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Sweat
Tommy
I should hate Rowan Hughes. He was a bully when we were kids, and now I find out he’s messed around with my girlfriend. But how can I hate the campus soccer star when he’s everything I’ve always wanted to be?
With my reputation on the line, I can’t let Rowan get away with humiliating me in front of people I know—people we both go to school with.
When he swears he didn’t know Annalese was my girlfriend, I actually believe him. When he says I’m good enough to play beside him, I want to believe that too. But when he insists he’s not gay, all I want is to prove him wrong.
Rowan
I made one dumb decision at a party, and now Tommy Mathison thinks I’m into his girl. He couldn’t be more wrong, but it’s not because I’m gay. It’s because I’m weak. Now I’ve got a beefed-up babyface’s knuckle prints bruising the side of my face, and I can’t get him out of my head.
Tommy isn’t weak, and he may just be the missing piece my team needs to win a championship before I go pro. I don’t know why he quit soccer after high school, but getting him back on the field is easy. Keeping him close without losing control? That’s the real challenge.
SWEAT is a high-spice hurt/comfort sports romance that deals with heavy themes related to identity, mental health, grief, and coping with past trauma. This book is intended for readers age 18 and up.
I should hate Rowan Hughes. He was a bully when we were kids, and now I find out he’s messed around with my girlfriend. But how can I hate the campus soccer star when he’s everything I’ve always wanted to be?
With my reputation on the line, I can’t let Rowan get away with humiliating me in front of people I know—people we both go to school with.
When he swears he didn’t know Annalese was my girlfriend, I actually believe him. When he says I’m good enough to play beside him, I want to believe that too. But when he insists he’s not gay, all I want is to prove him wrong.
Rowan
I made one dumb decision at a party, and now Tommy Mathison thinks I’m into his girl. He couldn’t be more wrong, but it’s not because I’m gay. It’s because I’m weak. Now I’ve got a beefed-up babyface’s knuckle prints bruising the side of my face, and I can’t get him out of my head.
Tommy isn’t weak, and he may just be the missing piece my team needs to win a championship before I go pro. I don’t know why he quit soccer after high school, but getting him back on the field is easy. Keeping him close without losing control? That’s the real challenge.
SWEAT is a high-spice hurt/comfort sports romance that deals with heavy themes related to identity, mental health, grief, and coping with past trauma. This book is intended for readers age 18 and up.
463 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 1, 2025
644 people are currently reading
2439 people want to read
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June 30, 2025
MM Romance
Debut
DNF @ 70%
I feel like I’ve been on a long journey with this book because I wasn’t feeling it at the start and DNF’d at 12% only to pick it up again and DNF at 32% but then I obviously picked it back up 🤡🙄😂 and skimmed my way to 70%. Unfortunately this story is just not for me and I’m going to explain why. Originally I DNF’d this because I hated the choppy writing style and while it did seem to improve slightly as time went on, I think this needs a few more rounds of editing. The second time I DNF’d was because it was hard for me to feel invested in either of these characters because they both felt so similar that I kept forgetting whose POV I was in and that choppy writing style was making me cringe again as were the nicknames baby boy and gay boy. 💀Then I read reviews from arc readers like myself to try and gauge if this would improve for me and they all mentioned how lovely this story is and that there is a lot of smut so I decided to go back to it last night when my insomnia kicked in. I have now reached 70% and have no intentions of finishing this book for the reasons listed above but also I find the content in this book a bit offensive.
This is by a male author and the misogyny is just off the charts. There are some books I can look over misogynistic bs because the plot or writing wowed me but this isn’t one of them. Every female character in this book besides Rowan’s adopted mom is really unlikable. All of the women the same age as the boys are desperate, cheating whores and the internal monologues of our boys are also problematic in the way they view women. This takes place in Sacramento, California and while there are misogynistic bigoted people in my state, this feels really OTT for this area. The internalized homophobia Rowan has for himself and others is offensive to not just the LGBTQ+ community as a whole but to women as well. It’s hard to have any empathy for Rowan because this book has been mostly smut and I don’t feel connected to him as a character at all. I don’t even have an understanding to why or how Tommy fell for Rowan tbh and I actually think that Tommy can do better and that’s not how I want to feel about the MC in a romance book I’m reading. The smut scenes in this book are overkill especially when the majority of them are the same scene repeated over and over. I was just starting to learn Rowan’s back story when I DNF’d and it feels like the same story I’ve read a thousand times but even more superficial because there’s only been smut. After this last and final DNF, I feel like 150+ pages should have been taken out and this might have had a chance at keeping my interest but in its current state it’s just not readable for me and I’m not vibing with it at all.
Also, Tommy’s mom is one of the most awful characters I’ve ever read. I can’t discuss all the reasons why without major spoilers so I won’t but she’s worse than Declan’s mom in Without You and I think that says it all. IYKYK. IMO there will never be a redemption for her because I just cannot believe how horrible she is to not only her son but her daughter and grandson. Holy shit she’s the absolute worst. 💀💀💀
I received an arc from netgalley and this is my honest feedback.
Debut
DNF @ 70%
I feel like I’ve been on a long journey with this book because I wasn’t feeling it at the start and DNF’d at 12% only to pick it up again and DNF at 32% but then I obviously picked it back up 🤡🙄😂 and skimmed my way to 70%. Unfortunately this story is just not for me and I’m going to explain why. Originally I DNF’d this because I hated the choppy writing style and while it did seem to improve slightly as time went on, I think this needs a few more rounds of editing. The second time I DNF’d was because it was hard for me to feel invested in either of these characters because they both felt so similar that I kept forgetting whose POV I was in and that choppy writing style was making me cringe again as were the nicknames baby boy and gay boy. 💀Then I read reviews from arc readers like myself to try and gauge if this would improve for me and they all mentioned how lovely this story is and that there is a lot of smut so I decided to go back to it last night when my insomnia kicked in. I have now reached 70% and have no intentions of finishing this book for the reasons listed above but also I find the content in this book a bit offensive.
This is by a male author and the misogyny is just off the charts. There are some books I can look over misogynistic bs because the plot or writing wowed me but this isn’t one of them. Every female character in this book besides Rowan’s adopted mom is really unlikable. All of the women the same age as the boys are desperate, cheating whores and the internal monologues of our boys are also problematic in the way they view women. This takes place in Sacramento, California and while there are misogynistic bigoted people in my state, this feels really OTT for this area. The internalized homophobia Rowan has for himself and others is offensive to not just the LGBTQ+ community as a whole but to women as well. It’s hard to have any empathy for Rowan because this book has been mostly smut and I don’t feel connected to him as a character at all. I don’t even have an understanding to why or how Tommy fell for Rowan tbh and I actually think that Tommy can do better and that’s not how I want to feel about the MC in a romance book I’m reading. The smut scenes in this book are overkill especially when the majority of them are the same scene repeated over and over. I was just starting to learn Rowan’s back story when I DNF’d and it feels like the same story I’ve read a thousand times but even more superficial because there’s only been smut. After this last and final DNF, I feel like 150+ pages should have been taken out and this might have had a chance at keeping my interest but in its current state it’s just not readable for me and I’m not vibing with it at all.
Also, Tommy’s mom is one of the most awful characters I’ve ever read. I can’t discuss all the reasons why without major spoilers so I won’t but she’s worse than Declan’s mom in Without You and I think that says it all. IYKYK. IMO there will never be a redemption for her because I just cannot believe how horrible she is to not only her son but her daughter and grandson. Holy shit she’s the absolute worst. 💀💀💀
I received an arc from netgalley and this is my honest feedback.
June 16, 2025
Horn-dogs with sad puppy eyes, as the author puts it, is the perfect summary of Tommy and Rowan.
Two boys; so lost, so sad, so in need of love and affection. So absolutely right for each other.
The chemistry between them was earth shattering. So much heat, so much angst, so much tenderness. Obsession. Clinginess. Vulnerability. Hurt/comfort. Filthy, delicious steam. All laced with the softest moments that made me choke up repeatedly 🥹
Some of my absolute favorite things:
🧡 Tommy calling Rowan beautiful for the first time
🧡 Them crying in front of each other (and not running from it)
🧡 The baby boy moments (which I’m usually not into, but it so worked here)
🧡 The unwavering certainty they have about each other; that rare, all-encompassing kind of love where there’s no doubt, no plan B. Just them. It was such a powerful thing to read.
Two things though:
First:
there is some OM action in the beginning of this book (random BJ), after they first get intimate. For some reason it didn’t bother me at all (and I can be quite iffy in that regard!), but I’m sure it will others, so here’s your heads up!
Second:
I really wished the author would have added a specific tw into the list at the beginning of the book (cancer, chemo, death of family member) because this is literally my one no-go while reading. So wow, did that smack me in the face when I got to it in the first 4% of the book. BUT I messaged the ever lovely Sandy (♥️) and she could reassure me to the extent, that I was quite confident I could deal and/or skip/skim, and thankfully I was right. In this instance the author opening up plot lines and then not giving them much page time worked absolutely in my favour!
Still, I think it would be fair to the reader to put that up front because it was still an important plot line and triggering, at least to me.
I still enjoyed Tommy’s and Rowan’s story IMMENSELY and I could not stop thinking about them, which - in my book - is the biggest compliment.
I’m sure this won’t be for everyone. The internalised homophobia was a lot, the way women were portrayed was… a choice, the steam level might be too much for some. But I can’t help myself and love it despite all that, because Tommy and Row were that good together.
I’m really excited for book 2 of the series, the blurb sounds fire ❤️🔥
Can’t decide on a rating, it’s somewhere between 3,5 and 4 ⭐️ but as it’s this authors DEBUT I’ll round up!
Thanks to GRR for the chance to read and review this arc, this is my honest opinion!
Two boys; so lost, so sad, so in need of love and affection. So absolutely right for each other.
The chemistry between them was earth shattering. So much heat, so much angst, so much tenderness. Obsession. Clinginess. Vulnerability. Hurt/comfort. Filthy, delicious steam. All laced with the softest moments that made me choke up repeatedly 🥹
Some of my absolute favorite things:
🧡 Tommy calling Rowan beautiful for the first time
🧡 Them crying in front of each other (and not running from it)
🧡 The baby boy moments (which I’m usually not into, but it so worked here)
🧡 The unwavering certainty they have about each other; that rare, all-encompassing kind of love where there’s no doubt, no plan B. Just them. It was such a powerful thing to read.
Two things though:
First:
there is some OM action in the beginning of this book (random BJ), after they first get intimate. For some reason it didn’t bother me at all (and I can be quite iffy in that regard!), but I’m sure it will others, so here’s your heads up!
Second:
I really wished the author would have added a specific tw into the list at the beginning of the book (cancer, chemo, death of family member) because this is literally my one no-go while reading. So wow, did that smack me in the face when I got to it in the first 4% of the book. BUT I messaged the ever lovely Sandy (♥️) and she could reassure me to the extent, that I was quite confident I could deal and/or skip/skim, and thankfully I was right. In this instance the author opening up plot lines and then not giving them much page time worked absolutely in my favour!
Still, I think it would be fair to the reader to put that up front because it was still an important plot line and triggering, at least to me.
I still enjoyed Tommy’s and Rowan’s story IMMENSELY and I could not stop thinking about them, which - in my book - is the biggest compliment.
I’m sure this won’t be for everyone. The internalised homophobia was a lot, the way women were portrayed was… a choice, the steam level might be too much for some. But I can’t help myself and love it despite all that, because Tommy and Row were that good together.
“I only wanna kiss you.” His lips fold tight together. He doesn’t say anything else, but he turns his head and finally looks at me. The sight of him makes me want to pull him to my chest and never let go. Screw a relationship, screw a five-year plan, screw gay or straight or bi, or whatever. All I want is one more moment with Rowan Hughes. Moment after moment after moment.
His hand touches my face, tracing my brow, my cheekbone, and the slope of my nose. “You gonna be okay?”
“I dunno,” I answer honestly. “Don’t think I’ve been okay for a long time. But right now, I feel okay. With you.”
“I think you’re the first person in my life to make me feel like I’m lucky.”
“You’re lovable, Row,” he tells me. “You’re generous, supportive, protective, and beautiful. That’s all you. I’ve never met anyone as special as you. What happened to you…what those people did…that’s not who you are, and that’s not why you’re gay. You’re gay because you’re supposed to be loved by a man, and I’m gonna be that man. I’m gonna love you. I’m gonna take care of you whenever you need it, and I’m gonna help you get through this. Anytime you’re feeling any type of way about what happened, I’m gonna be here for you.”
I’m really excited for book 2 of the series, the blurb sounds fire ❤️🔥
Can’t decide on a rating, it’s somewhere between 3,5 and 4 ⭐️ but as it’s this authors DEBUT I’ll round up!
Thanks to GRR for the chance to read and review this arc, this is my honest opinion!
July 1, 2025
For a debut book, I really enjoyed this story and the writing style, although there could have been some heavier editing to remove some repetitive events - this is a really long book!!
The chemistry between Tommy and Rowan was so good, and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. It was difficult to read all of the internal homophobia because it made me sad for Rowan, and for anyone who goes through that.
There were some events that felt like they could have been removed completely because they didn't particularly add to the plot, and instead slowed the pacing down. The androgynous customer, the party girl, and the birth mum just felt like they weren't relevant to the plot?
I also got a little confused with the terminology around 'soccer'. I'm English, football is the big deal here, and in my family there's just no escaping it, so it was really noticeable to me when things didn't match up to what I know. I don't know if American soccer is different but there is no position called point guard, and the person fouled in the penalty box isn't necessarily the person who takes the penalty - they have designated players for that who train extra specifically for penalty taking. Some things were just not true to my knowledge but again, I don't know if America do things differently!
I'm definitely curious about the next book though!!
*****
I received an ARC of this book from Book Sirens, and this is my honest review
The chemistry between Tommy and Rowan was so good, and I really enjoyed seeing their relationship develop. It was difficult to read all of the internal homophobia because it made me sad for Rowan, and for anyone who goes through that.
There were some events that felt like they could have been removed completely because they didn't particularly add to the plot, and instead slowed the pacing down. The androgynous customer, the party girl, and the birth mum just felt like they weren't relevant to the plot?
I also got a little confused with the terminology around 'soccer'. I'm English, football is the big deal here, and in my family there's just no escaping it, so it was really noticeable to me when things didn't match up to what I know. I don't know if American soccer is different but there is no position called point guard, and the person fouled in the penalty box isn't necessarily the person who takes the penalty - they have designated players for that who train extra specifically for penalty taking. Some things were just not true to my knowledge but again, I don't know if America do things differently!
I'm definitely curious about the next book though!!
*****
I received an ARC of this book from Book Sirens, and this is my honest review
dnf
July 12, 2025I am choosing to dnf @16% as it has come to my attention that, after the boys begin being intimate with each other several times, one of them receives a bj from a Grindr hookup. This MC does not tell MC2 that is has happened and has effectively taken away one of their "firsts" together without MC2's knowledge.
And just what the actual fuck, dude, why would you write this into the story? For what reason? I read the bj scene and a couple Tommy/Rowan scenes that come before, and I honestly don't understand the need nor placement of this park bj. Sometimes OW/OM scenes make sense in the plot but this one makes me nauseated.
Not safe for me, and there are too many books out there, so for that reason I'm out 🤗
And just what the actual fuck, dude, why would you write this into the story? For what reason? I read the bj scene and a couple Tommy/Rowan scenes that come before, and I honestly don't understand the need nor placement of this park bj. Sometimes OW/OM scenes make sense in the plot but this one makes me nauseated.
Not safe for me, and there are too many books out there, so for that reason I'm out 🤗
August 24, 2025
Ok but I do love a sexy sad book. Give me angst, longing, spice, and beautiful writing, and I’m done for.
THE PREMISE: when he punches the soccer player he used to hero worship when he was younger, and ends up being trained by him to make the team, where they both pretend to be straight and unbothered as he calls him “baby boy” as a taunt.
TROPES & VIBES:
- Wrath meets The Foxhole Court
- Hurt x comfort
- Slice of life about healing and embracing happiness and who you are
- Kind of read like a long fic [affectionate]
- “Baby boy”
- Amazing debut. They were both so lovely I could scream
- Was a touch too long, and had my two no-go triggers (I didn’t realise), and I still adored it.
4.5⭐️ 4🌶️
THE PREMISE: when he punches the soccer player he used to hero worship when he was younger, and ends up being trained by him to make the team, where they both pretend to be straight and unbothered as he calls him “baby boy” as a taunt.
TROPES & VIBES:
- Wrath meets The Foxhole Court
- Hurt x comfort
- Slice of life about healing and embracing happiness and who you are
- Kind of read like a long fic [affectionate]
- “Baby boy”
- Amazing debut. They were both so lovely I could scream
- Was a touch too long, and had my two no-go triggers (I didn’t realise), and I still adored it.
4.5⭐️ 4🌶️
September 1, 2025
Wow. Just wow.
RTC 🩷
RTC 🩷
June 26, 2025
⭐️ 5 stars ⭐️
🎧𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 — 𝙰𝚕𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝, 𝚂𝚘 𝙲𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎, 𝙼𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝚋𝚢 𝙼𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙷𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗🎧
// Swear it's platonic with your hands on my waist
Don't care what we call it 'cause I'm not thinking straight
Tonight or forever I'll take you any which way //
TROPES:
❤️🔥Animosity to lovers
❤️🔥Coming out
❤️🔥Soccer players
❤️🔥Black cat vs golden retriever
There are only so many times one can pop an ‘accidental’ boner for his teammate and still think he’s straight.
Cute hurt boys falling in love. Forever my favorite type of story.
Sweat had me feeling all my emotions, a super sexy but equally romantic and loving romance.
The tension between Tommy and Rowan was sooo good, the brojobs becoming secret hookups, the kissing turning into loving, and then everything. I loved seeing them heal their past wounds, learning what love is meant to feel like.
And the spice was plain HOT. A fitting title, ‘cause it’s hot as fuck where I live and that’s not the only reason I’m melting over here.
First times, backseat blowies, exploring hands, Rowan’s hot dirty talk — I need an ice bath.
All the sweaty smut aside, their relationship was also very sweet and you can see from the start that they care about each other.
They found their person, and I’m a romantic, so my heart is all fuzzy and warm now.
I absolutely can’t wait for more installments of this series, ‘cause up next we got ‘girlfriend’s brother’ and that sounds very very enticing.
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Homophobia
- Use of the f slur
- Grief/
- Depression
- Suicidal ideation and discussion of past suicide attempts
- Past childhood trauma
- Mentions of past child abuse (not graphic)
- Mentions of foster care
- Mentions of past bullying
- Mostly top/bottom (one switch scene)
- Cheating (not between MCs)
-
- Frotting
- Rimming
- 69
- Snowballing
- Light edging
- Semi-public sex
- Light daddy kink
🎧𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚌𝚑 — 𝙰𝚕𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝, 𝚂𝚘 𝙲𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚎, 𝙼𝚊𝚢𝚋𝚎 𝚋𝚢 𝙼𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚎𝚛 𝙷𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚘𝚗🎧
// Swear it's platonic with your hands on my waist
Don't care what we call it 'cause I'm not thinking straight
Tonight or forever I'll take you any which way //
“Relax,” he murmurs, then runs the tip of his tongue along his lips.
“It doesn’t have to be gay.”
TROPES:
❤️🔥Animosity to lovers
❤️🔥Coming out
❤️🔥Soccer players
❤️🔥Black cat vs golden retriever
There are only so many times one can pop an ‘accidental’ boner for his teammate and still think he’s straight.
Cute hurt boys falling in love. Forever my favorite type of story.
Sweat had me feeling all my emotions, a super sexy but equally romantic and loving romance.
If I only had the courage to stretch my finger out, I’d be touching him right now instead of just thinking about touching him. I want to savasana on top of him.
The tension between Tommy and Rowan was sooo good, the brojobs becoming secret hookups, the kissing turning into loving, and then everything. I loved seeing them heal their past wounds, learning what love is meant to feel like.
“I’m close,” he huffs.
“You gonna come for me, baby boy?”
“Fuck”
And the spice was plain HOT. A fitting title, ‘cause it’s hot as fuck where I live and that’s not the only reason I’m melting over here.
First times, backseat blowies, exploring hands, Rowan’s hot dirty talk — I need an ice bath.
“It’s always darkest before the dawn, right?” he says. “I can feel it now, though. The dawn.”
All the sweaty smut aside, their relationship was also very sweet and you can see from the start that they care about each other.
They found their person, and I’m a romantic, so my heart is all fuzzy and warm now.
I absolutely can’t wait for more installments of this series, ‘cause up next we got ‘girlfriend’s brother’ and that sounds very very enticing.
“Can we be happy now?”
I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Homophobia
- Use of the f slur
- Grief/
- Depression
- Suicidal ideation and discussion of past suicide attempts
- Past childhood trauma
- Mentions of past child abuse (not graphic)
- Mentions of foster care
- Mentions of past bullying
- Mostly top/bottom (one switch scene)
- Cheating (not between MCs)
-
- Frotting
- Rimming
- 69
- Snowballing
- Light edging
- Semi-public sex
- Light daddy kink
January 27, 2026
6 ⭐️
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
format: ebook
perfection. per-FUCKING-fection. if i could scrub this from my brain just so i could immediately reread, i would.
rowan and tommy are my perfect babies and this story was everything. i laughed, i sobbed, i could not. put. this. down. lowkey bummed i’ve read this book in january because it’ll be a hard act to follow for the rest of the year.
and you best believe i am sat here for all future jonah yorke books.
spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5
format: ebook
perfection. per-FUCKING-fection. if i could scrub this from my brain just so i could immediately reread, i would.
rowan and tommy are my perfect babies and this story was everything. i laughed, i sobbed, i could not. put. this. down. lowkey bummed i’ve read this book in january because it’ll be a hard act to follow for the rest of the year.
and you best believe i am sat here for all future jonah yorke books.
dnf
August 17, 2025DNF @ 1%. I’ve seen enough.
December 16, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Somehow, while I’m breaking down all over him, he makes me feel whole.
Tropes:
✨MM
✨Soccer players
✨He trains him and enjoys a bit too much
✨Black cat x Golden retriever
✨Submissive top x Power Bottom
✨Daddy kink (no age play)
✨Animosity to lovers
✨Coming out (lots of internalized homophobia)
✨Sneaking around
✨Virgin MMC
✨Hurt/Comfort
✨Found Family
⚠️Please READ the TWs before diving into this book. + I'm warning you, there's a useless scene of one MMC sleeping with someone else before they start dating. If you usually stay away from books with scenes like that, rest assured that it's at the beginning, short, and isn't really important or mentioned again. ⚠️
My review:
“It’s always darkest before the dawn, right?” he says. “I can feel it now, though. The dawn.”
I ate this UP. The tension between Tommy and Rowan was unreal. Watching those secret hookups slowly turn into something softer and deeper had me glued to the pages. What starts as stolen moments and heat grows into real care, real love, and honestly some really beautiful healing. Seeing them unlearn their past hurts together was my favorite part. There's A LOT of internalized homophobia, from both of them at first, and those parts and thoughts were extremely well-written. I 100% can relate to some of those thoughts or fears and I'm surprised how well this was written considering that Sweat was the author's debut work. I usually always feel like the whole internalized homophobia thing is only written to add "reasons" for one character or the other to run away or deny the attraction in the name of angsts, but it was much deeper than that in this book which I appreciate greatly. I also loved the way they both dealt with it in opposite ways, all while giving each other space and time to grow and let go of their fears/trauma.
Tommy is an absolute sweetheart, and Rowan is rough around the edges in that way where you just know there’s a lot hiding underneath. The way Rowan softens only around Tommy, how protective he gets of his baby boy, how far he’s willing to go for him… I loved that dynamic so much. And once the story starts peeling back Rowan’s past, his behavior finally starts to make sense. You really do have to be patient with him and sometimes, you have to forgive him for hurting Tommy. I feel like Rowan was the character who perhaps deserved a bit more focus from the author... but I'll explain why later. He's an absolute sweetheart nonetheless, and he grows into such a good and confident gay dude, I'm proud of him.
Their dynamic worked ridiculously well, both emotionally and in the bedroom. Sweet but confident Tommy, guarded but needy Rowan, and the way those roles flipped and blended felt natural and hot. The book is definitely long, but I didn’t mind because it gave their relationship room to breathe and for the character-growth to happen. (ALSO ... who doesn't LOVE a bulky submissive top being a total whiny and shy baby for his power bottom?)
Is she hot, though? I don’t even know, but she looked like the sort of woman that a guy like me would find hot, if I weren’t so fucking gay.
That said, a couple of plot choices near the end threw me off. Rowan’s reaction to being outed didn’t fully line up with how scared and in denial he’d been up until then, and the family trauma reveal felt a bit abrupt. It didn’t ruin the story for me, but it did make the climax feel a little messy.
“I’m close,” he huffs.
“You gonna come for me, baby boy?”
“Fuck”
I also am still unsure of the reason the author wrote that scene at the beginning, where one MC gets a blowjob from someone else. It didn't add anything to the story, no character-growth or any big realization. It happens, does nothing, and then it's not talked about again. I do feel like this book was a tad long, as I said previously, and that's typically the type of scene we could have lived without.
I'm also a bit disappointed we didn't dig a bit more into the reason Rowan is so into that whole Daddy Kink. Given his past and everything he went through.... It's definitely a coping thing for him, and I would have liked for the focus to switch on that, especially towards the end.
I love doing gay shit with Rowan more than I ever liked having straight sex.
Still, this was angsty, raw, emotional, and impossible to put down. I was fully invested in these two and rooting for them hard. The ending was really satisfying, and overall, this was such a good time. Highly recommend if you like slow-burn tension, healing arcs, and couples who grow together! (and soccer, of course)
A fucking sadist in the body of an obscenely buff sixty - year - old. Man looks like an aging gay porn star, like he should be bottoming for hung twinks in his office between practices.
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Somehow, while I’m breaking down all over him, he makes me feel whole.
Tropes:
✨MM
✨Soccer players
✨He trains him and enjoys a bit too much
✨Black cat x Golden retriever
✨Submissive top x Power Bottom
✨Daddy kink (no age play)
✨Animosity to lovers
✨Coming out (lots of internalized homophobia)
✨Sneaking around
✨Virgin MMC
✨Hurt/Comfort
✨Found Family
⚠️Please READ the TWs before diving into this book. + I'm warning you, there's a useless scene of one MMC sleeping with someone else before they start dating. If you usually stay away from books with scenes like that, rest assured that it's at the beginning, short, and isn't really important or mentioned again. ⚠️
My review:
“It’s always darkest before the dawn, right?” he says. “I can feel it now, though. The dawn.”
I ate this UP. The tension between Tommy and Rowan was unreal. Watching those secret hookups slowly turn into something softer and deeper had me glued to the pages. What starts as stolen moments and heat grows into real care, real love, and honestly some really beautiful healing. Seeing them unlearn their past hurts together was my favorite part. There's A LOT of internalized homophobia, from both of them at first, and those parts and thoughts were extremely well-written. I 100% can relate to some of those thoughts or fears and I'm surprised how well this was written considering that Sweat was the author's debut work. I usually always feel like the whole internalized homophobia thing is only written to add "reasons" for one character or the other to run away or deny the attraction in the name of angsts, but it was much deeper than that in this book which I appreciate greatly. I also loved the way they both dealt with it in opposite ways, all while giving each other space and time to grow and let go of their fears/trauma.
Tommy is an absolute sweetheart, and Rowan is rough around the edges in that way where you just know there’s a lot hiding underneath. The way Rowan softens only around Tommy, how protective he gets of his baby boy, how far he’s willing to go for him… I loved that dynamic so much. And once the story starts peeling back Rowan’s past, his behavior finally starts to make sense. You really do have to be patient with him and sometimes, you have to forgive him for hurting Tommy. I feel like Rowan was the character who perhaps deserved a bit more focus from the author... but I'll explain why later. He's an absolute sweetheart nonetheless, and he grows into such a good and confident gay dude, I'm proud of him.
Their dynamic worked ridiculously well, both emotionally and in the bedroom. Sweet but confident Tommy, guarded but needy Rowan, and the way those roles flipped and blended felt natural and hot. The book is definitely long, but I didn’t mind because it gave their relationship room to breathe and for the character-growth to happen. (ALSO ... who doesn't LOVE a bulky submissive top being a total whiny and shy baby for his power bottom?)
Is she hot, though? I don’t even know, but she looked like the sort of woman that a guy like me would find hot, if I weren’t so fucking gay.
That said, a couple of plot choices near the end threw me off. Rowan’s reaction to being outed didn’t fully line up with how scared and in denial he’d been up until then, and the family trauma reveal felt a bit abrupt. It didn’t ruin the story for me, but it did make the climax feel a little messy.
“I’m close,” he huffs.
“You gonna come for me, baby boy?”
“Fuck”
I also am still unsure of the reason the author wrote that scene at the beginning, where one MC gets a blowjob from someone else. It didn't add anything to the story, no character-growth or any big realization. It happens, does nothing, and then it's not talked about again. I do feel like this book was a tad long, as I said previously, and that's typically the type of scene we could have lived without.
I'm also a bit disappointed we didn't dig a bit more into the reason Rowan is so into that whole Daddy Kink. Given his past and everything he went through.... It's definitely a coping thing for him, and I would have liked for the focus to switch on that, especially towards the end.
I love doing gay shit with Rowan more than I ever liked having straight sex.
Still, this was angsty, raw, emotional, and impossible to put down. I was fully invested in these two and rooting for them hard. The ending was really satisfying, and overall, this was such a good time. Highly recommend if you like slow-burn tension, healing arcs, and couples who grow together! (and soccer, of course)
A fucking sadist in the body of an obscenely buff sixty - year - old. Man looks like an aging gay porn star, like he should be bottoming for hung twinks in his office between practices.
July 15, 2025
4.5 ⭐️ and this was a debut, ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!
This book was angsty and beautifully raw. The writing style and storytelling was just so smooth that it made it impossible to put down.
You know it’s good when it’s a long ass book and you’re sad it’s over.
Just want to hug these sad boys. Soul mate energy for real.
Some of the internalized homophobia was really hard to read. Though after finishing the book, it makes sense for the characters and their journeys.
Check triggers, we’ve got some big heavy topics in this one.
This book was angsty and beautifully raw. The writing style and storytelling was just so smooth that it made it impossible to put down.
You know it’s good when it’s a long ass book and you’re sad it’s over.
Just want to hug these sad boys. Soul mate energy for real.
Some of the internalized homophobia was really hard to read. Though after finishing the book, it makes sense for the characters and their journeys.
Check triggers, we’ve got some big heavy topics in this one.
July 24, 2025
This new author's debut novel is absolutely wonderful.
Tommy is a sweet guy who is a totally gay, but is kinda in the closet at the start of this. Not as much as Rowan, who is also totally gay, but has his own trauma that prevents him from admitting it for a long while, even when he and Tommy start to do things together.
The book warns for this in the beginning, but I thought I'd go into more detail if anyone is curious to know exactly what happens. It warns that one MC is with another other than the other MC but there is no sharing or cheating of the sort. Here is more on that below the cut: .
Of course, there's what starts off their love story - Tommy has a girlfriend at the start of this story, and she hooks up with Rowan (we don't see it, really, just Rowan describing the underwhelming event) and that is what makes Tommy seek him out, of course.
Tommy breaks up with her right after this, too, of course, so aside from under the cut and his ex-girlfriend, there's no one else for them in the story, especially when their relationship really starts to take off.
That out of the way, getting into the rest, I loved this. Tommy was so sweet and Rowan was more hard/rough around the edges, but he loosened up around Tommy so much and was so sweet with him. His fierce protectiveness of his 'baby boy' was wonderful too, I loved how much he was ready to throw down for his baby.
This was long, and perhaps it took me a bit to get through, but I didn't feel like penalizing the rating of this for that, because I was still enjoying this, it was just a long story.
But I loved that we got to know these two so well and got to learn so much about that. We don't learn about Rowan much at first and I was like 'okay why is he like this? Why did he call Tommy the F word?' and the story slowly unravels his past, his story, and what he's been through and it all starts to make sense.
Be patient with Rowan's story as Tommy is with Rowan himself, it all starts to make sense as the story goes along and more and more is revealed.
I love how great their dynamic was too. Tommy was the sweet one, the more submissive one in the bedroom as well, but he was the top almost exclusively, and it totally worked for them. Rowan was more of a power bottom than anything. We do get them trying it the other way once, but they come to the conclusion that they prefer their usual positions. Seems the other way around would be a once in a awhile type thing.
It just worked and I loved that. Usually I'd be bemoaning how it should be the other way around, because honestly sometimes the authors don't put in the work to make the sexual positions feel right or earned. But it just felt right for it with these two from the beginning, as well as them maintaining their more dominant and submissive roles even though Tommy was the top and Rowan the bottom.
Before I forget, Trigger Warning for: So just keep that in mind while reading this as well.
But while this is certainly angsty and these two both go through SO much, they eventually make it out the other side with a happy ending, and it's so wonderful.
Seeing these two get their happy ending from where they start is beautiful.
And I can't wait for Connor's story next...falling for your girlfriend's brother? Oh I hope like hell it's juicy and dramatic AF. This is an exciting new author that I can't wait for more from. This was an excellent introductory novel.
Can't wait for the next one - until then! 😍
Tommy is a sweet guy who is a totally gay, but is kinda in the closet at the start of this. Not as much as Rowan, who is also totally gay, but has his own trauma that prevents him from admitting it for a long while, even when he and Tommy start to do things together.
The book warns for this in the beginning, but I thought I'd go into more detail if anyone is curious to know exactly what happens. It warns that one MC is with another other than the other MC but there is no sharing or cheating of the sort. Here is more on that below the cut: .
Of course, there's what starts off their love story - Tommy has a girlfriend at the start of this story, and she hooks up with Rowan (we don't see it, really, just Rowan describing the underwhelming event) and that is what makes Tommy seek him out, of course.
Tommy breaks up with her right after this, too, of course, so aside from under the cut and his ex-girlfriend, there's no one else for them in the story, especially when their relationship really starts to take off.
That out of the way, getting into the rest, I loved this. Tommy was so sweet and Rowan was more hard/rough around the edges, but he loosened up around Tommy so much and was so sweet with him. His fierce protectiveness of his 'baby boy' was wonderful too, I loved how much he was ready to throw down for his baby.
This was long, and perhaps it took me a bit to get through, but I didn't feel like penalizing the rating of this for that, because I was still enjoying this, it was just a long story.
But I loved that we got to know these two so well and got to learn so much about that. We don't learn about Rowan much at first and I was like 'okay why is he like this? Why did he call Tommy the F word?' and the story slowly unravels his past, his story, and what he's been through and it all starts to make sense.
Be patient with Rowan's story as Tommy is with Rowan himself, it all starts to make sense as the story goes along and more and more is revealed.
I love how great their dynamic was too. Tommy was the sweet one, the more submissive one in the bedroom as well, but he was the top almost exclusively, and it totally worked for them. Rowan was more of a power bottom than anything. We do get them trying it the other way once, but they come to the conclusion that they prefer their usual positions. Seems the other way around would be a once in a awhile type thing.
It just worked and I loved that. Usually I'd be bemoaning how it should be the other way around, because honestly sometimes the authors don't put in the work to make the sexual positions feel right or earned. But it just felt right for it with these two from the beginning, as well as them maintaining their more dominant and submissive roles even though Tommy was the top and Rowan the bottom.
Before I forget, Trigger Warning for: So just keep that in mind while reading this as well.
But while this is certainly angsty and these two both go through SO much, they eventually make it out the other side with a happy ending, and it's so wonderful.
Seeing these two get their happy ending from where they start is beautiful.
And I can't wait for Connor's story next...falling for your girlfriend's brother? Oh I hope like hell it's juicy and dramatic AF. This is an exciting new author that I can't wait for more from. This was an excellent introductory novel.
Can't wait for the next one - until then! 😍
June 2, 2025
Tommy and Rowan embark on quite an unexpected journey in this story. I love their affection for one another and their willingness to provide unwavering support and guidance during their most emotional moments. Tommy and Rowan demonstrate significant emotional growth and depth, making for a compelling story overall.
I truly enjoyed this story. At times, it was tough to see these characters, especially Tommy, struggling so much, but having Rowan constantly supporting and helping him through his pain was such a relief. Overall, I couldn't get enough of these two and wholeheartedly supported and enjoyed their hard-won HEA.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
I truly enjoyed this story. At times, it was tough to see these characters, especially Tommy, struggling so much, but having Rowan constantly supporting and helping him through his pain was such a relief. Overall, I couldn't get enough of these two and wholeheartedly supported and enjoyed their hard-won HEA.
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***
August 1, 2025
Goddamn it… believe me when I say I really tried to give this book a chance, even making excuses to say I read the TW’s I knew that the term “fag” or “faggot” were going to be used but omg it was in every chapter AND AS SOMEONE WHO WAS CONSTANTLY CALLED THAT I WAS TRIGGERED 😭😭😭
i only read 31% of it so i can’t imagine how many times it actually shows up. ALSO, the nail in the coffin for my dnf was this line
“There’s a rumor going around among the girls that he’s gay, but i just think he’s autistic or something”
respectfully, im out lol.
i only read 31% of it so i can’t imagine how many times it actually shows up. ALSO, the nail in the coffin for my dnf was this line
“There’s a rumor going around among the girls that he’s gay, but i just think he’s autistic or something”
respectfully, im out lol.
August 2, 2025
3 stars. Solid debut, but man did I wanna tear my hair out at how frustrating this book was.
December 15, 2025
I loved the beginning of this book. I loved the angst. I loved Rowan and Tommy. Their families. The side characters. The setting. The sweetness between them. The pain and the healing.
I love NA romances and this was a good one.
What I didn’t love?
Daddy and baby boy. Sometimes it works but here it just weirded me out.
So many sex scenes. Like so so many. The book could have been 100 pages shorter.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
I love NA romances and this was a good one.
What I didn’t love?
Daddy and baby boy. Sometimes it works but here it just weirded me out.
So many sex scenes. Like so so many. The book could have been 100 pages shorter.
3.5 ⭐️ rounded up
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2025
3 ⭐️
⚽️ Teammates/College Students
🥅 Soccer Players
⚽️ Secret Relationship
🥅 “Enemies” to Friends to Boyfriends
⚽️ Found Family
🖤 No third-act breakup
🩶 Vers
🤍 OM drama (one scene after characters start a physical relationship, but before they’re official)
Sweat:
This easily could have been a 5 star read! Easily! It has so many parts that I LOVE! BUT! What ruins it? The rampant misogyny, homophobia, stereotypes, and loads of typos. The crazy thing is… these topics didn’t add anything to the story!
The good:
I loved the tension and the banter. Even though the physical relationship started early in the book, I genuinely believed these boys were becoming best friends! I felt they were age appropriate (e.g. Rowan talking crap about his coach when in actuality, he seemed like a good coach).
The neutral:
The OM drama didn’t bother me because they were officially together and it was part of the TWs, but it served no real purpose in my opinion. Mostly because it was never brought up/addressed. It also didn’t feel accurate to Rowan’s character after we found out he was saving his first time for someone he loved.
The bad
The misogyny: God, it was so awful and unnecessary. That’s saying a lot coming from me because I genuinely love a story with an evil bitch ex-girlfriend. I do not mind in the slightest reading about a woman as the villain to a male-male love story. So I was here for Lese being terrible. I loved to hate her character. But there was no reason for literally EVERY OTHER WOMAN (except Xiamara) to be awful. There is no way that all the female characters are so obviously throwing themselves at these men over and over again to the point where they offer threesomes after one guy says no. That’s that not realistic and only serves to make them look bad. It doesn’t help the plot! There was no reason to make Eve terrible to the point of saying “bye h*mo” because she was turned out. The author could have justice easily written their conversation to have a polite end. Also, the internal monologue for both of these men and how they think of women and speak about women is gross. I can’t speak to the accuracy of that because I’m not a college boy, but it felt unnecessary to speak about women that way.
The homophobia/Sterotypes: I get that internalized homophobia is a huge part of this story and both boys are coming to terms with their sexuality, but it is 2025 and we are past bullshit like “Is this proof I’m not actually gay? That I can’t stand 80s pop karaoke and none of the dudes here turn me on?” And “Being gay would explain how sensitive I’ve always been.” And “As Lady Gaga sang, I was born this way. Shit, I really am gay” We can do better than this.
There are also some character traits that didn’t feel consistent. Example: Earky on Rowan thinks that Tommy doesn’t have a reason to be depressed. Later he shared how he’s been suicidal and even attempted suicide, so you would think he knows that depression doesn’t always have a reason.
Random thoughts:
Why is a grown man using the phrase smooch and tummy so often? Why did we use the words cummy (not even a word, actually) and scrotum during sex scenes? Scrotum was used 9 times!
Poor Paul was so wronged! We’re led to think Tommy’s sister is a decent person and we’re sad because she’s dying of cancer and then we find out she lied to the whole family (including her son) about her baby daddy abandoning him! I thought, maybe she’s protecting him… but no! She’s just being a crappy Mom by not telling the father he had a kid and giving them the chance to be in each other’s lives. But she’s perfectly fine seeing him out to tell him about his son now that she’s dying and needs somewhere for Mav to go. So this poor man finds out he has a 7 year old and will randomly have to take him full time in 6 months or so and he can’t even be mad at his baby Mama because she’s dying. I get that we need somewhere for Mav to end the story since he can’t stay with his grandma or uncle but this made me so angry. JUSTICE FOR PAUL!!!
The worst quote award goes to… 🥁
“Men can’t be sluts, Becky,” Levi chortles, ducking under the pool table just in the nick of time. “That’s called being men!”
Lastly, I don’t mind a typo or two because we’re all human. This book has at least eight that I found which is WAY too many. Like I’ll proofread for free.
⚽️ Teammates/College Students
🥅 Soccer Players
⚽️ Secret Relationship
🥅 “Enemies” to Friends to Boyfriends
⚽️ Found Family
🖤 No third-act breakup
🩶 Vers
🤍 OM drama (one scene after characters start a physical relationship, but before they’re official)
Sweat:
This easily could have been a 5 star read! Easily! It has so many parts that I LOVE! BUT! What ruins it? The rampant misogyny, homophobia, stereotypes, and loads of typos. The crazy thing is… these topics didn’t add anything to the story!
The good:
I loved the tension and the banter. Even though the physical relationship started early in the book, I genuinely believed these boys were becoming best friends! I felt they were age appropriate (e.g. Rowan talking crap about his coach when in actuality, he seemed like a good coach).
The neutral:
The OM drama didn’t bother me because they were officially together and it was part of the TWs, but it served no real purpose in my opinion. Mostly because it was never brought up/addressed. It also didn’t feel accurate to Rowan’s character after we found out he was saving his first time for someone he loved.
The bad
The misogyny: God, it was so awful and unnecessary. That’s saying a lot coming from me because I genuinely love a story with an evil bitch ex-girlfriend. I do not mind in the slightest reading about a woman as the villain to a male-male love story. So I was here for Lese being terrible. I loved to hate her character. But there was no reason for literally EVERY OTHER WOMAN (except Xiamara) to be awful. There is no way that all the female characters are so obviously throwing themselves at these men over and over again to the point where they offer threesomes after one guy says no. That’s that not realistic and only serves to make them look bad. It doesn’t help the plot! There was no reason to make Eve terrible to the point of saying “bye h*mo” because she was turned out. The author could have justice easily written their conversation to have a polite end. Also, the internal monologue for both of these men and how they think of women and speak about women is gross. I can’t speak to the accuracy of that because I’m not a college boy, but it felt unnecessary to speak about women that way.
The homophobia/Sterotypes: I get that internalized homophobia is a huge part of this story and both boys are coming to terms with their sexuality, but it is 2025 and we are past bullshit like “Is this proof I’m not actually gay? That I can’t stand 80s pop karaoke and none of the dudes here turn me on?” And “Being gay would explain how sensitive I’ve always been.” And “As Lady Gaga sang, I was born this way. Shit, I really am gay” We can do better than this.
There are also some character traits that didn’t feel consistent. Example: Earky on Rowan thinks that Tommy doesn’t have a reason to be depressed. Later he shared how he’s been suicidal and even attempted suicide, so you would think he knows that depression doesn’t always have a reason.
Random thoughts:
Why is a grown man using the phrase smooch and tummy so often? Why did we use the words cummy (not even a word, actually) and scrotum during sex scenes? Scrotum was used 9 times!
Poor Paul was so wronged! We’re led to think Tommy’s sister is a decent person and we’re sad because she’s dying of cancer and then we find out she lied to the whole family (including her son) about her baby daddy abandoning him! I thought, maybe she’s protecting him… but no! She’s just being a crappy Mom by not telling the father he had a kid and giving them the chance to be in each other’s lives. But she’s perfectly fine seeing him out to tell him about his son now that she’s dying and needs somewhere for Mav to go. So this poor man finds out he has a 7 year old and will randomly have to take him full time in 6 months or so and he can’t even be mad at his baby Mama because she’s dying. I get that we need somewhere for Mav to end the story since he can’t stay with his grandma or uncle but this made me so angry. JUSTICE FOR PAUL!!!
The worst quote award goes to… 🥁
“Men can’t be sluts, Becky,” Levi chortles, ducking under the pool table just in the nick of time. “That’s called being men!”
Lastly, I don’t mind a typo or two because we’re all human. This book has at least eight that I found which is WAY too many. Like I’ll proofread for free.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 15, 2025
a pleasantly surprising amount of emotional maturity for 2 college dudes. and dare i say too much sex? but again, its 2 horny and attractive college guys so i don’t really know what i was expecting.
June 24, 2025
I received this book as an E-ARC from netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
And honestly.. I LOVED IT!!!!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️/🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
If you are a lover of sweet MM romance, you’re going to love this book. Tommy and Rowan are both closeted gay boys who love soccer. As a young teen, Tommy admired Rowan’s soccer skills, but then Rowan called him the F word and caused him a lot of internalized shame around his sexuality. Years later in college, Tommy’s girlfriend is caught cheating (AGAIN) this time with none other than Rowan. When Tommy goes to confront Rowan, a punch in the face turns into a beautiful love story.
I would consider this an enemies (short lived) to friends to lovers book. It’s long, which I LOVE. Every scene was revealing things about the characters and their dynamic that it didn’t FEEL too long. The slower pace felt like a slice of life that allowed me to really get to know the characters and watch them fall in love over time. It felt so real and organic. Both boys were able to explore their desires and feelings and come to terms with their own identities and how and when THEY wanted to COME OUT. They did it at their own pace and gave each other the space and safety to do that.
There’s longing. A little bit of angst. So much passion and desire. There’s top notch banter and flirting. The way they spoke to each other was sweet, but not cheesy. It felt so authentic to these characters. The spice was HOOOOOOOTTTT but also so beautiful!
Tommy and Rowan have my heart. I can’t believe this was the author’s first book! I’ve read books from established authors that weren’t as well written as this. It had me giddy. I’m talking kicking my feet and squealing. Constantly saying “OH MY GOSH THIS IS SOOOO SWEET!!” “I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!”
There aren’t enough good things to say about this book honestly! I’m so impressed! I’m obsessed with this book and will likely order a physical copy whenever I can!
Tropes:
“Baby boy”/Daddy (Which I LOVED and it’s normally a little iffy for me)
Hurt/Comfort
Found Family
Soccer Captain/Trainee
Trigger Warnings:
F slur on page one and a couple of times throughout
Lots of homophobia (but pivotal to the story)
SA (not on page, but discussed)
Childhood Abuse and Neglect (not on page but discussed)
Terminal Illness/death of a family member (not super detailed, but it happens)
Some highlighted quotes:
“I’m starting to think you like me, babyface,”
“Don’t lose me,” I say, and he turns his head over his shoulder. “That’s what you told me. I’m just trying not to lose you. Whatever way you want me, I want that too. It can be whatever we want it to be. It can mean whatever we want it to mean, but if you want me at all, in any way, I want you too.”
“I don’t care what we are so long as we’re something.”
“After years of denying myself the fantasy of burying my face in a man’s crotch and taking him down my throat, I finally found someone I’m not afraid to devour.”
Thank you Netgalley and Jonah and Victory Editing for giving me the chance to read this book!! It’s a new favorite!
And honestly.. I LOVED IT!!!!
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️/🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
If you are a lover of sweet MM romance, you’re going to love this book. Tommy and Rowan are both closeted gay boys who love soccer. As a young teen, Tommy admired Rowan’s soccer skills, but then Rowan called him the F word and caused him a lot of internalized shame around his sexuality. Years later in college, Tommy’s girlfriend is caught cheating (AGAIN) this time with none other than Rowan. When Tommy goes to confront Rowan, a punch in the face turns into a beautiful love story.
I would consider this an enemies (short lived) to friends to lovers book. It’s long, which I LOVE. Every scene was revealing things about the characters and their dynamic that it didn’t FEEL too long. The slower pace felt like a slice of life that allowed me to really get to know the characters and watch them fall in love over time. It felt so real and organic. Both boys were able to explore their desires and feelings and come to terms with their own identities and how and when THEY wanted to COME OUT. They did it at their own pace and gave each other the space and safety to do that.
There’s longing. A little bit of angst. So much passion and desire. There’s top notch banter and flirting. The way they spoke to each other was sweet, but not cheesy. It felt so authentic to these characters. The spice was HOOOOOOOTTTT but also so beautiful!
Tommy and Rowan have my heart. I can’t believe this was the author’s first book! I’ve read books from established authors that weren’t as well written as this. It had me giddy. I’m talking kicking my feet and squealing. Constantly saying “OH MY GOSH THIS IS SOOOO SWEET!!” “I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!”
There aren’t enough good things to say about this book honestly! I’m so impressed! I’m obsessed with this book and will likely order a physical copy whenever I can!
Tropes:
“Baby boy”/Daddy (Which I LOVED and it’s normally a little iffy for me)
Hurt/Comfort
Found Family
Soccer Captain/Trainee
Trigger Warnings:
F slur on page one and a couple of times throughout
Lots of homophobia (but pivotal to the story)
SA (not on page, but discussed)
Childhood Abuse and Neglect (not on page but discussed)
Terminal Illness/death of a family member (not super detailed, but it happens)
Some highlighted quotes:
“I’m starting to think you like me, babyface,”
“Don’t lose me,” I say, and he turns his head over his shoulder. “That’s what you told me. I’m just trying not to lose you. Whatever way you want me, I want that too. It can be whatever we want it to be. It can mean whatever we want it to mean, but if you want me at all, in any way, I want you too.”
“I don’t care what we are so long as we’re something.”
“After years of denying myself the fantasy of burying my face in a man’s crotch and taking him down my throat, I finally found someone I’m not afraid to devour.”
Thank you Netgalley and Jonah and Victory Editing for giving me the chance to read this book!! It’s a new favorite!
June 19, 2025
This was a well-written book. Initially, I was concerned that the pace might too slow, but I think it’s worth the wait.
Rowan’s self-hatred and his unwavering refusal to acknowledge his sexuality made me curious about the events that had led to this. Tommy also grapples with internalised homophobia in the beginning, but it’s heartwarming to witness his journey towards self-acceptance and embracing his true self, even when faced with opposition from others.
I had anticipated a potential 3rd act breakup, but thankfully, they both stick together and work through any challenges they encounter. The author’s meticulous attention to detail, intimate moments, and passionate portrayal of their love story made it a truly enjoyable read.
——————————————
I received an ARC of this book from GRR, and this is my honest review.
Rowan’s self-hatred and his unwavering refusal to acknowledge his sexuality made me curious about the events that had led to this. Tommy also grapples with internalised homophobia in the beginning, but it’s heartwarming to witness his journey towards self-acceptance and embracing his true self, even when faced with opposition from others.
I had anticipated a potential 3rd act breakup, but thankfully, they both stick together and work through any challenges they encounter. The author’s meticulous attention to detail, intimate moments, and passionate portrayal of their love story made it a truly enjoyable read.
——————————————
I received an ARC of this book from GRR, and this is my honest review.
July 12, 2025
The second I finished, I immediately wanted to reread. Rowan is so beautifully written and Tommy is the sweetest angel. LOVE LOVE LOVE.
January 15, 2026
3.75⭐️
For a debut novel, this was great!
This book follows Tommy and Rowan, two college guys that are dealing with their own demons. When Tommy finds out that Rowan Huges, a bully from his past, has hooked up with his girlfriend, he goes to confront him. Little does he know that this interaction will kick start a relationship that will change his life.
This is a college romance with a side of soccer and angst. You’re going to get:
-college age dudes (20&22)
-soccer and workouts as excuses to hang out
-bigger, younger, pathetic, needy top & dominant but emotional older power bottom
-family issues & angst
-a lot of homophobia (mostly internalized), and navigating how to deal with it
This book had some good elements! The characters had rich backstories, and there were lots of moments between them that felt electric. The author did a good job of showing the characters’ motivations and hardships.
I’ll say too, this book is aptly named. These two are sweaty all the time. There are a lot of various body fluids going on, actually 😂
This book also has a lot of creative adjectives and word choice to describe sexy scenes, which was sometimes a little funny. The word “turgid” always makes me chuckle 😂
Additionally, there were a couple things in this book that could have been executed a little better, but it’s to be expected for a debut book. Some repetitive points were evident, and the characters’ personalities were a little same-ish. Sometimes emotional hurdles were kind of glossed over.
That being said, I think the book did do a good job of dealing with internalized homophobia. This is a hard subject for many to read about, so do check the TWs. This book did show a very valid experience with this, though. The mental stress and hurdles that the characters had to go through was really heartbreaking at times, but also seemed realistic.
I’m walking away from this book a little sad in the end, but overall it was still a good experience. The characters did get the happily ever after they deserve :)
For a debut novel, this was great!
This book follows Tommy and Rowan, two college guys that are dealing with their own demons. When Tommy finds out that Rowan Huges, a bully from his past, has hooked up with his girlfriend, he goes to confront him. Little does he know that this interaction will kick start a relationship that will change his life.
This is a college romance with a side of soccer and angst. You’re going to get:
-college age dudes (20&22)
-soccer and workouts as excuses to hang out
-bigger, younger, pathetic, needy top & dominant but emotional older power bottom
-family issues & angst
-a lot of homophobia (mostly internalized), and navigating how to deal with it
This book had some good elements! The characters had rich backstories, and there were lots of moments between them that felt electric. The author did a good job of showing the characters’ motivations and hardships.
I’ll say too, this book is aptly named. These two are sweaty all the time. There are a lot of various body fluids going on, actually 😂
This book also has a lot of creative adjectives and word choice to describe sexy scenes, which was sometimes a little funny. The word “turgid” always makes me chuckle 😂
Additionally, there were a couple things in this book that could have been executed a little better, but it’s to be expected for a debut book. Some repetitive points were evident, and the characters’ personalities were a little same-ish. Sometimes emotional hurdles were kind of glossed over.
That being said, I think the book did do a good job of dealing with internalized homophobia. This is a hard subject for many to read about, so do check the TWs. This book did show a very valid experience with this, though. The mental stress and hurdles that the characters had to go through was really heartbreaking at times, but also seemed realistic.
I’m walking away from this book a little sad in the end, but overall it was still a good experience. The characters did get the happily ever after they deserve :)
November 15, 2025
3.5/5
CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS!
i don't know... im not really convinced about this book.
I couldn't really get half their behaviours and it felt like a lot of things were forced.
First, Rowan. He was so closeted in himself in public and going with his "I'm not gay" conviction even after trying EVERYTHING with Tommy. And what do you mean he had so much trauma inside and we discovered about his past (not gonna say what problem he had to not spoil it for new readers) when Tommy got to know about it. I mean, we're in his head (reading his povs and all) and I didn't sense his problems AT ALL. I could NEVER have imagined what he went through because his thoughts never reflected on his external behaviour.
And about his "adoptive" parents... he said Matt's part of the family was kinda insulting him, and if Matt really thought about him as his own kid he'd defend him and that's why he wasn't calling him "dad". But just some chapters later he felt okay calling him dad all of a sudden? Kinda forced. There was no redemption arc for Matt in Rowan's pov so I can't really get how he felt okay calling Matt his dad. And with Xia, same thing. She was always good towards him but he never called her "mum". But after some i don't even know what episode he changed his mind.
Now let's talk about Tommy. I really appreciated how his crush for Rowan was hidden behind his fake hate for Row was described. I don't really have a lot to say about him as I liked his character better than any others. Maybe just the fact he thought about s*x all the time and half the book was about them f*cking in some way when the plot had a very good potential is my only critique.
Their soccer Coach sucked so much and i hated him.
Another thing i can't get is their group of friends. Rowan seemed pretty close in the beginning with Levi and when he started joking about being his best man at their wedding I got my confirmation, but then he disappeared through the end of the book. After he got drafted we didn't read about any party thrown for him or any friends that reached out to him to congratulate.
And what do you mean NO ONE defended him when he was forced to come out, not even Levi who had the audacity to joke about being his best man lol. What rights do you even have to say that when you were not on his side when Row needed you the most. That doesn't make any sense and i think this is a plot hole. Why would you make it sound like they're best buddies when there are no bestie behavior? Levi was all words and no actions.
I don't even wanna start on the supermarket scene where Raisel and Levi were just watching the homophobic as**ole insulting Rowan and Tommy and them not saying anything. wtf was that. acting okay in the locker room but in public acting like they were ashamed to be associated with Row and Tommy.
CONTAINS SOME SPOILERS!
i don't know... im not really convinced about this book.
I couldn't really get half their behaviours and it felt like a lot of things were forced.
First, Rowan. He was so closeted in himself in public and going with his "I'm not gay" conviction even after trying EVERYTHING with Tommy. And what do you mean he had so much trauma inside and we discovered about his past (not gonna say what problem he had to not spoil it for new readers) when Tommy got to know about it. I mean, we're in his head (reading his povs and all) and I didn't sense his problems AT ALL. I could NEVER have imagined what he went through because his thoughts never reflected on his external behaviour.
And about his "adoptive" parents... he said Matt's part of the family was kinda insulting him, and if Matt really thought about him as his own kid he'd defend him and that's why he wasn't calling him "dad". But just some chapters later he felt okay calling him dad all of a sudden? Kinda forced. There was no redemption arc for Matt in Rowan's pov so I can't really get how he felt okay calling Matt his dad. And with Xia, same thing. She was always good towards him but he never called her "mum". But after some i don't even know what episode he changed his mind.
Now let's talk about Tommy. I really appreciated how his crush for Rowan was hidden behind his fake hate for Row was described. I don't really have a lot to say about him as I liked his character better than any others. Maybe just the fact he thought about s*x all the time and half the book was about them f*cking in some way when the plot had a very good potential is my only critique.
Their soccer Coach sucked so much and i hated him.
Another thing i can't get is their group of friends. Rowan seemed pretty close in the beginning with Levi and when he started joking about being his best man at their wedding I got my confirmation, but then he disappeared through the end of the book. After he got drafted we didn't read about any party thrown for him or any friends that reached out to him to congratulate.
And what do you mean NO ONE defended him when he was forced to come out, not even Levi who had the audacity to joke about being his best man lol. What rights do you even have to say that when you were not on his side when Row needed you the most. That doesn't make any sense and i think this is a plot hole. Why would you make it sound like they're best buddies when there are no bestie behavior? Levi was all words and no actions.
I don't even wanna start on the supermarket scene where Raisel and Levi were just watching the homophobic as**ole insulting Rowan and Tommy and them not saying anything. wtf was that. acting okay in the locker room but in public acting like they were ashamed to be associated with Row and Tommy.
June 23, 2025
This is about Tommy and Rowan, two closeted college guys navigating identity, attraction, and emotional baggage. Tommy is trying to understand his sexuality, while Rowan is stuck in denial, carrying trauma that makes it even harder for him to face the truth. Their relationship starts when Rowan decides to train Tommy for the college soccer team AFTER Tommy fought him for hooking up with his girlfriend. And the chemistry between them was so good.
I loved this book. It was heartwarming, real, spicy, and funny all at once. The romance between Tommy and Rowan was just so well done. It was sweet, intense, and full of moments that made me feel everything. Their dynamic felt so personal, especially the way they were there for each other even when things got messy. And although I’m not a big fan of the daddy kink, I actually loved it in this book. It just worked for them.
What really made this story special for me was how much time the author gave their relationship to grow. I got to watch them spend time together, open up, and really fall in love. I felt emotionally invested and was rooting for them so hard by the end. And the ending was beautiful. Highly recommend!
I loved this book. It was heartwarming, real, spicy, and funny all at once. The romance between Tommy and Rowan was just so well done. It was sweet, intense, and full of moments that made me feel everything. Their dynamic felt so personal, especially the way they were there for each other even when things got messy. And although I’m not a big fan of the daddy kink, I actually loved it in this book. It just worked for them.
What really made this story special for me was how much time the author gave their relationship to grow. I got to watch them spend time together, open up, and really fall in love. I felt emotionally invested and was rooting for them so hard by the end. And the ending was beautiful. Highly recommend!
June 25, 2025
Rowan is the best soccer player around and belittling Tommy affected Tommy's life. When they meet again, Tommy is aggressive and it triggers a unique relationship. Neither guy wants to admit to being gay. and pour all their feelings into soccer, but they know they are the only ones for each other. It's full of angst, romance, steam and pain but I was surprised at the feelings triggered by this new -to- me author. Jonah has a big future as an author and I can't wait for the next book. I received a copy of this and this is my voluntary opinion.
October 24, 2025
4.5 stars.
Amazing. Exactly the style of writing I love. It reminds me a bit of the Sasha Avice book I read. Or Jillian D. Wray. This dynamic was perfect, the pacing was spot on. I could not put it down. The writing was so good. It’s hard to return to subpar authors who thrive on OTT drama and yoyo on and off relationships between their characters (looking at you Rina Kent.) Off to find the next book!
Amazing. Exactly the style of writing I love. It reminds me a bit of the Sasha Avice book I read. Or Jillian D. Wray. This dynamic was perfect, the pacing was spot on. I could not put it down. The writing was so good. It’s hard to return to subpar authors who thrive on OTT drama and yoyo on and off relationships between their characters (looking at you Rina Kent.) Off to find the next book!
August 4, 2025
So did Rowan remember Tommy or not? First he wondered who he was, asking a third guy who went to high school with him, then we get him saying stuff like "You used to be a pain in my ass on the field" as if he magically remembered all the way back in middle school. Afaik, all we knew was that Rowan remembered Tommy's name and that he played. There was no explicit declaration from his POV that Tommy was good enough to be memorable in his head. Since him saying that stuff to Tommy happened in Tommy's POV, it felt like he just pulled it out of thin air because Rowan's chapters did not indicate that level of memory.
I did not like how quickly Tommy and Rowan got on to being buddy buddy. It literally went from Tommy beating Rowan up to Rowan inviting Tommy to a pick-up game with zero interaction for them to drop any and all animosity. Wtf? 1. Tommy literally voiced his hatred for how Rowan made him feel when he called him a faggot + how fucking his GF did something similar. Tommy declaring that "despite it all, I couldn't hate Rowan" was literally the most backwards line I read considering it literally just ignored the intro's set up for his hatred. 2. Rowan did not strike me as a dude who'd let something as serious as getting beat up equal "let's hang out". The fact that multiple other characters point this out made it even worse since Rowan didn't even give a believable reason for why he started asking Tommy to hangout. Supposedly it's to train because it's Rowan's last few months on the team, but the fact that it comes out of nowhere feels way too contrived.
Pacing was alright (if slow because of all the sex) until 70% where it shucks off the MCs main problems and shotguns new ones.
Rowan not being upset by being outed when Tommy kissed him in public felt very very weird considering the entirety of the story up until that point had been emphasizing Rowan's cognitive dissonance and denial of his sexuality. Then his birth mother randomly showing up and having that trigger him felt like it came out of nowhere. The story tells us to expect one thing (Rowan being scared of being outed) then subverts that by showing us him getting blindsided by family trauma, but it was not done in a way that felt like it was successful. Honestly it just felt like a failed climax followed by a non sequitur.
The revelation that wasn't properly developed either. Yes, there were a couple of hints that that was the case, but for 70% of the book, Rowan's main conflict was his sexuality. Having him randomly accept it without any real issue then propping up this new problem out of nowhere as if the author just said "Hey, his history was the actual problem! Bet you're surprised huh?" wasn't clever or interesting. It just felt random and poorly developed. Why spend almost 2/3rds of a story developing a problem only to immediately resolve and replace it with another two that were not as salient?
Same thing for Tommy's homophobic mother. Why have him come out tp her off screen when she was hinted at being a big hurdle to his sexuality? And like Rowan, since that problem didn't actually end up being a problem, the story suddenly shoves "" as a last minute hiccup that also just immediately gets solved when .
It's like the author had two drafts where Tommy and Rowan had focused on different issues then merged them together.
And my other biggest criticism, there's way way wayyyyyy too much sex. Like, there are multiple back to back sex scenes where both of them cum multiple times each scene. I get it, they're super into each other, but I swear, you could've cut out like half the sex scenes and cut each scene in half and the book would've still been decently spicy. (Especially in the epilogue where . I understand that didn't necessarily mean that he was supposed to be celibate during that time, but come on. Going from to let's go to pound town twice was emblematic of the "too much sex issue." Also wtf was up with the cringe nicknames? Gay boy? Baby boy? Daddy (when they're both younger than 20)?
Weird individual character plot trajectory (particularly Rowan's). Things were ok up until 70% where it sort of loses the plot and pacing goes crazy with new problems and solving them. Way too much sex. Though, despite all the criticisms, there wasn't anything so bad that it made me DNF so this gets 2.5 stars rounded up. Though using "gay boy" as a term of endearment came very close.
I did not like how quickly Tommy and Rowan got on to being buddy buddy. It literally went from Tommy beating Rowan up to Rowan inviting Tommy to a pick-up game with zero interaction for them to drop any and all animosity. Wtf? 1. Tommy literally voiced his hatred for how Rowan made him feel when he called him a faggot + how fucking his GF did something similar. Tommy declaring that "despite it all, I couldn't hate Rowan" was literally the most backwards line I read considering it literally just ignored the intro's set up for his hatred. 2. Rowan did not strike me as a dude who'd let something as serious as getting beat up equal "let's hang out". The fact that multiple other characters point this out made it even worse since Rowan didn't even give a believable reason for why he started asking Tommy to hangout. Supposedly it's to train because it's Rowan's last few months on the team, but the fact that it comes out of nowhere feels way too contrived.
Pacing was alright (if slow because of all the sex) until 70% where it shucks off the MCs main problems and shotguns new ones.
Rowan not being upset by being outed when Tommy kissed him in public felt very very weird considering the entirety of the story up until that point had been emphasizing Rowan's cognitive dissonance and denial of his sexuality. Then his birth mother randomly showing up and having that trigger him felt like it came out of nowhere. The story tells us to expect one thing (Rowan being scared of being outed) then subverts that by showing us him getting blindsided by family trauma, but it was not done in a way that felt like it was successful. Honestly it just felt like a failed climax followed by a non sequitur.
The revelation that wasn't properly developed either. Yes, there were a couple of hints that that was the case, but for 70% of the book, Rowan's main conflict was his sexuality. Having him randomly accept it without any real issue then propping up this new problem out of nowhere as if the author just said "Hey, his history was the actual problem! Bet you're surprised huh?" wasn't clever or interesting. It just felt random and poorly developed. Why spend almost 2/3rds of a story developing a problem only to immediately resolve and replace it with another two that were not as salient?
Same thing for Tommy's homophobic mother. Why have him come out tp her off screen when she was hinted at being a big hurdle to his sexuality? And like Rowan, since that problem didn't actually end up being a problem, the story suddenly shoves "" as a last minute hiccup that also just immediately gets solved when .
It's like the author had two drafts where Tommy and Rowan had focused on different issues then merged them together.
And my other biggest criticism, there's way way wayyyyyy too much sex. Like, there are multiple back to back sex scenes where both of them cum multiple times each scene. I get it, they're super into each other, but I swear, you could've cut out like half the sex scenes and cut each scene in half and the book would've still been decently spicy. (Especially in the epilogue where . I understand that didn't necessarily mean that he was supposed to be celibate during that time, but come on. Going from to let's go to pound town twice was emblematic of the "too much sex issue." Also wtf was up with the cringe nicknames? Gay boy? Baby boy? Daddy (when they're both younger than 20)?
Weird individual character plot trajectory (particularly Rowan's). Things were ok up until 70% where it sort of loses the plot and pacing goes crazy with new problems and solving them. Way too much sex. Though, despite all the criticisms, there wasn't anything so bad that it made me DNF so this gets 2.5 stars rounded up. Though using "gay boy" as a term of endearment came very close.
June 19, 2025
Rating: 3.5/5 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, I know this may contradict the more average rating I gave it. But my goodness, these two made me feel so many tender things.
That being said, let me lay out the two things that lowered my rating before getting on with what I enjoyed.
Firstly, when I tell you the first 2/3 of this book was 80% sex and 20% plot, I'm being so serious. 😅 I legitimately lost count of how many times they got off in the first 40% of the book. Luckily, it was layered with either coming to terms with queerness or sweetness and tenderness that it gave it a little extra oomph. But it was so much and so often that it got repetitive and I got bored with it.
SECONDLY (and more specifically the reason for lowering the rating), the blatant misogyny. Every single female character their age were reduced to being a "slut." Literally every one of them was slutshamed. And in the LGBTQ+ college group, all of the characters in that group were men or enby individuals. Not a single lesbian, bi woman, etc was shown. It was really not cool and a piss poor decision.
ALL THAT BEING SAID. I reeaaallly enjoyed the progression of Tommy and Rowan's relationship, as well as the story, once it started to be told in the second half. Those two guys were so sweet together once we got past the internalized homophobia (which was part of the plot and I thought handled pretty well), and they were so good to each other and for each other. Also, some of the points made in the writing about being a part of the queer community really it close to home.
If we could have gotten rid of 100 pages of the sex (there still would have been PLENTY left, I'm not even joking 😅😅), and completely erased the misogyny entirely, this probably would have been close to a 5 star read for me.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Okay, I know this may contradict the more average rating I gave it. But my goodness, these two made me feel so many tender things.
That being said, let me lay out the two things that lowered my rating before getting on with what I enjoyed.
Firstly, when I tell you the first 2/3 of this book was 80% sex and 20% plot, I'm being so serious. 😅 I legitimately lost count of how many times they got off in the first 40% of the book. Luckily, it was layered with either coming to terms with queerness or sweetness and tenderness that it gave it a little extra oomph. But it was so much and so often that it got repetitive and I got bored with it.
SECONDLY (and more specifically the reason for lowering the rating), the blatant misogyny. Every single female character their age were reduced to being a "slut." Literally every one of them was slutshamed. And in the LGBTQ+ college group, all of the characters in that group were men or enby individuals. Not a single lesbian, bi woman, etc was shown. It was really not cool and a piss poor decision.
ALL THAT BEING SAID. I reeaaallly enjoyed the progression of Tommy and Rowan's relationship, as well as the story, once it started to be told in the second half. Those two guys were so sweet together once we got past the internalized homophobia (which was part of the plot and I thought handled pretty well), and they were so good to each other and for each other. Also, some of the points made in the writing about being a part of the queer community really it close to home.
If we could have gotten rid of 100 pages of the sex (there still would have been PLENTY left, I'm not even joking 😅😅), and completely erased the misogyny entirely, this probably would have been close to a 5 star read for me.
June 27, 2025
Rating : 3.75/5 stars
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.
“How is letting yourself die not giving up on yourself ?”
“Because people don’t chase life, Tommy. They chase happiness. For most people, life is essential to the experience of happiness. For others, sometimes, that’s not the case ..” ; “ I’m telling you that Erica’s decision has nothing to do with how she feels about you and everything to do with how she feels about her own life. She could love you more than anything in the world and still make the same decision.”
Those words run deep and true. The depiction of the hollowness, hopelessness hits a spot and albeit the smuttiness were definitely back to back action lol, the book is an almost perfect blend of smut, grief and growth.
Undoubtedly there’s a strong connection between Rowan and Tommy, but it felt almost ludicrous at times with how all over the place their bonds were. There’s contradiction and just plot holes scattered around the plot line. Some scenes felt like it was rushed and had been watered-down as if it’s a back-burner. For example; the friendship route (Malik’s character, the growth, actual bonds between the football team with Rowan), and don’t get me started on Rowan’s trauma and his “family”.
Another issue was on the internalized homophobia, it was one too many for me to feel good about how of a doormat Tommy was and just the discrepancies of Rowan’s action. The misogynistic was a whole another issue that left a sour note on the overall experience.
Nonetheless, it was a good novel and I would recommend reading it !
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC of this book.
“How is letting yourself die not giving up on yourself ?”
“Because people don’t chase life, Tommy. They chase happiness. For most people, life is essential to the experience of happiness. For others, sometimes, that’s not the case ..” ; “ I’m telling you that Erica’s decision has nothing to do with how she feels about you and everything to do with how she feels about her own life. She could love you more than anything in the world and still make the same decision.”
Those words run deep and true. The depiction of the hollowness, hopelessness hits a spot and albeit the smuttiness were definitely back to back action lol, the book is an almost perfect blend of smut, grief and growth.
Undoubtedly there’s a strong connection between Rowan and Tommy, but it felt almost ludicrous at times with how all over the place their bonds were. There’s contradiction and just plot holes scattered around the plot line. Some scenes felt like it was rushed and had been watered-down as if it’s a back-burner. For example; the friendship route (Malik’s character, the growth, actual bonds between the football team with Rowan), and don’t get me started on Rowan’s trauma and his “family”.
Another issue was on the internalized homophobia, it was one too many for me to feel good about how of a doormat Tommy was and just the discrepancies of Rowan’s action. The misogynistic was a whole another issue that left a sour note on the overall experience.
Nonetheless, it was a good novel and I would recommend reading it !
August 15, 2025
2.75⭐️
The story had potential but a lot of aspects really let it down. It also isn’t what it’s marketed as at it it’s marketed as a bully romance however no one was a bully they only spoke once when they where younger and one of them was a homophobic dick but it wasn’t bullying.
It Felt very misogynistic and homophobic not just the characters but the overall view of gay people that the author projected
The pacing of the relationship was well done but the pacing of everything was all over the place
The characters aren’t consistent and their actions make no sense some of the time
Not consistent the character will say one thing then later say something that contradicts the thing they previously said
It tends to lean into stereotypes a lot which makes me cringe and makes the characters lack abit of depth
Focused too much on the sex and not enough on the internal issues of the characters which would have made the story a lot more interesting and made it make a lot more sense
The sex scenes where cringey and just weird they felt like they where written by a virgin who only used porn as a reference
I feel like while heavy handed the portrayal of grief was realistic and well done
The story had potential but a lot of aspects really let it down. It also isn’t what it’s marketed as at it it’s marketed as a bully romance however no one was a bully they only spoke once when they where younger and one of them was a homophobic dick but it wasn’t bullying.
It Felt very misogynistic and homophobic not just the characters but the overall view of gay people that the author projected
The pacing of the relationship was well done but the pacing of everything was all over the place
The characters aren’t consistent and their actions make no sense some of the time
Not consistent the character will say one thing then later say something that contradicts the thing they previously said
It tends to lean into stereotypes a lot which makes me cringe and makes the characters lack abit of depth
Focused too much on the sex and not enough on the internal issues of the characters which would have made the story a lot more interesting and made it make a lot more sense
The sex scenes where cringey and just weird they felt like they where written by a virgin who only used porn as a reference
I feel like while heavy handed the portrayal of grief was realistic and well done
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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