Ripe & Ready

Friction Fiction #1

by Elliot Kyle

Derek and I have been best friends since we were kids. Now we’re halfway across the world on a gorilla-watching expedition in the Congo, and I’m finally working up the nerve to admit what I’ve been feeling for years. Somewhere amidst the jungle hikes, one bed, and far too many lingering touches, the lines between us start to blur and things start getting a little... slippery.

The jungle is wild, but admitting my feelings for him? That might be the real adventure.
Ripe & Ready is a friends-to-lovers, low-angst, 19k-word novella with a HEA and the wildly questionable use of a banana. It is the first novella in a series of queer love stories full of big feelings and extremely unconventional lube choices. Because who says silicone and water-based are the only options?

Genres: M M Romance, Friends To Lovers, Novella, Romance, Contemporary, Forced Proximity, Spicy

77 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 24, 2025

About the author

Elliot Kyle believes queer people deserve stories full of light, full of hope, and full of big feelings that don’t have to come from pain to feel real. He writes queer romance with less angst and a whole lot more heart.

He lives in the South with his husband, their very spoiled dog, and a TBR pile that refuses to quit.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Given the banana cover and the title of Ripe & Ready I think I can be forgiven for assuming this was going to be another smutty PWP novella. I was shocked that there was some substance and plot! I can't even add it to my smut bookshelf because while there is some spice, it leans more towards friends to lovers and yearning. I'm not sure how to rate it because it's not mindless smut and it's not a full length book, so it sits in an awkward unclassifiable middle ground. The writing was pretty solid overall, but I don't enjoy shorter books unless they're smut/erotica.

How do people live while quietly yearning? I don't know how to survive it. There’s this gravity between us, pulling me in, and I’m either gonna combust from the heat or we’re gonna crash into each other and leave nothing but emotional devastation behind.

[Layy · Rating 1 out of 5]

We already live in hard times. This @dministration is already against minorities, the queer communities, and anyone who doesn’t follow their ideology.

What we DON’T need is to support an author who causes more harm to a vulnerable community and spews hate. We don’t misgender people, we don’t demand “proof”, we don’t act like a child throwing a tantrum when called out on transphobia.

I’m good on this author & these little novellas ✌🏽

[Sully (sulliedjedi)]

Nope.

[Jordan Fischer | julietfoxreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG y'all, I'm kind of floored because this little novella (that's ostensibly about unconventional lube) might be one of the best-written, swooniest things I've read this year! Ripe & Ready might be short, but I can assure you that you will wish it was a full-length novel. It's an incredibly earnest friends to lovers story that will have you laughing out loud on minute (I mean, it does have a major plot point about using mashed bananas as lube) and tearing up the next. I know a lot of people are curious about this one, but I'm here to tell you, this might not be what you are expecting, but you will NOT be disappointed.

I'm a huge friends to lovers fan, and OMG, Andy has been pining over his childhood best friend Derek for YEARS. He's risk-averse and afraid that making a move will change something between them, but he is also willing to drop everything for Derek, including going on a trek through the Congo to see gorillas in the wild. And when he finally has a f*k it moment and tells him how he feels, things move fast because Derek feels the same way. So fast that the guys don't have time to acquire reasonable lube... hence the banana. But... it works? And I will never look at bananas the same again.

The spice is HOT and incredibly well-written. The banter is EXCELLENT. I think I have more highlights in this 73 page novella than I do for some 400 page novels; Elliot Kyle can write some truly swoony turns of phrase. Truly, Ripe & Ready has NO BUSINESS being THIS GOOD, but it is, and I cannot wait for more.

[⋆★taylor★⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK I loved this!

[dj&books · Rating 5 out of 5]

No, I’m actually obsessed! This was everything I never knew I needed. This little best friends to lovers novella was absolutely bananas and so incredibly sweet! It was so cute, funny and fluffy and had me wanting more! The things you can use for lube these days LMAO Like this was some good shit! Please read it 💖

[carliereadssss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elliot’s debut MM romance novella is packed full of joy, banter, and SPICE.

I couldn’t stop kicking my feet like a school girl while also uncontrollably laughing at the internal monologue of Andy, one of the main MMC’s in this novella.

This novella follows two best friends, Andy and Derek, who are on an expedition in the Congo observing western lowland gorillas, a dream of Derek’s. Andy is in love with Derek, but has yet to spill the beans and what better time to confess your love than in the middle of the actual jungle, sharing one bed with your best friend who you have been in love with for the last 10 years?

You may be thinking, a SPICY novella in the middle of a jungle? Yes, they get very creative.. with the help of a banana.. or two *wink wink*

*Thank you Elliot Kyle for my eARC*

[Lola · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yea we're not being trash humans, thanks. Retracting my previous review because I don't want to read the work of people who intentionally misgender others.

[Christina Sturgill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5/5 🌟
Spice: 3/5 🌶️
Characters: Andy and Derek

Why was this so damn good? It was less than 100 pages, and I was obsessed from the first page.
It was funny, sweet, swoony, steamy, had emotional moments, and characters that are impossible to not love.
Seriously, the only reason this wasn't 5 stars is because it was too short. I wanted way more of these two.
Also, Andy's inner monologue - eerily relatable.

[Annica ⚡️ annica_reads_books ⚡️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Banana bread, or banana bred?

You’ve might have heard of the “banana bread” 🍞 thing on TikTok, but have you heard of being “banana bred?” Here’s your chance to find out. 😏 This MM romance novella was a sweet and slippery good time! 🍌

[Audi♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll never look at bananas the same 🤭

[Madam Ra]

edit my review
How sad it is to write something so funny and yet not support the community in all its colors..

[Cheeks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok. Hear me out.

this book?? this mfing book.

I thought I was signing up for a silly little vacation erotica involving the questionable usage of a banana. and like. yes. that happens. BUT ALSO I was served FEELINGS. and I was not prepared!!!!

*Stefan Voice* this book has everything

- Besties to lovers
- Pining
- only one bed
- schmoop
- sickening sweetness
- spice
- pining
- an entirely too relatable internal monologue
- Good boy

It’s somehow the perfect combo of unhinged, deeply horny, aggressively romantic, and SO stupidly funny?? like I was actually cackling. not “heh” funny. I mean full-body, wheezing, had to put my phone down to recover type of laughter. and then 2 seconds later i’m clutching my chest because the prose is, like, hauntingly beautiful?? like where did that come from?? Kyle just casually drops these little poetic gut-punches like it’s nothing. i’m laughing one second and then suddenly hit with a sentence so gorgeous i have to stare at the wall for a bit. make it make sense.

the pining? devastating. the schmoop? weaponized. the lube? not FDA approved. the vibe? immaculate.

I cannot believe this is a debut. disrespectful, honestly. i’m obsessed.

anyway if you want to laugh until you choke, fall in love with two idiots in the jungle, and never be able to look at a banana the same again, please read Ripe & Ready by Elliot Kyle. 10/10. would like to personally thank this book for the serotonin and give it a lil kiss on the forehead.

[Tropes_and_Taboo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ripe And Ready by Elliot Kyle
⭐⭐⭐⭐🌶️🌶️🌶️
Standalone * Single POV * Grumpy x Sunshine * Friends To Lovers * MM * Rimming * Questionable Use of Bananas * Low Angst * 77 pages

Have you ever sat around at a family gathering and wondered the age-old question: "what exactly is breakfast porn?" Well, grab this fun little story and it will explain everything you need to know. I originally had this pegged for my Feral Friday post, but changed my mind because I honestly adored this story and their blossoming romance. It deserved a non-feral homage.

Okay...maybe you won’t learn everything you need for a full breakfast… but you WILL learn how one overripe, end-of-week organic banana (high in potassium) can be considered nature’s lube, making it perfectly suitable for becoming banana-bred. (<--No spelling mistake here)

Are you still with me? I hope so, because aside from the questionable lube, this story is incredibly heartwarming and sweet. It’s told entirely from the POV of one of our MMC, who is riddled with anxiety and intrusive fears, very much stuck in his own head and worrying about everything around him. Meanwhile, our love interest is our wonderfully adventurous best friend, who is our sunshine to the grumpy, and  shines as bright as a ripe banana. 

[Boys From The Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Considering the title and the cover, I was not expecting to swoon all over this book! Ok, so I feel a little weird around bananas now, but wow this was fun.
Friends to lovers, pining, great giggles and banter. For a short novella it packed a lot in (pun…intended 😆)
This own voice story was well written, with great pace and plenty of spicy heat.
I had a great time with this one, I’m looking forward to reading more from Elliot.

[Reading With April · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, that was a way to use a banana 🍌 that never crossed my mind, lol.

[Heather K (dentist in my spare time)]

Thank you for the gift, GiGi's helping Santa spread good cheer!

[Ronnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just read this and it was SO GOOD. So funny and surprisingly sweet (surprising just cuz of the creative lube set up).

[A&#x1f984;&#x1f33b;&#x1f319; · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️


I mean this was cute and I enjoyed it a lot and then once they got together, my interest was kind of lost tbh. So yeah, cute, hot spice (and the banana stuff doesn’t feel as strange as it should) and sweet inner reflections on their friendship. Single POV. Would have maybe liked at least one chapter from Derek’s POV. The cover feels wildly aggressive for what this story actually is.

[Jennifer (sobrietyandbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm generally not a novella reader simply because I usually wind up getting attached to the characters & then a lot feels unfinished. This series though? No notes. I am actually shocked at how the author is able to give us a complete story within less than 100 pages; every point I need hit in order to make a story feel complete is checked off & executed so well. The writing is incredible - funny, emotions, witty, full of humor & depth. I am genuinely blown away & if this is what Elliot is giving us within 80 pages I can't wait to see what a full length novel from him will give.

[Jo · Rating 1 out of 5]

* Editing to drop my overall rating. I do not want to platform an author that attacks the trans and neurodivergent (and probably other) communities

There are two gorillas inside me
Gorilla A
Mildly allergic to bananas and might need an antihistamine shot for consuming this book.
Gorilla B
Desperately wants banana bre(a)d now and would still need the aforementioned antihistamine.

This was sweet? Friends to lovers is one of my favorite tropes and this one did not disappoint! The humor was good! I chuckled, I swooned, I adored this little novella!

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

To the person on reddit who hyped up this novella…May your pillow always be cool.

This was such a great novella that jumped right into Derek and Andy’s story. I didn’t feel like I missed out on anything except for the fact that I would have loved more of them, but it’s a novella so that wouldn’t make sense. I’ll be here for the next installment!

[Eddy Munoz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a cute and fun read! TBH i kind of didn’t know if i was going to like this much because im not really into novellas. Especially when i really end up like the characters and i just want more lol. Even though i did feel that way, the story still held me over.

“How do people live while quietly yearning?” YES!! Ugh this was my favorite part of this novella was the yearninggg. Within 70 something pages of this story, you could really feel the yearning and the angst between Andy and Derek. Authors pleaseeee bring back men who yearn in books.

Something that also really struck me was the intimate/spicy scenes. Even though the premise with the bananas was so outlandish, the scenes still felt really real and authentic to me? For example when they came back from the jungle all dirty i was like wow they actually are acknowledging that they need to take a shower before doing the deed! You can always tell a woman wrote an MM story when the male characters don’t shower before getting down to business LMAO. So Elliot thank you for that ☠️

All in all i really loved this short story but i just wish it was a little longer! Sidebar, selfishly i couldn’t give this 5 stars because my little brothers name is Derek and i kept getting the ick lmaooo.

[Ashe Hale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absurd premise aside, this was so incredibly sweet and fluffy, I need more from this author immediately!
So glad for partaking in this journey, it was not the adventure I had anticipated but an adventure I loved... much like Andi
Visceral pining, ridiculous humour and disarmingly romantic, this was a trip from start to finish

[malia ݁⋆⭒˚.⋆ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ˚₊‧꒰ა ♡ ໒꒱ ‧₊˚


This was fun & sweet. I really Loved it <3




“Courage isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something you build one wobbly-ass step at a time and maybe it gets a little easier when someone keeps showing up to remind you that version of yourself exists.”👏🏻





“I’d follow you anywhere.”🥹🥹🥹

[Travis Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great debut novella! Funny, heartwarming, and so so hot I’ll probably not look at a banana the same for a while. With andy I saw a lot of myself and it was nice seeing his progression throughout the story.

Can’t wait for the next installment and more!

[Jaseryx · Rating 3 out of 5]

A ridiculous and sweet short ostensibly about what lube will do in a pinch but actually about being brave enough to ask so you may receive. Unfortunately written in Internet forum vernacular, the author defo nailed the chronically online gen z voice.

[Amanda Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was giggling throughout this novella!

It was short and sweet, the 2 mmcs were so sweet, and the premise also was adorable.

Banana bred made me snort and choke on my pretzels 🤣

This is just a fun little read between books, a good palette cleanser !

[what_emmareadnext · Rating 5 out of 5]

I may never look at a banana the same way 🤣

I absolutely loved this book! Funny, full of heart and zero angst- what’s not to love? The humour was great, I loved the way it was written.
Fun short novella, loved it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Sara Hall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Did I read this because of the dedication? 1000%. But I loved it!

This was ridiculous, silly, maybe a little gross? I don’t care. I ate it up.

The banana pun after the spice? Laughed out loud. 🤣

4.5⭐️