommend this to those who like to hate read. Even still, I don't think this is worth reading.
March 19, 2025
ARC Review
5⭐
> "His home is wherever I am. He's known it since the day he followed me into my house in the fourth grade—like a lost little duck. And he's been mine ever since."
> "This isn't as weird as I thought it'd be," he chuckles, poking his tongue underneath my foreskin.
"Kinda like licking the cream from a Twinkie."
"Did you just... compare my cock to a Twinkie?"
> "You're the only one I've ever wanted."
> "There's something so right about this, about us in this moment, and I tilt his head to join our lips. Xed has always been mine. And I've always been his."
Was this book everything I hoped for? Hell no.
It was so. much. better!
Hoooow?!? 🤯 I mean, I absolutely loved Finding Delaware, and it was a 5⭐ read too, but Crossing Arizona? Holy hell! I was not prepared for that. I feel like the writing got even better—if that's even possible! 😭
I was hooked from the very start. Xed stole my heart right away—how could he not? He has the sweetest soul ever, and all I wanted to do was hug him and tell him how much he's loved. My heart broke for him so many times in this book it’s not even funny. 💔🥺
And Matty? What that man went through was absolutely horrible. He didn’t deserve that—no one does! I can’t say much because I’d be spoiling you, but damn... These two went through hell.
Matty and Xed have a beautiful relationship, and I'm so glad they found each other all those years ago. They truly deserve the world and to be happy. The journey to get there wasn’t easy—so far from it—but in the end, when two people are meant to be together, they will be. No matter what.
Even when there’s a freaking bitch in the picture. She got what she deserved. I’ve never hated a character as much as I hate her. 🤮
Oh, and this book wouldn’t have been the same without Chicken the duck. 🤭🤣💙
Ducky and Matty have my heart. 💙 This book is easily one of the best reads of the year. 🥹💙 I could read 500 more pages about them, and it still wouldn't be enough. I already miss them. 💔
Content Warnings:
🏈 Football player
🦆 Drug abuse
🏈 Cheating (not between MCs)
🦆 Best friends to enemies to lovers
🏈 Domestic violence
🦆 Depression
🏈 Sexual assault
🦆 Mental abuse
5⭐
> "His home is wherever I am. He's known it since the day he followed me into my house in the fourth grade—like a lost little duck. And he's been mine ever since."
> "This isn't as weird as I thought it'd be," he chuckles, poking his tongue underneath my foreskin.
"Kinda like licking the cream from a Twinkie."
"Did you just... compare my cock to a Twinkie?"
> "You're the only one I've ever wanted."
> "There's something so right about this, about us in this moment, and I tilt his head to join our lips. Xed has always been mine. And I've always been his."
Was this book everything I hoped for? Hell no.
It was so. much. better!
Hoooow?!? 🤯 I mean, I absolutely loved Finding Delaware, and it was a 5⭐ read too, but Crossing Arizona? Holy hell! I was not prepared for that. I feel like the writing got even better—if that's even possible! 😭
I was hooked from the very start. Xed stole my heart right away—how could he not? He has the sweetest soul ever, and all I wanted to do was hug him and tell him how much he's loved. My heart broke for him so many times in this book it’s not even funny. 💔🥺
And Matty? What that man went through was absolutely horrible. He didn’t deserve that—no one does! I can’t say much because I’d be spoiling you, but damn... These two went through hell.
Matty and Xed have a beautiful relationship, and I'm so glad they found each other all those years ago. They truly deserve the world and to be happy. The journey to get there wasn’t easy—so far from it—but in the end, when two people are meant to be together, they will be. No matter what.
Even when there’s a freaking bitch in the picture. She got what she deserved. I’ve never hated a character as much as I hate her. 🤮
Oh, and this book wouldn’t have been the same without Chicken the duck. 🤭🤣💙
Ducky and Matty have my heart. 💙 This book is easily one of the best reads of the year. 🥹💙 I could read 500 more pages about them, and it still wouldn't be enough. I already miss them. 💔
Content Warnings:
🏈 Football player
🦆 Drug abuse
🏈 Cheating (not between MCs)
🦆 Best friends to enemies to lovers
🏈 Domestic violence
🦆 Depression
🏈 Sexual assault
🦆 Mental abuse
April 21, 2025
whoever says Xed and Matty’s story is worse (in a heartbreaking way) than Huck and Taylor’s is LYING.
Matty pissed the sh*t out of me for most of the book and you can say “you didn’t get the character” all you want, i don’t care. I wanted to throw the book away so bad every time he rejected Xed i swear. I was so hyped for this book but meh… very disappointed
Matty pissed the sh*t out of me for most of the book and you can say “you didn’t get the character” all you want, i don’t care. I wanted to throw the book away so bad every time he rejected Xed i swear. I was so hyped for this book but meh… very disappointed
March 20, 2025
This felt like a poorly- done mashup of Every Breath After by Jessie Walker and The Single Dad’s Guide… by Rhys. The story had potential but the execution was superficial, chaotic, and repetitive. It felt like there was drama just for the sake of drama. Like there was an addiction theme but it was so superficially touched on that it didn’t feel real and just seemed to be used as a plot device when convenient. Similarly the woman in the story was very 2-dimensional. Overall the whole book had a feeling of being chaotically thrown together. I liked this author’s first book with some leeway for it being a debut, but instead of developing as a writer it seems that she has just turned to churning out books as fast as possible. There was really potential for a good story here and the author seems like a capable writer, who needs to spend more time on plot and character development rather than publishing books fast. Honestly though maybe this is the way our society is going these days too though.
June 17, 2025
4.0 stars
May 6, 2025
The non-con tag is for Val raping Matty. It isn't detailed, but we get enough to understand exactly what happens. So keep that in mind going into this.
I was excited to dive into Matty and Xed's book, and overall it was a good best friends to lovers romance.
They've been in each other other's lives since about second grade. Xed is the grumpy to Matty's sunshine. They've been each other's person, each other's everything for a very long time. But Matty is seemingly straight to Xed's demisexual. Matty has been with girls, especially the awful Val, but the one and only for Xed is Matty.
But Matty is...a bit oblivious. Or a LOT.
This is where this story and Matty get...quite frustrating.
I get that Val is 100% abusive. Not only physically but emotionally, mentally. I get that she does quite the number on Matty. Getting his explanation near the end - FINALLY - helped as well. I don't dislike Matty at all, and he's actually quite a sweet, kind guy who loves Xed so deeply.
But....his journey toward truly understanding that Xed is it for him is beyond frustrating. He continually uses his daughter, Hannah, and needing to think about her and what she needs, to keep a distance, a bit of a wall between him and Xed. And I get that she's important, but truly the only thing keeping Xed and Matty apart for a long while is Matty.
Also, when Val does what she does - - I don't understand Matty not telling anyone, most of all Xed.
I get that people can make stupid decisions, I do. I get that being abused like Matty is can make one make the wrong choice but to them it protects everyone.
Doesn't make it any less annoying AF, though! I'm sorry, but Matty frustrated the fuck out of me! And he continues to be a bit dense about things until SO close to the end. And by close to the end I mean past 80% like man people tell you how it is SEVERAL TIMES, including Xed himself! And Matty is still there all confused like "huh?"
DUDE. DUDE!
Matty isn't stupid, but he acts stupid, I'm sorry. EVEN when he has the big revelation that Xed is everything and he is in love with him and he screwed up so badly he still needs an extra push from his sister and mother! Even his mom gets so frustrated that she's like "Give it a rest, Matthew!" like seriously!
I don't want to be too harsh on Matty in the end, but he deserves SOME harping on. And he is a large part of the reason I'm not giving this 5 stars. Like sorry you annoyed me enough that you're most of the reason I'm giving a star off! He couldn't get his head straight for the life of him, and it is VERY very frustrating to deal with a character like that for a majority of a book, I'm sorry.
I get the journey the author was taking us on with Matty, but still, it was a bit too long of a journey. I would have rather he got his head out of his ass around 50, 60% and the rest was him building back up what he broke with Xed, not leaving the rebuilding to that 80-90ish% mark.
My other niggle that contributed to the star off - I was on Xed's side throughout this. I got him and what he'd been through and what Matty had done to him. After all, Matty had informed him of NONE of what was really going on.
BUT - one instance I was bit like...huh? Is when Matty FINALLY is coming out, but he still keeps the pronouns neutral and he doesn't say Xed's name, and that still isn't enough for Xed and he makes that very clear.
But then Matty DOES do EXACTLY that in the media and...Xed gets a bit...angry about that? Or like "why did he do that?!" and I was like...hUH?! What else could he have done to prove to Xed that he was serious about them and ready to really be with him and be what Xed needed? I was SO confused by Xed's 180 there. Like isn't that exactly what you wanted? Or did you just want him to admit to you as his romantic partner among family and friends? We don't get an exact scenario Xed wished for that would have made things better other than what Matty did exactly.
I mean, thankfully Xed gets over the anger about it by the time he sees Matty, but I was SO confused by that reaction and it was a bit silly imo. Like okay first Matty doesn't do enough but then he does too much? What do you want?!
But otherwise, I loved Xed and felt for him throughout this story. I didn't care for him being with Devon - but mainly because Devon sucks ass and I don't know why the fuck he or Salem hung around him. I mean...okay, maybe for Xed it was the drugs. But even when he was sober he hung with him. I didn't get it. Devon is awful.
I don't care what trauma he has - the bonus scene with him and Logan revealed a lot, but at this point I still don't give a shit about Devon. He's an asshole with no redeeming qualities at this point. I don't get his appeal in the least. If this author plans to make him an MC, she'll have to do a lot of work to redeem his sorry ass.
But anyway, while I didn't care for that relationship, I knew the whole time Xed felt nothing for him romantically or sexually and just was with him - yes, sexually and on page a time or two (which Matty sees one time, so just to warn for that!) - to try to forget, to get drugs, etc. Devon was something to be used for Xed to forget. Which I'm sure Devon was fine with.
Don't worry about the Devon thing though - even though I could have done without any sexual interactions with him with Xed - he's nothing serious or all that relevant beyond making Matty very jealous. And once Matty and Xed are together and committed, obviously there's no one else for either of them.
Val is an awful, abusive person and she and Matty are "together" in name only, really. In that she's totally blackmailing him into staying with her, and she's in it for his money he gets from playing in the NFL. But in the end she gets exactly what she deserves, thankfully.
Also another small niggle that I already discussed - the timeline was off, or the continuity. It didn't make sense how Hannah was 5 already when she should have been 4. I swear, I think sometimes authors count the age of the kid from when they were conceived, not when they were born. Like hey remember how women are pregnant for 9 months *before* a baby is born, authors? (Or in Hannah's case, 7 months as she was a preemie). Like sure it probably was about 5 years since Val did what she did, but it wouldn't have been that long since Hannah was born.
And all this complaining doesn't mean I didn't very much enjoy this story. I still did enjoy Matty and Xed together, and I liked their chemistry. And once they were past all the bullshit, they were so sweet together. I absolutely LOVED that we got to see their fully wedding in the end. Seeing them happy was very much worth it in the end.
So I didn't love this quite as much as the first book, but it was still a solid, good read overall. Despite the frustrations with Matty's character, he was also such a sweet guy as well. I can see others disliking his character, but in the end I didn't. He frustrated me to be sure, but this would have a MUCH lower rating if I had hated him.
He was just a bit of an oblivious, self sacrificing idiot who didn't let himself rely on or get help from others, and who had definitely been abused but didn't think he was or could be because of his size and him being a man. He had a bit to go through to get through to the other side where he got his head out of his ass, and it was great to see when he finally did do that.
So yeah, expect some frustration at Matty, expect quite a bit of angst, but ultimately this is a great friends-to-lovers romance, with a sweet and adorable kid in Hannah and the little family she, Matty and Xed make.
So...I have a feeling Logan and Salem might be the next book which is unfortunate as they'll be MF...so I wonder who the next MM couple of this series will be. Or just an MM book in general. I would like to see Christian, Taylor's best friend, fully embrace his bi awakening and fall for a guy, js...
I know Devon is a possibility for an MC...and it might be interesting to see him for head over heels for a man who puts him in his place....but also a LOT needs to be done to redeem him if he does become a main character...
So we'll see! Either way, I'm excited for more from this author. I have adored all her works so far and look forward to more!
Until then 😘
My Ratings for the State of Us Series:
✨ Finding Delaware: 5 stars (my review)
✨ Crossing Arizona: 4 stars
I was excited to dive into Matty and Xed's book, and overall it was a good best friends to lovers romance.
They've been in each other other's lives since about second grade. Xed is the grumpy to Matty's sunshine. They've been each other's person, each other's everything for a very long time. But Matty is seemingly straight to Xed's demisexual. Matty has been with girls, especially the awful Val, but the one and only for Xed is Matty.
But Matty is...a bit oblivious. Or a LOT.
This is where this story and Matty get...quite frustrating.
I get that Val is 100% abusive. Not only physically but emotionally, mentally. I get that she does quite the number on Matty. Getting his explanation near the end - FINALLY - helped as well. I don't dislike Matty at all, and he's actually quite a sweet, kind guy who loves Xed so deeply.
But....his journey toward truly understanding that Xed is it for him is beyond frustrating. He continually uses his daughter, Hannah, and needing to think about her and what she needs, to keep a distance, a bit of a wall between him and Xed. And I get that she's important, but truly the only thing keeping Xed and Matty apart for a long while is Matty.
Also, when Val does what she does - - I don't understand Matty not telling anyone, most of all Xed.
I get that people can make stupid decisions, I do. I get that being abused like Matty is can make one make the wrong choice but to them it protects everyone.
Doesn't make it any less annoying AF, though! I'm sorry, but Matty frustrated the fuck out of me! And he continues to be a bit dense about things until SO close to the end. And by close to the end I mean past 80% like man people tell you how it is SEVERAL TIMES, including Xed himself! And Matty is still there all confused like "huh?"
DUDE. DUDE!
Matty isn't stupid, but he acts stupid, I'm sorry. EVEN when he has the big revelation that Xed is everything and he is in love with him and he screwed up so badly he still needs an extra push from his sister and mother! Even his mom gets so frustrated that she's like "Give it a rest, Matthew!" like seriously!
I don't want to be too harsh on Matty in the end, but he deserves SOME harping on. And he is a large part of the reason I'm not giving this 5 stars. Like sorry you annoyed me enough that you're most of the reason I'm giving a star off! He couldn't get his head straight for the life of him, and it is VERY very frustrating to deal with a character like that for a majority of a book, I'm sorry.
I get the journey the author was taking us on with Matty, but still, it was a bit too long of a journey. I would have rather he got his head out of his ass around 50, 60% and the rest was him building back up what he broke with Xed, not leaving the rebuilding to that 80-90ish% mark.
My other niggle that contributed to the star off - I was on Xed's side throughout this. I got him and what he'd been through and what Matty had done to him. After all, Matty had informed him of NONE of what was really going on.
BUT - one instance I was bit like...huh? Is when Matty FINALLY is coming out, but he still keeps the pronouns neutral and he doesn't say Xed's name, and that still isn't enough for Xed and he makes that very clear.
But then Matty DOES do EXACTLY that in the media and...Xed gets a bit...angry about that? Or like "why did he do that?!" and I was like...hUH?! What else could he have done to prove to Xed that he was serious about them and ready to really be with him and be what Xed needed? I was SO confused by Xed's 180 there. Like isn't that exactly what you wanted? Or did you just want him to admit to you as his romantic partner among family and friends? We don't get an exact scenario Xed wished for that would have made things better other than what Matty did exactly.
I mean, thankfully Xed gets over the anger about it by the time he sees Matty, but I was SO confused by that reaction and it was a bit silly imo. Like okay first Matty doesn't do enough but then he does too much? What do you want?!
But otherwise, I loved Xed and felt for him throughout this story. I didn't care for him being with Devon - but mainly because Devon sucks ass and I don't know why the fuck he or Salem hung around him. I mean...okay, maybe for Xed it was the drugs. But even when he was sober he hung with him. I didn't get it. Devon is awful.
I don't care what trauma he has - the bonus scene with him and Logan revealed a lot, but at this point I still don't give a shit about Devon. He's an asshole with no redeeming qualities at this point. I don't get his appeal in the least. If this author plans to make him an MC, she'll have to do a lot of work to redeem his sorry ass.
But anyway, while I didn't care for that relationship, I knew the whole time Xed felt nothing for him romantically or sexually and just was with him - yes, sexually and on page a time or two (which Matty sees one time, so just to warn for that!) - to try to forget, to get drugs, etc. Devon was something to be used for Xed to forget. Which I'm sure Devon was fine with.
Don't worry about the Devon thing though - even though I could have done without any sexual interactions with him with Xed - he's nothing serious or all that relevant beyond making Matty very jealous. And once Matty and Xed are together and committed, obviously there's no one else for either of them.
Val is an awful, abusive person and she and Matty are "together" in name only, really. In that she's totally blackmailing him into staying with her, and she's in it for his money he gets from playing in the NFL. But in the end she gets exactly what she deserves, thankfully.
Also another small niggle that I already discussed - the timeline was off, or the continuity. It didn't make sense how Hannah was 5 already when she should have been 4. I swear, I think sometimes authors count the age of the kid from when they were conceived, not when they were born. Like hey remember how women are pregnant for 9 months *before* a baby is born, authors? (Or in Hannah's case, 7 months as she was a preemie). Like sure it probably was about 5 years since Val did what she did, but it wouldn't have been that long since Hannah was born.
And all this complaining doesn't mean I didn't very much enjoy this story. I still did enjoy Matty and Xed together, and I liked their chemistry. And once they were past all the bullshit, they were so sweet together. I absolutely LOVED that we got to see their fully wedding in the end. Seeing them happy was very much worth it in the end.
So I didn't love this quite as much as the first book, but it was still a solid, good read overall. Despite the frustrations with Matty's character, he was also such a sweet guy as well. I can see others disliking his character, but in the end I didn't. He frustrated me to be sure, but this would have a MUCH lower rating if I had hated him.
He was just a bit of an oblivious, self sacrificing idiot who didn't let himself rely on or get help from others, and who had definitely been abused but didn't think he was or could be because of his size and him being a man. He had a bit to go through to get through to the other side where he got his head out of his ass, and it was great to see when he finally did do that.
So yeah, expect some frustration at Matty, expect quite a bit of angst, but ultimately this is a great friends-to-lovers romance, with a sweet and adorable kid in Hannah and the little family she, Matty and Xed make.
So...I have a feeling Logan and Salem might be the next book which is unfortunate as they'll be MF...so I wonder who the next MM couple of this series will be. Or just an MM book in general. I would like to see Christian, Taylor's best friend, fully embrace his bi awakening and fall for a guy, js...
I know Devon is a possibility for an MC...and it might be interesting to see him for head over heels for a man who puts him in his place....but also a LOT needs to be done to redeem him if he does become a main character...
So we'll see! Either way, I'm excited for more from this author. I have adored all her works so far and look forward to more!
Until then 😘
My Ratings for the State of Us Series:
✨ Finding Delaware: 5 stars (my review)
✨ Crossing Arizona: 4 stars
March 29, 2025
4.5/5 stars 3/5 spice
Matty got me so frustrated at times and then I’d be unable to stay mad because he was just so endearing. He gave off such strong golden retriever vibes. I understood why Xed always forgave him each time he let him down, even though it hurt him deeply.
Xed honestly deserved the world. He is by far my favourite character Bree has written. This guy just wanted to be loved and chosen. He was let down again and again by those who should have cared for him. The love between him and Matty’s daughter, Hannah, was beautiful. Their bond was very special.
I enjoyed the now and then timelines where we got to see how their relationship developed and how they crossed that line between friends and lovers each time they gave into their feelings/urges. The street signs they stole were adorable, especially the one they used in the epilogue.
This was an emotional roller coaster but in the end they got their hard fought happy ever after. I will say that even though Devon, Logan’s uncle, is painted out to be this bad guy, I actually really liked him. I really hope he’s in the next couple’s book as a main character making it a MMF book and somewhat forbidden (iykyk).
- Friends to enemies to lovers
- Second chance
- Girl dads
- Found family
- Mutual pining
- Demi rep
- Golden retriever X black cat
Matty got me so frustrated at times and then I’d be unable to stay mad because he was just so endearing. He gave off such strong golden retriever vibes. I understood why Xed always forgave him each time he let him down, even though it hurt him deeply.
Xed honestly deserved the world. He is by far my favourite character Bree has written. This guy just wanted to be loved and chosen. He was let down again and again by those who should have cared for him. The love between him and Matty’s daughter, Hannah, was beautiful. Their bond was very special.
I enjoyed the now and then timelines where we got to see how their relationship developed and how they crossed that line between friends and lovers each time they gave into their feelings/urges. The street signs they stole were adorable, especially the one they used in the epilogue.
This was an emotional roller coaster but in the end they got their hard fought happy ever after. I will say that even though Devon, Logan’s uncle, is painted out to be this bad guy, I actually really liked him. I really hope he’s in the next couple’s book as a main character making it a MMF book and somewhat forbidden (iykyk).
- Friends to enemies to lovers
- Second chance
- Girl dads
- Found family
- Mutual pining
- Demi rep
- Golden retriever X black cat
October 28, 2025
♾️⭐️
I'M SO SAD IT'S OVER 😭
I absolutely fell in love with every aspect of this book. I don’t normally like time jumps but Bree did this flawlessly, it flows so well, it creates such a deep connection between the reader and characters.
✨Sorry in advance this is going to be long winded 😂:
Xed: I pretty much loved him from chapter 1. The story started off with a bang and by the time I finished the chapter I couldn’t tell you why but all I was thinking was I’m gonna like this guy. There was just something about him, his vibe, the way he was, that he’d really been put through it and I love me some broken boys. The more I got to know him throughout the course of the book the more I fell in love with him, sorry Matty but Xed is my favorite. Matty: Oh that boy. I loved him, but I also hated him at the same time but he’s also what made the story what it was. On the outside, you think he is this golden boy who has everything and has it all figured out until you get to know him and you realize you can’t judge a book by its cover. There’s so much more to him, that he doesn’t even understand himself. Several times I wanted to smack him upside the head, which I honestly love, these kinds of characters are what keep bringing me back to a story so I also have to thank him for being this way lol. He does finally came on his own time thank God 😂 I really loved getting to see their childhood their college and then them as adults it was such a full circle story you got to see how everything played out how they got to this point and how hard they fought to get there, and how worth it, it all was. Hannah: I say too much about her because I always try to do spoiler free reviews but she’s just a little shining star. You can’t help but love her and love the way Zed and Matty are with her together and how they are individually with her, it’ll just make you swoon. Side Characters: I’ve read my fair share of hateable side characters but I think Valerie has moved her way to the top. I was ready to take my earrings off and drag this b*tch to the parking lot and fight her myself 😂 I haven’t read Finding Delaware yet… 🫣🫣😬 I know I know please don’t come for me, it’s on my 2025 list. But now that I’ve met Taylor & Huck, I NEED to know how that happened! I want to thank Bree for the opportunity to read and review this book, this is my honest opinion, can’t wait to read the rest of your books!
I'M SO SAD IT'S OVER 😭
I absolutely fell in love with every aspect of this book. I don’t normally like time jumps but Bree did this flawlessly, it flows so well, it creates such a deep connection between the reader and characters.
✨Sorry in advance this is going to be long winded 😂:
Xed: I pretty much loved him from chapter 1. The story started off with a bang and by the time I finished the chapter I couldn’t tell you why but all I was thinking was I’m gonna like this guy. There was just something about him, his vibe, the way he was, that he’d really been put through it and I love me some broken boys. The more I got to know him throughout the course of the book the more I fell in love with him, sorry Matty but Xed is my favorite. Matty: Oh that boy. I loved him, but I also hated him at the same time but he’s also what made the story what it was. On the outside, you think he is this golden boy who has everything and has it all figured out until you get to know him and you realize you can’t judge a book by its cover. There’s so much more to him, that he doesn’t even understand himself. Several times I wanted to smack him upside the head, which I honestly love, these kinds of characters are what keep bringing me back to a story so I also have to thank him for being this way lol. He does finally came on his own time thank God 😂 I really loved getting to see their childhood their college and then them as adults it was such a full circle story you got to see how everything played out how they got to this point and how hard they fought to get there, and how worth it, it all was. Hannah: I say too much about her because I always try to do spoiler free reviews but she’s just a little shining star. You can’t help but love her and love the way Zed and Matty are with her together and how they are individually with her, it’ll just make you swoon. Side Characters: I’ve read my fair share of hateable side characters but I think Valerie has moved her way to the top. I was ready to take my earrings off and drag this b*tch to the parking lot and fight her myself 😂 I haven’t read Finding Delaware yet… 🫣🫣😬 I know I know please don’t come for me, it’s on my 2025 list. But now that I’ve met Taylor & Huck, I NEED to know how that happened! I want to thank Bree for the opportunity to read and review this book, this is my honest opinion, can’t wait to read the rest of your books!
May 3, 2025
oh god this was HORRIBLE!!!
I was really excited for this book thinking it’s gonna ruin me and make me cry, instead I WAS SO FUCKING PISSED OFF AND IRRITATED i almost dnf'd (i wish i did).
It was a pure mess, repetitive and i didn’t find it sad at all. I really can’t tell you a single thing that i enjoyed about this book, but here is what i hated the most:
• Everyone in this book was either fucking annoying or evil and despicable.
• Matty got on my nerves the most with his stupidity (and NO, not in a cute silly way, he was annoyingly dumb) like can you use your fucking brain for once? and him being an annoying crybaby was my last straw.
• There are such really heavy topics in this book, however, it felt like there were glossed over and weren’t even there (e.g. Xed’s using and going to rehab, his SH tendencies and Matty being SA’d) They were written in the most superficial way like the author just randomly threw them but didn’t actually know how to properly handle them and brushed them aside.
which makes me wonder if you can’t portray such heavy themes (whether bc you’re not educated enough about them or you don’t feel like it) why would you even include them in the first place? SIGH. I definitely won’t be reading anything from this author again.
I was really excited for this book thinking it’s gonna ruin me and make me cry, instead I WAS SO FUCKING PISSED OFF AND IRRITATED i almost dnf'd (i wish i did).
It was a pure mess, repetitive and i didn’t find it sad at all. I really can’t tell you a single thing that i enjoyed about this book, but here is what i hated the most:
• Everyone in this book was either fucking annoying or evil and despicable.
• Matty got on my nerves the most with his stupidity (and NO, not in a cute silly way, he was annoyingly dumb) like can you use your fucking brain for once? and him being an annoying crybaby was my last straw.
• There are such really heavy topics in this book, however, it felt like there were glossed over and weren’t even there (e.g. Xed’s using and going to rehab, his SH tendencies and Matty being SA’d) They were written in the most superficial way like the author just randomly threw them but didn’t actually know how to properly handle them and brushed them aside.
which makes me wonder if you can’t portray such heavy themes (whether bc you’re not educated enough about them or you don’t feel like it) why would you even include them in the first place? SIGH. I definitely won’t be reading anything from this author again.
March 15, 2025
Holy crap! I’ve rarely ever in my life wished I could annotate an entire book! Taylor and Huckslee from “Finding Delaware” has me fall hard and fast for them BUT Xed and Matty healed parts of my heart I never thought could be healed. The journey of love can sometimes be hard and we all make mistakes but as long as we find our way to the ones our heart need then it’s all worth it in the end!
March 19, 2025
5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2/5 🔥🔥
"Matty’s the only person that ever mattered to me."
Xed and Matty served angst, and with everything Xed went through, I genuinely just wanted to shake Matty. But then hearing his side, his situation, his regrets… it was impossible not to root for them. They’re flawed, toxic, and so damn redeemable.
"You were made to be a father, baby, and you’re the best one I know. So don’t you fucking give up. Any judge can see what I see.”
Xed, Matty and their daughter Hannah are soo cute together. I ate up every scene with them. The way Xed had to be away from her for months on end? Pure agony. JUST REUNITE PLS.
The tension, the heartbreak, the longing was written so well, and Bree Wiley has most definitely made me a fan (I knew that from Finding Delaware itself lets be honest).
“But best friends don’t look at each other like you two do.”
I scoff, my cheeks heating up. “Like what?”
She chews on her lip, studying me silently for a moment. “Like no one else in the world exists.”
Like my childhood friends to lovers COUNT ME IN...Matty and Xed served this so hard all the angst and everything mwah. This was very much slow burn (they don't get together until the very end of the third part), but their healing was very necessary for both of them to work as a couple.
"From the stands, obnoxious voices call my name, and I heave a sigh when I spot Matty with Taylor and Christian, holding up a massive cardboard sign: Why are you running? Who’s chasing you?"
Best friendship OMG.. and looking at the end apparently
"So I tell him as much. And what does this asshole do at my declaration? He scoffs."
Overall Matty and Xed worked so well, beautifully messy, angst-filled, but ultimately heartwarming couple that made every struggle worth it. Lowkey the nickname Ducky tho made me cringe at times but who cares they were cute together.
End Notes:
Logan best man...the little snippet of his pov was amazing and
A Devon story might be in the works (I hope); Though tbh he irritated me most of the book because why are u the one causing unnecessary drama. I wonder who he will be with?
Need to reread Huck and Taylor again because 😘
Finished: 3/18/25 (FINISHED THIS IN 1 DAY GAH DAMN)
Coming April 15th!
Edit 2/17/25: Blurb is out!! I'm so excited to read this omg.
2/5 🔥🔥
"Matty’s the only person that ever mattered to me."
Xed and Matty served angst, and with everything Xed went through, I genuinely just wanted to shake Matty. But then hearing his side, his situation, his regrets… it was impossible not to root for them. They’re flawed, toxic, and so damn redeemable.
"You were made to be a father, baby, and you’re the best one I know. So don’t you fucking give up. Any judge can see what I see.”
Xed, Matty and their daughter Hannah are soo cute together. I ate up every scene with them. The way Xed had to be away from her for months on end? Pure agony. JUST REUNITE PLS.
The tension, the heartbreak, the longing was written so well, and Bree Wiley has most definitely made me a fan (I knew that from Finding Delaware itself lets be honest).
“But best friends don’t look at each other like you two do.”
I scoff, my cheeks heating up. “Like what?”
She chews on her lip, studying me silently for a moment. “Like no one else in the world exists.”
Like my childhood friends to lovers COUNT ME IN...Matty and Xed served this so hard all the angst and everything mwah. This was very much slow burn (they don't get together until the very end of the third part), but their healing was very necessary for both of them to work as a couple.
"From the stands, obnoxious voices call my name, and I heave a sigh when I spot Matty with Taylor and Christian, holding up a massive cardboard sign: Why are you running? Who’s chasing you?"
Best friendship OMG.. and looking at the end apparently
"So I tell him as much. And what does this asshole do at my declaration? He scoffs."
Overall Matty and Xed worked so well, beautifully messy, angst-filled, but ultimately heartwarming couple that made every struggle worth it. Lowkey the nickname Ducky tho made me cringe at times but who cares they were cute together.
End Notes:
Logan best man...the little snippet of his pov was amazing and
A Devon story might be in the works (I hope); Though tbh he irritated me most of the book because why are u the one causing unnecessary drama. I wonder who he will be with?
Need to reread Huck and Taylor again because 😘
Finished: 3/18/25 (FINISHED THIS IN 1 DAY GAH DAMN)
Coming April 15th!
Edit 2/17/25: Blurb is out!! I'm so excited to read this omg.
October 22, 2025
“You are, and always have been, the best thing that’s ever happened to me. And then Hannah was born, and I couldn’t believe how lucky I was to have both of you in my life. We were a family, Xed.”
I was not prepared for the ache in my heart this book made me feel. Wow. The emotions and situations were so different from the first book in the series, but for me, this one was definitely more emotional and painful. If I’m being honest, I expected a cute friends to lovers story with some kind of small conflict, but I was so wrong. Not even halfway through, and I had already cried so much. I felt like I was the one living through the pain Matt and Xed were going through, especially Xed’s. And I have to applaud the author for that. Her writing was so good that I felt everything the characters were feeling. I suffered with them, celebrated, got angry, cried, laughed—I felt it all. Any book that lets me live a story that deeply will always be an incredible book for me.
“Thank you for wanting me, Matty.” Like I could ever want anyone else. I kiss him back softly, a gesture we share only in the dark when we’re alone. It’s our secret, a rebellion against a world that believes two best friends kissing for comfort is wrong. But how could it be wrong when it feels so right? “I’ll always want you, Ducky,” I murmur against his lips. “Always.”
My god, Xed. I have no words. This character absolutely destroyed my heart. I felt for him so deeply—his pain, heartbreak, sadness, despair—everything Xed went through, which was a lot, I felt it right along with him. He really put me through it. I have so much love for him, and I will never forget him. The amount of love he had for Matt and Hannah was just so beautiful. This man yearned for Matt, and it broke my heart to see him put his needs and feelings last over and over again, which is why I loved seeing him finally start to take care of himself and set boundaries. Xed suffered for almost the entire book, so when he finally got his man and his daughter, I couldn’t have been happier for him.
“It’s all the years I spent wanting him. All the months alone wishing the one person I love could love me back. Weeks, days, down to the last nano-second of Matty and Xed, two best friends who will never be anything more or anything less.”
“You’ve been her dad from the moment she was born, Xed. Everything she is, everything she’s becoming, is because you helped me raise her. I’m sorry I fought it for so long, but I see that now. It doesn’t matter if she’s not your blood, she’s yours, and she always will be.”
The same goes for Matt, but with him, it was in the final half of the book that I really got to feel his sadness and pain. Throughout the story, it was clear that he was hurting too, but the author managed to hide his true pain from me as a reader, or at least that’s how it felt. Matt is such an endearing character, and I have to admit he frustrated me so freaking much at times. The way he treated Xed wasn’t intentionally cruel, because you could see the love he had for him, but it wasn’t good either. The worst part is that he did it thinking he was protecting what they had, and there were so many moments where I just wanted to shake him. I love Matt, though, and I’m so damn happy he finally woke up and got his man back.
“You’ve always been my safe place, Xed. The one person who sees me for who I really am. And I didn’t want to risk losing that by letting you see all the broken parts of me.”
“You’re such an asshole,” he mutters, but his mouth twitches into a smile, his anger melting into something tender. “A big, clumsy asshole, Matty.”
“Yeah,” I agree, dipping my head until our lips softly brush. “But I’m your clumsy asshole, Ducky.”
This was such a beautifully painful friends-to-lovers story, and I am completely obsessed with Xed and Matt together. Their connection was so strong and undeniable. I hated the years they spent apart, the miscommunication, and the fact that they kept hiding their feelings from each other—basically, I hated everything about their circumstances that tore them apart. But through it all, their love and emotional connection never broke. Their story annihilated my heart so many times that I genuinely got tired and frustrated. I could feel Matt’s desperation to have Xed back in his life just as much as I felt Xed’s pain and desire to finally be loved and chosen by Matt. It all bled through the pages, and it took me down with them—I felt every ounce of their heartbreak and longing.
“Shit, I gave you a hickey.”
“Good,” he growls, biting down on my earlobe because he knows how horny I get when he does that. “I want your marks on me, Matty. Let people know who I belong to.”
“Matty, I hate to break it to you,” Jenna says, laying her hand across mine. “But best friends don’t look at each other like you two do.”
I scoff, my cheeks heating up. “Like what?”
She chews on her lip, studying me silently for a moment. “Like no one else in the world exists.”
“I’m in love with you. I’ve always been in love with you, and I don’t want to keep running from it. From us. If you can give me one more chance, if you can try, I’ll spend the rest of my life proving to you that Pearl was wrong. That Valerie was wrong. That you are enough. For me, for Hannah, for everything.”
I have to say that the nickname “Ducky” is definitely not one I would normally love, but in this book, I absolutely did—because of how it came to be. The way these two met was just the sweetest, most heart-melting thing ever. Matt declaring that they were friends when Xed felt like no one liked him, and how Xed started to copy him and they just became inseparable—it was just so freaking cute and wholesome. That whole backstory made the nickname feel so special and full of love, and now I can’t imagine Xed being called anything else.
“What are you doing?”
He shrugs. “Going home.”
“But...what about the playground?”
Something about that question confuses him, and he tilts his head. “Why would I wanna go play if you can’t?”
Now it’s my turn to stare at him like he’s talking nonsense. “Because those are your friends.”
“So are you,” he grins brightly, tongue trapped between crooked teeth, and I don’t understand the feeling that flops around in my stomach.
“His home is wherever I am. He’s known it since the day he followed me into my house in the fourth grade—like a lost little duck. And he’s been mine ever since.”
They both had a lot going on, a lot of pain and insecurities that needed to be addressed before they could be happy and together. Xed experienced emotional abuse since he was a kid; he had no one until he met Matt and his family. It was so painful to see the amount of sadness and pain Xed hid—his self-harm, addiction, feelings of unworthiness—he just wanted someone to fight for him and love him. Matt’s story is also just as painful; he did not deserve the emotional abuse and everything that horrible woman did to him. Witnessing the words he had to live with hearing for so many years, how she reduced him and made him feel like he was nothing… ugh, it makes me so mad! Neither of them were okay, and they had to learn to first take care of themselves so then they could help take care of one another. I’m just so happy they got the happy ending they both deserve.
“You drive me insane, yet you’re the only person who’s ever made me feel like I belong. With you, love isn’t perfect. It’s messy, it’s complicated, and sometimes it hurts like hell, but it’s also the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced. I promise to be your partner through all of it. You’re my best friend, my everything. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that I deserve this family.”
“What do you say, Ducky? Will you spend forever with me?”
The tears spill onto my lashes as I let go of his hand to grab his face, crashing our lips together. “Of course I will. Always, baby. Who else?”
Who else could I love more than this?
Who else could be so ingrained in my skin that our souls speak without words?
Who else could walk through hell with me, hand in hand?”
“You make me want to be better, not just for you but for us. For Hannah, for the family we’ve built together. Today, I promise to love you the way you deserve. To never take you for granted, to fight for us. You’re my best friend, my heart, my home. And I’m so damn lucky to be yours. You’ve given me something I never thought I’d have, and I promise to spend every day making sure you know how much you mean to me.”
The found family trope in this series is so strong and so beautiful. It’s definitely one of my favorite things about it, but in this book in particular, that aspect was on another level. The relationship between Xed, Matt, and Hannah—especially Xed with Hannah—I just don’t know how to express how beautiful that was. Xed was Hannah’s dad from the start, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. They have such a strong bond—the way this little girl looked for Xed, how she missed him, how soft Xed was with her, the pool scene, the hospital scene, and the wedding scene… I cried so much in all of those. The three of them created this beautiful, loving family, and for me that was the best part of the whole book. Hannah was such an important part of the story; she added happiness, innocence, and unconditional love to all the hard moments of this book.
“Xed is the only one that exists to me. Him and Hannah. They’re my entire world, the axis I revolve around, my shining stars in the dark. I always had Xed beside me when things got suffocating. And then we had Hannah, and she became our reason to breathe. Everything she is, everything she’s becoming, I owe to my best friend. He… He raised her like a father. He is her father.”
My voice catches as I kneel down in front of Hannah, who beams at me. “I know we don’t share blood, but you’re the best part of both of us, Creetch. I don’t just promise to be your dad’s partner. I promise to be yours, too. To love you, protect you, and make you feel as loved as you make me feel.”
He kneels in front of me, wrapping his arms around Hannah, the two of them looking up with matching hopeful expressions. “You’ve been her dad in every way that matters, Xed. And now, we want to make it official.”
“Forever!” Hannah pipes up, throwing her hands in the air.
Tears start to spill down my face as I clutch the papers to my chest. “You… you both want this?”
“More than anything,” Matty says, his voice cracking.
I glance down at Hannah, who’s nodding furiously, her little face beaming. “You want me to be your dad, Creature?”
She plants her hands on her hips, crinkling her nose. “You are my dad.”
And on that same note, this friend group did not disappoint. How supportive and protective they were of both Xed and Matt, and how happy they were for them—it was everything. These friends, who really are more like family, are so special. The way they love each other and are there for one another, no questions asked, just fills my heart. I loved seeing Huck and Taylor; it was funny and weird seeing them as a healthy couple in this book. I’m so intrigued by Devon, I think he has a lot of pain hidden behind that “I don’t care” persona he shows. I actually like him, and I liked how he supported Xed in this book. I mean, I don’t condone how he did it, but I like that when he saw Xed crumbling, he was there—maybe not in the best way, but still. Salem wasn’t having a great time in this book, and that made me sad, but I love how great she is as a friend to all of them. I didn’t particularly like Logan in the first book, but in this one I actually felt bad for him, and that added chapter from his POV made me so intrigued for his story. I hope he and Salem get one, but I have to say that some things he said made me think that maybe, just maybe, he’s not as straight as he might think. But I’m probably wrong.
Another amazing book by this author. It was sweet, beautiful, cute, and so, so painful and heartbreaking. It made me feel so much, and for me that’s a five-star book. Like with the first, I just know I’ll never forget this story, and I may come back to it in the future. I can’t wait for more books from this author, and hopefully from this series.
“Our gazes meet, and everything stills. The world could fall apart, go up in flames, and I wouldn’t care right now. Because today, in this beautiful backyard, surrounded by the people we love most, I get to marry my best friend. Forever.”
I was not prepared for the ache in my heart this book made me feel. Wow. The emotions and situations were so different from the first book in the series, but for me, this one was definitely more emotional and painful. If I’m being honest, I expected a cute friends to lovers story with some kind of small conflict, but I was so wrong. Not even halfway through, and I had already cried so much. I felt like I was the one living through the pain Matt and Xed were going through, especially Xed’s. And I have to applaud the author for that. Her writing was so good that I felt everything the characters were feeling. I suffered with them, celebrated, got angry, cried, laughed—I felt it all. Any book that lets me live a story that deeply will always be an incredible book for me.
“Thank you for wanting me, Matty.” Like I could ever want anyone else. I kiss him back softly, a gesture we share only in the dark when we’re alone. It’s our secret, a rebellion against a world that believes two best friends kissing for comfort is wrong. But how could it be wrong when it feels so right? “I’ll always want you, Ducky,” I murmur against his lips. “Always.”
My god, Xed. I have no words. This character absolutely destroyed my heart. I felt for him so deeply—his pain, heartbreak, sadness, despair—everything Xed went through, which was a lot, I felt it right along with him. He really put me through it. I have so much love for him, and I will never forget him. The amount of love he had for Matt and Hannah was just so beautiful. This man yearned for Matt, and it broke my heart to see him put his needs and feelings last over and over again, which is why I loved seeing him finally start to take care of himself and set boundaries. Xed suffered for almost the entire book, so when he finally got his man and his daughter, I couldn’t have been happier for him.
“It’s all the years I spent wanting him. All the months alone wishing the one person I love could love me back. Weeks, days, down to the last nano-second of Matty and Xed, two best friends who will never be anything more or anything less.”
“You’ve been her dad from the moment she was born, Xed. Everything she is, everything she’s becoming, is because you helped me raise her. I’m sorry I fought it for so long, but I see that now. It doesn’t matter if she’s not your blood, she’s yours, and she always will be.”
The same goes for Matt, but with him, it was in the final half of the book that I really got to feel his sadness and pain. Throughout the story, it was clear that he was hurting too, but the author managed to hide his true pain from me as a reader, or at least that’s how it felt. Matt is such an endearing character, and I have to admit he frustrated me so freaking much at times. The way he treated Xed wasn’t intentionally cruel, because you could see the love he had for him, but it wasn’t good either. The worst part is that he did it thinking he was protecting what they had, and there were so many moments where I just wanted to shake him. I love Matt, though, and I’m so damn happy he finally woke up and got his man back.
“You’ve always been my safe place, Xed. The one person who sees me for who I really am. And I didn’t want to risk losing that by letting you see all the broken parts of me.”
“You’re such an asshole,” he mutters, but his mouth twitches into a smile, his anger melting into something tender. “A big, clumsy asshole, Matty.”
“Yeah,” I agree, dipping my head until our lips softly brush. “But I’m your clumsy asshole, Ducky.”
This was such a beautifully painful friends-to-lovers story, and I am completely obsessed with Xed and Matt together. Their connection was so strong and undeniable. I hated the years they spent apart, the miscommunication, and the fact that they kept hiding their feelings from each other—basically, I hated everything about their circumstances that tore them apart. But through it all, their love and emotional connection never broke. Their story annihilated my heart so many times that I genuinely got tired and frustrated. I could feel Matt’s desperation to have Xed back in his life just as much as I felt Xed’s pain and desire to finally be loved and chosen by Matt. It all bled through the pages, and it took me down with them—I felt every ounce of their heartbreak and longing.
“Shit, I gave you a hickey.”
“Good,” he growls, biting down on my earlobe because he knows how horny I get when he does that. “I want your marks on me, Matty. Let people know who I belong to.”
“Matty, I hate to break it to you,” Jenna says, laying her hand across mine. “But best friends don’t look at each other like you two do.”
I scoff, my cheeks heating up. “Like what?”
She chews on her lip, studying me silently for a moment. “Like no one else in the world exists.”
“I’m in love with you. I’ve always been in love with you, and I don’t want to keep running from it. From us. If you can give me one more chance, if you can try, I’ll spend the rest of my life proving to you that Pearl was wrong. That Valerie was wrong. That you are enough. For me, for Hannah, for everything.”
I have to say that the nickname “Ducky” is definitely not one I would normally love, but in this book, I absolutely did—because of how it came to be. The way these two met was just the sweetest, most heart-melting thing ever. Matt declaring that they were friends when Xed felt like no one liked him, and how Xed started to copy him and they just became inseparable—it was just so freaking cute and wholesome. That whole backstory made the nickname feel so special and full of love, and now I can’t imagine Xed being called anything else.
“What are you doing?”
He shrugs. “Going home.”
“But...what about the playground?”
Something about that question confuses him, and he tilts his head. “Why would I wanna go play if you can’t?”
Now it’s my turn to stare at him like he’s talking nonsense. “Because those are your friends.”
“So are you,” he grins brightly, tongue trapped between crooked teeth, and I don’t understand the feeling that flops around in my stomach.
“His home is wherever I am. He’s known it since the day he followed me into my house in the fourth grade—like a lost little duck. And he’s been mine ever since.”
They both had a lot going on, a lot of pain and insecurities that needed to be addressed before they could be happy and together. Xed experienced emotional abuse since he was a kid; he had no one until he met Matt and his family. It was so painful to see the amount of sadness and pain Xed hid—his self-harm, addiction, feelings of unworthiness—he just wanted someone to fight for him and love him. Matt’s story is also just as painful; he did not deserve the emotional abuse and everything that horrible woman did to him. Witnessing the words he had to live with hearing for so many years, how she reduced him and made him feel like he was nothing… ugh, it makes me so mad! Neither of them were okay, and they had to learn to first take care of themselves so then they could help take care of one another. I’m just so happy they got the happy ending they both deserve.
“You drive me insane, yet you’re the only person who’s ever made me feel like I belong. With you, love isn’t perfect. It’s messy, it’s complicated, and sometimes it hurts like hell, but it’s also the most beautiful thing I’ve ever experienced. I promise to be your partner through all of it. You’re my best friend, my everything. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving that I deserve this family.”
“What do you say, Ducky? Will you spend forever with me?”
The tears spill onto my lashes as I let go of his hand to grab his face, crashing our lips together. “Of course I will. Always, baby. Who else?”
Who else could I love more than this?
Who else could be so ingrained in my skin that our souls speak without words?
Who else could walk through hell with me, hand in hand?”
“You make me want to be better, not just for you but for us. For Hannah, for the family we’ve built together. Today, I promise to love you the way you deserve. To never take you for granted, to fight for us. You’re my best friend, my heart, my home. And I’m so damn lucky to be yours. You’ve given me something I never thought I’d have, and I promise to spend every day making sure you know how much you mean to me.”
The found family trope in this series is so strong and so beautiful. It’s definitely one of my favorite things about it, but in this book in particular, that aspect was on another level. The relationship between Xed, Matt, and Hannah—especially Xed with Hannah—I just don’t know how to express how beautiful that was. Xed was Hannah’s dad from the start, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. They have such a strong bond—the way this little girl looked for Xed, how she missed him, how soft Xed was with her, the pool scene, the hospital scene, and the wedding scene… I cried so much in all of those. The three of them created this beautiful, loving family, and for me that was the best part of the whole book. Hannah was such an important part of the story; she added happiness, innocence, and unconditional love to all the hard moments of this book.
“Xed is the only one that exists to me. Him and Hannah. They’re my entire world, the axis I revolve around, my shining stars in the dark. I always had Xed beside me when things got suffocating. And then we had Hannah, and she became our reason to breathe. Everything she is, everything she’s becoming, I owe to my best friend. He… He raised her like a father. He is her father.”
My voice catches as I kneel down in front of Hannah, who beams at me. “I know we don’t share blood, but you’re the best part of both of us, Creetch. I don’t just promise to be your dad’s partner. I promise to be yours, too. To love you, protect you, and make you feel as loved as you make me feel.”
He kneels in front of me, wrapping his arms around Hannah, the two of them looking up with matching hopeful expressions. “You’ve been her dad in every way that matters, Xed. And now, we want to make it official.”
“Forever!” Hannah pipes up, throwing her hands in the air.
Tears start to spill down my face as I clutch the papers to my chest. “You… you both want this?”
“More than anything,” Matty says, his voice cracking.
I glance down at Hannah, who’s nodding furiously, her little face beaming. “You want me to be your dad, Creature?”
She plants her hands on her hips, crinkling her nose. “You are my dad.”
And on that same note, this friend group did not disappoint. How supportive and protective they were of both Xed and Matt, and how happy they were for them—it was everything. These friends, who really are more like family, are so special. The way they love each other and are there for one another, no questions asked, just fills my heart. I loved seeing Huck and Taylor; it was funny and weird seeing them as a healthy couple in this book. I’m so intrigued by Devon, I think he has a lot of pain hidden behind that “I don’t care” persona he shows. I actually like him, and I liked how he supported Xed in this book. I mean, I don’t condone how he did it, but I like that when he saw Xed crumbling, he was there—maybe not in the best way, but still. Salem wasn’t having a great time in this book, and that made me sad, but I love how great she is as a friend to all of them. I didn’t particularly like Logan in the first book, but in this one I actually felt bad for him, and that added chapter from his POV made me so intrigued for his story. I hope he and Salem get one, but I have to say that some things he said made me think that maybe, just maybe, he’s not as straight as he might think. But I’m probably wrong.
Another amazing book by this author. It was sweet, beautiful, cute, and so, so painful and heartbreaking. It made me feel so much, and for me that’s a five-star book. Like with the first, I just know I’ll never forget this story, and I may come back to it in the future. I can’t wait for more books from this author, and hopefully from this series.
“Our gazes meet, and everything stills. The world could fall apart, go up in flames, and I wouldn’t care right now. Because today, in this beautiful backyard, surrounded by the people we love most, I get to marry my best friend. Forever.”
April 11, 2025
Xed has never felt wanted, not by his mother who abandoned him at birth practically. It may stem from his Filipino aunt spewing nonsense at him on a daily basis. There has only been one place he ever felt wanted or that he belonged and that was with Matthew Albrecht. Since that day after school following him home they’d been inseparable. That is until Valarie got her claws into Matty, she was the tipping point for their relationship. After that there were uphill and downhill battles, crazy baby momma drama, and the NFL draft. Then there’s the WEDDING of everyone’s nightmares. Watching your best friend, the only person you’ve ever loved, leave and choose someone else. How would you react?
Matty has always been the biggest, loudest guy in the room. The day he ask the shy kid who smells like moth balls to hang out, he probably didn’t expect he’d find his best friend at the same time. Stealing street signs for each other, tending to burns, and being attached at the hip. When unknown feelings start to arise he pushes them aside, just accepting it as a “best friends” deal. But when things start to get a bit more heated and physical he runs into the arms of the areas crazy girl. One mistake after another lands him feeling more alone than ever, then comes the draft, throwing his life and emotions into a bigger spiral. But the only person he wants and needs by his side besides his daughter is his best friend Xed, but Matty is the last person that Xed wants to see.
With Xed knowing exactly what he wants, and Matty being completely oblivious to what’s right in front of him. Will these 2 best friends be able to rebuild what was broken, or will the bridges be burnt?
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Bree. Freakin. Wiley!! EMOTIONAL DAMAGE MA’AM! Wow the roller coaster ride of emotions these 2 take us on is crazy! I cried through well pretty much this whole dang book. I hated but loved at the same time the emotional push and pull between Xed and Matty! Though the hurt/comfort sucked it was all necessary and worked with the story! Also the star of the show sweet little Hannah 🥹.
Matty has always been the biggest, loudest guy in the room. The day he ask the shy kid who smells like moth balls to hang out, he probably didn’t expect he’d find his best friend at the same time. Stealing street signs for each other, tending to burns, and being attached at the hip. When unknown feelings start to arise he pushes them aside, just accepting it as a “best friends” deal. But when things start to get a bit more heated and physical he runs into the arms of the areas crazy girl. One mistake after another lands him feeling more alone than ever, then comes the draft, throwing his life and emotions into a bigger spiral. But the only person he wants and needs by his side besides his daughter is his best friend Xed, but Matty is the last person that Xed wants to see.
With Xed knowing exactly what he wants, and Matty being completely oblivious to what’s right in front of him. Will these 2 best friends be able to rebuild what was broken, or will the bridges be burnt?
Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Bree. Freakin. Wiley!! EMOTIONAL DAMAGE MA’AM! Wow the roller coaster ride of emotions these 2 take us on is crazy! I cried through well pretty much this whole dang book. I hated but loved at the same time the emotional push and pull between Xed and Matty! Though the hurt/comfort sucked it was all necessary and worked with the story! Also the star of the show sweet little Hannah 🥹.
March 12, 2025
5.0⭐💫
♥ 𝓧𝓮𝓭 & 𝓜𝓪𝓽𝓽𝔂 ♥
M/M Romance
ARC eBook
Series: State of Us #2
‼️Check your triggers prior to reading. There are dark and heavy themes in this story‼️
Character Development: 4/5
Matty, I wanted to throttle you, hug you, scream at you, and kidnap you away from Val. Sometimes in that order, sometimes all those at once. At times I hated you. Hated you for not realizing the pain you were cause yourself and Xed. However, you are human and you grew from it. You got the ending you deserved.
"𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑰 𝒂𝒎. 𝑯𝒆’𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆— 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒌. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆." - 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐲
Sweet, baby Ducky... Xed. You didn't deserve the hurt you went through. The feeling of being unloved, of not being chosen. However, I am so glad that you grew from the pain, from the trauma. You realized your own worth and wouldn't stand for anything less. It's so easy to fall back into old habits and give into temptation and you didn't. You persevered. I see you.
"𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑴𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒚, 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒊𝒈 𝒈𝒖𝒚, 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆." - 𝐗𝐞𝐝
Hannah you are perfect. I love your shark obsession. I love how resilient you are. Your love for your dad and Fungus is so precious. Never stop being yourself.
Bree writes relatable characters, with sometimes extreme character flaws. However, we are human. We all make mistakes. If every time we read a book, the MCs are perfect, cookie cutters of each other, what is the point.
Plot: 4/5
The plot was engaging and well written. As with Finding Delaware, there were side stories building with the other cast within Xed & Matty's story.
Writing Style: 4/5
The book was well written, with no grammatical or spelling errors. Things were explained in a way that didn't feel like overkill.
Spice Level: 3/5
The spice was raw, desperate, painful and sweet all at the same time. The intimacy spanned between their entire friendship, with nothing happening until college. It was two men in love with each other stumbling their way through, but knowing they only wanted each other. Xed & Matty were meant for each other.
Overall Rating: 5/5
Xed & Matty left me feeling exposed but by the end I was stitched back together leaving a part of them with me. This story was so much more than love and funny little antidotes. It was a story of personal growth, finding your worth and at the end of the day healing. Xed & Matty's friendship was so sweet, so beautiful to read until it wasn't. Until the real world tainted what they had and there was no going back. The growth they both had separately and then together had such a healing impact. I loved the universe Bree has created. I have a pull to each of the side cast, I can't wait for their turn in the spotlight. Speaking of... the mic drop of a sneak peek at the end.... excuse me? My mind is reeling. Let the book hangover commence.
What to Expect:
• Best Friends to Lovers to Enemies to Lovers
• Addiction/Recovery Rep
• Second Chances
• Girl Dads
• Queer Awakening
• All the Pining
• Found Family
• Black Cat/Golden Retriever
• HEA
Content Warnings *can be spoilers to the story*
Cheating:
Third-act breakup:
POV: Dual POV (First Person POV)
KU: Yes - Releasing 04/15/2025
I received an advance review copy, and this is my honest review.
♥ 𝓧𝓮𝓭 & 𝓜𝓪𝓽𝓽𝔂 ♥
M/M Romance
ARC eBook
Series: State of Us #2
‼️Check your triggers prior to reading. There are dark and heavy themes in this story‼️
Character Development: 4/5
Matty, I wanted to throttle you, hug you, scream at you, and kidnap you away from Val. Sometimes in that order, sometimes all those at once. At times I hated you. Hated you for not realizing the pain you were cause yourself and Xed. However, you are human and you grew from it. You got the ending you deserved.
"𝑯𝒊𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝑰 𝒂𝒎. 𝑯𝒆’𝒔 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒊𝒕 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆— 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒅𝒖𝒄𝒌. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆." - 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐲
Sweet, baby Ducky... Xed. You didn't deserve the hurt you went through. The feeling of being unloved, of not being chosen. However, I am so glad that you grew from the pain, from the trauma. You realized your own worth and wouldn't stand for anything less. It's so easy to fall back into old habits and give into temptation and you didn't. You persevered. I see you.
"𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑴𝒚 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒚, 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒊𝒈 𝒈𝒖𝒚, 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆." - 𝐗𝐞𝐝
Hannah you are perfect. I love your shark obsession. I love how resilient you are. Your love for your dad and Fungus is so precious. Never stop being yourself.
Bree writes relatable characters, with sometimes extreme character flaws. However, we are human. We all make mistakes. If every time we read a book, the MCs are perfect, cookie cutters of each other, what is the point.
Plot: 4/5
The plot was engaging and well written. As with Finding Delaware, there were side stories building with the other cast within Xed & Matty's story.
Writing Style: 4/5
The book was well written, with no grammatical or spelling errors. Things were explained in a way that didn't feel like overkill.
Spice Level: 3/5
The spice was raw, desperate, painful and sweet all at the same time. The intimacy spanned between their entire friendship, with nothing happening until college. It was two men in love with each other stumbling their way through, but knowing they only wanted each other. Xed & Matty were meant for each other.
Overall Rating: 5/5
Xed & Matty left me feeling exposed but by the end I was stitched back together leaving a part of them with me. This story was so much more than love and funny little antidotes. It was a story of personal growth, finding your worth and at the end of the day healing. Xed & Matty's friendship was so sweet, so beautiful to read until it wasn't. Until the real world tainted what they had and there was no going back. The growth they both had separately and then together had such a healing impact. I loved the universe Bree has created. I have a pull to each of the side cast, I can't wait for their turn in the spotlight. Speaking of... the mic drop of a sneak peek at the end.... excuse me? My mind is reeling. Let the book hangover commence.
What to Expect:
• Best Friends to Lovers to Enemies to Lovers
• Addiction/Recovery Rep
• Second Chances
• Girl Dads
• Queer Awakening
• All the Pining
• Found Family
• Black Cat/Golden Retriever
• HEA
Content Warnings *can be spoilers to the story*
Cheating:
Third-act breakup:
POV: Dual POV (First Person POV)
KU: Yes - Releasing 04/15/2025
I received an advance review copy, and this is my honest review.
January 1, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️
I’m not crying, you are
RTC as soon as I don’t feel like crying when I think of Xed and Matty
🌶️🌶️
I’m not crying, you are
RTC as soon as I don’t feel like crying when I think of Xed and Matty
April 22, 2025
Xed and Matty's story is one emotional rollercoaster!
This book hooks you from page one, and once you start, it's impossible to put down. I was super stoked to dive into their story after reading the first book in the series (Finding Delaware), which already hinted at how intense this one would be.
These two best friends are like two peas in a pod, orbiting around each other with a deep friendship that surpasses everything. But, of course, there are people who'll get in the way, unexpected twists, and a constant push-and-pull.
It's a beautiful, intense book that'll have you crying at times, but the ending will leave you beaming from ear to ear. Xed and Matty's journey to their well-deserved HEA won't be easy, but trust me, every page is worth it.
Personally, I think Crossing Arizona has surpassed Finding Delaware (which I loved, btw!), and that says it all!
💛🌼🏜️🚸🦆
This book hooks you from page one, and once you start, it's impossible to put down. I was super stoked to dive into their story after reading the first book in the series (Finding Delaware), which already hinted at how intense this one would be.
These two best friends are like two peas in a pod, orbiting around each other with a deep friendship that surpasses everything. But, of course, there are people who'll get in the way, unexpected twists, and a constant push-and-pull.
It's a beautiful, intense book that'll have you crying at times, but the ending will leave you beaming from ear to ear. Xed and Matty's journey to their well-deserved HEA won't be easy, but trust me, every page is worth it.
Personally, I think Crossing Arizona has surpassed Finding Delaware (which I loved, btw!), and that says it all!
💛🌼🏜️🚸🦆
October 9, 2025
♾️⭐️
What can I say? It’s difficult to put into words what this book means to me.
Home? Love? it’s everything.
I was waiting for this book like kids wait for Christmas .
Since finding delaware I felt this huge connection with Xed that, at the beginning, was based on vibes but now I feel like him, now I can understand why I loved him so much since the first day (like Matty)
Their love story is not easy and beautiful. There is pain, grief and hate but it worth it.
I cried at the last chapter.
It was perfect. The best I have ever read so far.
What can I say? It’s difficult to put into words what this book means to me.
Home? Love? it’s everything.
I was waiting for this book like kids wait for Christmas .
Since finding delaware I felt this huge connection with Xed that, at the beginning, was based on vibes but now I feel like him, now I can understand why I loved him so much since the first day (like Matty)
Their love story is not easy and beautiful. There is pain, grief and hate but it worth it.
I cried at the last chapter.
It was perfect. The best I have ever read so far.
May 6, 2025
⚠️
🦆
🏈
So Bree Wiley can do no wrong!! I absolutely looooved Finding Delaware and Pretty Broken Doll. Now I can add Crossing Arizona to that list! Automatic buy this author!!
Bree knows how to write the broken boys that finally get their shit together and claim the person they love!! And I'm here for all of it 👏🏽
I loved Matty and Xed. I wanted to kicked Matty in the nards quite a few times but he figured himself out in the end. I'm not gonna lie, even though I knew there was a HEA there were a couple of times where I thought Xed would choose himself and tell Matty to fuck all the way off. Shoot the couple of times he did tell Matty to fuck off I was really proud of him! 😅 I am a sucker for Friends to Lovers and this book hit all the boxes. 🫠
Also, getting to see Taylor and Huckslee was the best! I love cameos.
I haven't read a MF book in over a year, but I will read Logan and Salem's book in a hot second!!
Started: April 26th 2025
Finished: April 27th 2025
Format: Kindle
🦆
🏈
So Bree Wiley can do no wrong!! I absolutely looooved Finding Delaware and Pretty Broken Doll. Now I can add Crossing Arizona to that list! Automatic buy this author!!
Bree knows how to write the broken boys that finally get their shit together and claim the person they love!! And I'm here for all of it 👏🏽
I loved Matty and Xed. I wanted to kicked Matty in the nards quite a few times but he figured himself out in the end. I'm not gonna lie, even though I knew there was a HEA there were a couple of times where I thought Xed would choose himself and tell Matty to fuck all the way off. Shoot the couple of times he did tell Matty to fuck off I was really proud of him! 😅 I am a sucker for Friends to Lovers and this book hit all the boxes. 🫠
Also, getting to see Taylor and Huckslee was the best! I love cameos.
I haven't read a MF book in over a year, but I will read Logan and Salem's book in a hot second!!
Started: April 26th 2025
Finished: April 27th 2025
Format: Kindle
March 14, 2025
ARC Review
Crossing Arizona by Bree Wiley
Release Date: April 15
Tropes:
Second Chances
Hurt/Comfort
First Times
Found Family
Best Friends to Enemies to Lovers
Bree Wiley has done it again, folks. Crossing Arizona is the second book in the State of Us series. It can be read as a standalone, but to avoid major ”Finding Delaware” spoilers, I would read Finding Delaware first. Plus, it’s just an amazing book so I recommend it anyway.
This book hurt. It was an emotional roller coaster. The fact that there is a child involved that they raised together and a horribly toxic baby mama adds such a complexity to this story that we don’t see a lot in books. Bree has a way of writing broken characters who hurt each other but at their core love each other so deeply and in spite of the pain, are still each other’s safe space. Matty and Xed belong together and fight their asses off for that HEA. I literally hope this series never ends because I love these characters so much.
Crossing Arizona by Bree Wiley
Release Date: April 15
Tropes:
Second Chances
Hurt/Comfort
First Times
Found Family
Best Friends to Enemies to Lovers
Bree Wiley has done it again, folks. Crossing Arizona is the second book in the State of Us series. It can be read as a standalone, but to avoid major ”Finding Delaware” spoilers, I would read Finding Delaware first. Plus, it’s just an amazing book so I recommend it anyway.
This book hurt. It was an emotional roller coaster. The fact that there is a child involved that they raised together and a horribly toxic baby mama adds such a complexity to this story that we don’t see a lot in books. Bree has a way of writing broken characters who hurt each other but at their core love each other so deeply and in spite of the pain, are still each other’s safe space. Matty and Xed belong together and fight their asses off for that HEA. I literally hope this series never ends because I love these characters so much.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 554 reviews