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Call it a situationship, call it roommates with benefits—whatever it is, Riley Sweet is mostly fine with the arrangement.
After all, he's got an awesome off-base apartment on Okinawa, and he's got someone to hook up with on the regular with no pressure and no strings.
The problem is that he's starting to catch feelings for the hot, aloof Marine who's apparently interested in very specific types of fun, but nothing else. He won't even sleep in the same bed as Riley.
Nolan Tyler is carrying a dark secret that's kept him closed off from everyone for years. Out of shame, fear, and self-preservation, he keeps everyone at arm's length, including Riley.
When Nolan is asked to be his brother's best man, there's no bowing out. Not even when going home means facing everything he enlisted to escape.
Though Riley doesn't know exactly why Nolan balks at going home, he offers to come with him as backup. In exchange, Nolan will come with him as his "boyfriend" in a last-ditch effort to get Riley's parents to accept, once and for all, that their son is gay.
Nolan takes him up on it, but he's terrified that the truth about his past will come out… and the man he's falling for will leave.
Contains mature content.
After all, he's got an awesome off-base apartment on Okinawa, and he's got someone to hook up with on the regular with no pressure and no strings.
The problem is that he's starting to catch feelings for the hot, aloof Marine who's apparently interested in very specific types of fun, but nothing else. He won't even sleep in the same bed as Riley.
Nolan Tyler is carrying a dark secret that's kept him closed off from everyone for years. Out of shame, fear, and self-preservation, he keeps everyone at arm's length, including Riley.
When Nolan is asked to be his brother's best man, there's no bowing out. Not even when going home means facing everything he enlisted to escape.
Though Riley doesn't know exactly why Nolan balks at going home, he offers to come with him as backup. In exchange, Nolan will come with him as his "boyfriend" in a last-ditch effort to get Riley's parents to accept, once and for all, that their son is gay.
Nolan takes him up on it, but he's terrified that the truth about his past will come out… and the man he's falling for will leave.
Contains mature content.
Audible Audio
First published February 12, 2025
361 people are currently reading
931 people want to read
About the author
L.A. Witt
217 books2,723 followersL.A. Witt and her husband have been exiled from Spain and sent to live in Maine because rhymes are fun. She now divides her time between writing, assuring people she is aware that Maine is cold, wondering where to put her next tattoo, and trying to reason with a surly Maine coon. Rumor has it her arch nemesis, Lauren Gallagher, is also somewhere in the wilds of New England, which is why L.A. is also spending a portion of her time training a team of spec ops lobsters.
Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they "have books to write" and "need to focus on our careers" and "don't you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?" They're probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.
Visit her website at http://www.gallagherwitt.com/.
Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they "have books to write" and "need to focus on our careers" and "don't you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?" They're probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.
Visit her website at http://www.gallagherwitt.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 164 reviews
August 28, 2025
re-read August 2025
I don’t know why this book isn’t talked about more. Love it so much. ♡
4.5***** stars
Highly recommended! I loved everything about this book. Even the heartbreaking parts.
★ two military men, a Marine and a Navy cop
★ stationed on a small Japanese island
★ roommates with benefits to lovers
★ on leave back home
★ as fake boyfriends
★ for one to make a point
★ for the other to feel safe after past trauma
I’ve found a few gems in LA Witt’s backlist in the past but this def is my favorite so far.
I loved Nolan and Riley so damn much. So tender, so endlessly beautiful. Again, highly recommended. ♡
I don’t know why this book isn’t talked about more. Love it so much. ♡
4.5***** stars
Highly recommended! I loved everything about this book. Even the heartbreaking parts.
★ two military men, a Marine and a Navy cop
★ stationed on a small Japanese island
★ roommates with benefits to lovers
★ on leave back home
★ as fake boyfriends
★ for one to make a point
★ for the other to feel safe after past trauma
Tonight had been hell. My secret had come out in the worst way at the worst time. […] and my family would never be the same again. But somehow, I’d landed here. Somehow, this man loved me. And somehow, he wasn’t letting me go.
I’ve found a few gems in LA Witt’s backlist in the past but this def is my favorite so far.
I loved Nolan and Riley so damn much. So tender, so endlessly beautiful. Again, highly recommended. ♡
September 1, 2025
This book was ALOT. It was also my first L.A Witt story (LOL what a way to start). I wont say that I enjoyed it as such, because this is the sort of heavy content that is difficult to read, but I would say that I demolished this in basically a single setting.
Riley, a naval police officer, finds himself in a ‘roommates with benefits’ situation with his hot marine housemate Nolan, while sharing an apartment near their base in Okinawa. When Nolan is required to travel home to be the Best Man in his little brothers wedding, Riley notices how distressed this makes him and offers a fake-dating arrangement to support him through the visit.
Of the top, Riley and Nolan’s dynamic was sweet, hot, healthy and considering the shitstorm that was going on around them actually super functional with minimal communication breakdown. Honestly the romance almost felt like a subplot to what these poor guys have to go through.
The story could have used a little polish, there were a few typos and some passages felt a bit repetitive and could have been tightened up a little and at times it felt maybe a tad ham-fisted. But nothing I found too egregious or too much of a barrier to my overall reading experience.
I am not going to be coy and elude to the heavy content and some of what I am about to discuss is ✨spoilery✨ but I think it's essential for readers to be aware of some of the topics going into this book cause it was heavy at times .
✨Last chance✨
This book makes a valiant effort to tackle some incredibly heavy and distressing topics. Honestly, I have seen books try to address less complex themes and fuck it up, so while it may not be perfect, I was surprised at the degree of nuance this book explored and I felt it approached in a way that was sympathetic to the survivor experience.
Early in the story we explore Rileys complicated dynamic with his family and the damage that long term exposure to homophobic micro-aggressions can cause to someone’s sense of self. Watching Riley employ boundaries with his parents and acknowledging that his experiences aren’t lessened because their behaviour wasn’t overtly physically or verbally abusive was important. I did feel a little like this plot primarily existed as a balance to justify the 'quid pro quo' trauma support fake dating situation.
A bulk of the story was then focused on Nolan’s experiences of sexual abuse and the rape that he still struggles with and the long term consequences of and the impact it has had on his behaviour and relationships. I think seeing more representation in which the experiences and the complicated psychology of male victims with female perpetrators is explored is incredibly important and that Rileys love, support and acceptance of Nolan and his trauma presents lovely (if somewhat idealised) example of supporting someone though such a difficult time.
I will happily admit that I have read a lot of messed up shit, but the abuse that Nolan was subjected to really turned my stomach, because as horrific as it was, it was completely plausible and grounded in reality and did not at all feel unrealistically dramatized for the sake of shock and while it does not occur on page, it is discussed in quite explicit detail throughout.
Probably my main gripe, is that considering how heavy the topics of this book were and how central the experience of being a survivor of sexual assault was, I felt the content warnings undersold the degree, depth and detail of this content. I was also disappointed that considering the themes of victim support and advocacy, there was no mention of support services in either the forward of the end notes. I know that these services differ from country to country but I have definitely seen books with less explicit details include similar support services and this felt a bit negligent and a miss.
I picked this book up for a bit of a break from a stressful reading time, and I suppose the fact that it presented a COMPLETELY different kind of stress was a palette cleanser in itself lol.
Definitely one of those couples that make me glad they found each other in their fictional world ❤️
Please respect your own trigger warnings with this one ❤️
Riley, a naval police officer, finds himself in a ‘roommates with benefits’ situation with his hot marine housemate Nolan, while sharing an apartment near their base in Okinawa. When Nolan is required to travel home to be the Best Man in his little brothers wedding, Riley notices how distressed this makes him and offers a fake-dating arrangement to support him through the visit.
Of the top, Riley and Nolan’s dynamic was sweet, hot, healthy and considering the shitstorm that was going on around them actually super functional with minimal communication breakdown. Honestly the romance almost felt like a subplot to what these poor guys have to go through.
The story could have used a little polish, there were a few typos and some passages felt a bit repetitive and could have been tightened up a little and at times it felt maybe a tad ham-fisted. But nothing I found too egregious or too much of a barrier to my overall reading experience.
I am not going to be coy and elude to the heavy content and some of what I am about to discuss is ✨spoilery✨ but I think it's essential for readers to be aware of some of the topics going into this book cause it was heavy at times .
✨Last chance✨
This book makes a valiant effort to tackle some incredibly heavy and distressing topics. Honestly, I have seen books try to address less complex themes and fuck it up, so while it may not be perfect, I was surprised at the degree of nuance this book explored and I felt it approached in a way that was sympathetic to the survivor experience.
Early in the story we explore Rileys complicated dynamic with his family and the damage that long term exposure to homophobic micro-aggressions can cause to someone’s sense of self. Watching Riley employ boundaries with his parents and acknowledging that his experiences aren’t lessened because their behaviour wasn’t overtly physically or verbally abusive was important. I did feel a little like this plot primarily existed as a balance to justify the 'quid pro quo' trauma support fake dating situation.
A bulk of the story was then focused on Nolan’s experiences of sexual abuse and the rape that he still struggles with and the long term consequences of and the impact it has had on his behaviour and relationships. I think seeing more representation in which the experiences and the complicated psychology of male victims with female perpetrators is explored is incredibly important and that Rileys love, support and acceptance of Nolan and his trauma presents lovely (if somewhat idealised) example of supporting someone though such a difficult time.
I will happily admit that I have read a lot of messed up shit, but the abuse that Nolan was subjected to really turned my stomach, because as horrific as it was, it was completely plausible and grounded in reality and did not at all feel unrealistically dramatized for the sake of shock and while it does not occur on page, it is discussed in quite explicit detail throughout.
Probably my main gripe, is that considering how heavy the topics of this book were and how central the experience of being a survivor of sexual assault was, I felt the content warnings undersold the degree, depth and detail of this content. I was also disappointed that considering the themes of victim support and advocacy, there was no mention of support services in either the forward of the end notes. I know that these services differ from country to country but I have definitely seen books with less explicit details include similar support services and this felt a bit negligent and a miss.
I picked this book up for a bit of a break from a stressful reading time, and I suppose the fact that it presented a COMPLETELY different kind of stress was a palette cleanser in itself lol.
Definitely one of those couples that make me glad they found each other in their fictional world ❤️
Please respect your own trigger warnings with this one ❤️
June 13, 2025
Goddamn this one is hard to rate.
Because the things I loved, I loved, but sadly there was also a lot I - quite frankly - got so annoyed by that I contemplated dnf’ing countless times and started to skim heavily after 60%.
Let’s start with the things I loved:
What didn’t work for me at all:
I honestly only pushed through because I wanted to see Nolan overcome his trauma and get the justice he deserved. But even that payoff felt muted. His first time topping, to what the whole damn book builds up to? Just a quick epilogue mention + a bonus scene. Most of the emotional closure and big moments regarding the conflicts were off-page or told in retrospect, which made everything fall flat for me.
So. Great characters with great chemistry - but about 200 pages too long, ngl.
Strong bones, but in need of some serious editing imo. 2,5⭐️
Because the things I loved, I loved, but sadly there was also a lot I - quite frankly - got so annoyed by that I contemplated dnf’ing countless times and started to skim heavily after 60%.
Let’s start with the things I loved:
- The cats and big burly military man crooning and melting for their kitties, 10/10, no notes.
- So much beautiful, respectful consent talk!
- I loved their explorations in the bedroom; it felt so intimate, authentic and like real sexual experiences; no monster cocks, a little awkwardness, flagging erections, coming too soon, laughing about it and all.
- Nolan finally feeling safe with someone was very beautiful to witness 🥹
- The way trauma - Nolan’s trauma specifically - was handled with so much care
- Almost all the scenes where it was just Nolan and Riley
What didn’t work for me at all:
- almost every scene where it wasn’t just Nolan and Riley
- The Incredibly slow pace
- The way Riley’s struggles were glossed over after the first 30%
- the way their ‘fake dating’ was never discussed again until the very end 😂
- SO MUCH INFO WE DIDN’T NEED 😩 Like how each and every one of Nolan’s family members looked, how Uncle Rick - who never made an appearance again - thought about the marines 20 years ago, a lot of conversations between non-MCs that didn’t add anything to the plot (like ‘funny’ war stories). Just a lot of filler info that never became relevant again.
- the repetitiveness of scenes, thoughts and conversations
- A lot of typos
- Some jarring inconsistencies (like one MC thinking of the other as the man he loves waaaay before that made emotional sense lol).
I honestly only pushed through because I wanted to see Nolan overcome his trauma and get the justice he deserved. But even that payoff felt muted. His first time topping, to what the whole damn book builds up to? Just a quick epilogue mention + a bonus scene. Most of the emotional closure and big moments regarding the conflicts were off-page or told in retrospect, which made everything fall flat for me.
So. Great characters with great chemistry - but about 200 pages too long, ngl.
Strong bones, but in need of some serious editing imo. 2,5⭐️
May 17, 2025
My only question is HOW is this book not talked about more?! I haven’t seen this book on social media at all and that honestly breaks my heart. I LOVED this book. The backstory of Nolan broke my heart (I shed a few tears) and then pieced me back together. I wish more people knew about this book because it was an easy 5⭐️ read for me.
Tropes:
- roommates with benefits
- military (marine x navy cop)
- fake relationship
- scared to top due to trauma
- MC recovering from SA trauma
- showering together
- healing
- intercrural scene
- takes place while the MCs are on leave back in the States
Nolan and Riley stole my heart in this book. Riley is one of the best book boyfriends! Nolan was a victim of SA when he was younger and Riley is so incredibly patient with him each step of the way, especially in the bedroom. Even though Nolan’s story was heartbreaking, the recovery and healing that he went through with the help of Riley was heartwarming. I shed a few years, I laughed, I smiled, but overall I ended this book feeling very happy and whole.
I do think that SA as a main plot line in books is overused, but I will make an exception for this one. In my opinion, the SA trauma/ healing was handled exceptionally well and showed some of the rawness associated with overcoming that trauma, in and out of the bedroom. (I do wish we saw more scenes of Nolan and Riley in Japan—even if it was after they returned—but that is my only real critique.)
In summary, I believe this book is criminally underrated!! If you enjoy MM romances, especially heartfelt and emotional ones, I think you should give this a try. It was very enjoyable!!
Safety info:
- no virgins or manwhores
- OP drama- MMC1’s rapist is in the story and touches his arm but nothing further than that. MMC1 talks about the SA situations in detail but there are no full on flash backs. No other OP drama aside from this.
- celibate since meeting/ moving in together. Nolan celibate 5 years, Riley hasn’t been with anyone since they moved in together which I think has been a few years(?)
- both have never had sex w/o a condom before each other
- Riley has not topped in a very long time, Nolan has never topped with a guy (I’m pretty sure)
- versatile
Tropes:
- roommates with benefits
- military (marine x navy cop)
- fake relationship
- scared to top due to trauma
- MC recovering from SA trauma
- showering together
- healing
- intercrural scene
- takes place while the MCs are on leave back in the States
Nolan and Riley stole my heart in this book. Riley is one of the best book boyfriends! Nolan was a victim of SA when he was younger and Riley is so incredibly patient with him each step of the way, especially in the bedroom. Even though Nolan’s story was heartbreaking, the recovery and healing that he went through with the help of Riley was heartwarming. I shed a few years, I laughed, I smiled, but overall I ended this book feeling very happy and whole.
I do think that SA as a main plot line in books is overused, but I will make an exception for this one. In my opinion, the SA trauma/ healing was handled exceptionally well and showed some of the rawness associated with overcoming that trauma, in and out of the bedroom. (I do wish we saw more scenes of Nolan and Riley in Japan—even if it was after they returned—but that is my only real critique.)
In summary, I believe this book is criminally underrated!! If you enjoy MM romances, especially heartfelt and emotional ones, I think you should give this a try. It was very enjoyable!!
Safety info:
- no virgins or manwhores
- OP drama- MMC1’s rapist is in the story and touches his arm but nothing further than that. MMC1 talks about the SA situations in detail but there are no full on flash backs. No other OP drama aside from this.
- celibate since meeting/ moving in together. Nolan celibate 5 years, Riley hasn’t been with anyone since they moved in together which I think has been a few years(?)
- both have never had sex w/o a condom before each other
- Riley has not topped in a very long time, Nolan has never topped with a guy (I’m pretty sure)
- versatile
February 17, 2025
Leave is a hard one for me to rate … on the one hand, i finished it in one day, and i really enjoyed the romance between Nolan and Riley. on the other hand, i'm not sure i liked how the final confrontation played out? like, idk … it felt … weird … honestly, i'm still marinating on it.
still, i can't deny that the relationship between Nolan and Riley was excellent. they were truly there for each other in all the ways that mattered. plus, cats. they had three cats. ADORABLE.
still, i can't deny that the relationship between Nolan and Riley was excellent. they were truly there for each other in all the ways that mattered. plus, cats. they had three cats. ADORABLE.
February 14, 2025
4.5* rounded up. I am baffled by how some of this author's stories just grab me and won't let go. I did not want to give this book a 5* rating because it has quite a few flaws IMO (more on those below), but when I compare my overall enjoyment, how fast I read it and how I couldn't put it down, with other books, I can't just ignore that.
The writing is pretty much what we have seen lately and yes, there is a bit of repetition in some of the characters thoughts but no where near what we've seen in some previous books.
The book was long but did not feel long, which I liked. Could have done without a few of the sex scenes but they were important for the characters development and growth, so I understand why there were so many.
I would have loved to have more of the cats on page though, as I am a sucker for any and every scene with men being suckers for these furry creatures.
Also, I wanted to have more scenes in Oki instead of in the States. I needed them in their normal environment instead of the impersonal hotel rooms.
The drama was a bit OTT at the end though, even if the subject matter was serious and one not so spoken about. I am being vague as not to spoil it as I actually think it was good that we find out at the same time as Riley puts the dots together.
The ending was somewhat realistic and I loved the bonus scene, which brought the whole story together in a cohesive way.
The writing is pretty much what we have seen lately and yes, there is a bit of repetition in some of the characters thoughts but no where near what we've seen in some previous books.
The book was long but did not feel long, which I liked. Could have done without a few of the sex scenes but they were important for the characters development and growth, so I understand why there were so many.
I would have loved to have more of the cats on page though, as I am a sucker for any and every scene with men being suckers for these furry creatures.
Also, I wanted to have more scenes in Oki instead of in the States. I needed them in their normal environment instead of the impersonal hotel rooms.
The drama was a bit OTT at the end though, even if the subject matter was serious and one not so spoken about. I am being vague as not to spoil it as I actually think it was good that we find out at the same time as Riley puts the dots together.
The ending was somewhat realistic and I loved the bonus scene, which brought the whole story together in a cohesive way.
February 14, 2025
2.5 stars. I liked the premise and start of this book, but boy was it slow. If you really like these characters, you might love these long, drawn-out conversations or thoughts that repeat until you’re sick of it. Really wish this was cut about 150 pages, but I’m sure someone will love spending that much time in this book. Wasn’t poorly written, just needed some editing for me.
October 8, 2025
The narration is, of course fantastic, but the story itself is overlong and meanders a bit.
Riley and Nolan are roomies-with-benefits stationed on Okinawa. When Nolan's younger brother asks him to be best man at his wedding, Nolan - who has good reasons for not wanting to go back home - can't see a way to refuse, and Riley needs some help with a family situation, he suggests that if they go together - pretending to be boyfriends - they can help each out and provide the moral support they each need.
Riley has been out to his family since he was sixteen, but his parents just can't seem to accept it. His mother keeps suggesting 'nice girls' he could go out with, and he thinks that maybe if they actually see him with a male partner, it will finally make the penny drop for them. Sadly, it doesn't, and he's forced to make a decision he's been hoping he'd never have to make, and to cut them out of his life.
The attention then shifts to Nolan's issues - which are the main meat of the story. He's already hinted to Riley that there's a genuine and serious reason he doesn't want to see his family and for his sexual hang-ups (they exchange hand jobs and blow jobs regularly, but never naked and they never sleep in the same bed) - and much of the book is taken up with Riley slowly figuring out why that is and pulling out all the stops to support Nolan in whatever way he can.
When it all comes out, it's truly horrible - and kudos to the author for tackling the topic of sexual assault of a man by a woman; LAW handles this side of the story very well, from Nolan's shame and guilt, to his family's reactions - it's raw and intense and deeply emotional, and both narrators absolutely shine in these chapters.
On the downside, the book could have been 100 pages shorter and lost none of its impact. I also felt that Riley's storyline is too easily pushed aside; having decided he can no longer deal with his parents' toxicity, Nolan kinda just leaves him to get on with it at a time when Riley really needs to feel wanted and not alone. To be fair, Nolan does have a lot to deal with and he does actually realise and admit what he'd done towards the end of the book, but it feels like Riley's situation is seen as 'lesser' and does make it seem as though it's only there to add to the reasons for the fake-relationship in the first place.
There's not much I can say about the narration, because with two such experienced and talented voice actors as Greg Boudreaux (who reads from Riley's PoV) and Michael Ferraiuolo (who reads Nolan's chapters) you know you're going to be listening to a top-notch performance. They can't quite make up for the pacing issues in the 'laggy' parts of the book, but they nonetheless make audio the best option for experiencing this story.
Riley and Nolan are roomies-with-benefits stationed on Okinawa. When Nolan's younger brother asks him to be best man at his wedding, Nolan - who has good reasons for not wanting to go back home - can't see a way to refuse, and Riley needs some help with a family situation, he suggests that if they go together - pretending to be boyfriends - they can help each out and provide the moral support they each need.
Riley has been out to his family since he was sixteen, but his parents just can't seem to accept it. His mother keeps suggesting 'nice girls' he could go out with, and he thinks that maybe if they actually see him with a male partner, it will finally make the penny drop for them. Sadly, it doesn't, and he's forced to make a decision he's been hoping he'd never have to make, and to cut them out of his life.
The attention then shifts to Nolan's issues - which are the main meat of the story. He's already hinted to Riley that there's a genuine and serious reason he doesn't want to see his family and for his sexual hang-ups (they exchange hand jobs and blow jobs regularly, but never naked and they never sleep in the same bed) - and much of the book is taken up with Riley slowly figuring out why that is and pulling out all the stops to support Nolan in whatever way he can.
When it all comes out, it's truly horrible - and kudos to the author for tackling the topic of sexual assault of a man by a woman; LAW handles this side of the story very well, from Nolan's shame and guilt, to his family's reactions - it's raw and intense and deeply emotional, and both narrators absolutely shine in these chapters.
On the downside, the book could have been 100 pages shorter and lost none of its impact. I also felt that Riley's storyline is too easily pushed aside; having decided he can no longer deal with his parents' toxicity, Nolan kinda just leaves him to get on with it at a time when Riley really needs to feel wanted and not alone. To be fair, Nolan does have a lot to deal with and he does actually realise and admit what he'd done towards the end of the book, but it feels like Riley's situation is seen as 'lesser' and does make it seem as though it's only there to add to the reasons for the fake-relationship in the first place.
There's not much I can say about the narration, because with two such experienced and talented voice actors as Greg Boudreaux (who reads from Riley's PoV) and Michael Ferraiuolo (who reads Nolan's chapters) you know you're going to be listening to a top-notch performance. They can't quite make up for the pacing issues in the 'laggy' parts of the book, but they nonetheless make audio the best option for experiencing this story.
March 25, 2025
3.5⭐️
June 19, 2025
This is a 'going home' plot - and yet proved more than that. It has post-traumatic family of origin themes but manages to not drown in horror or pathos. It falls into the (rolls eyes) friends to lovers trope but somehow managed to bring an unexpected emotional wallop to my reading. I was engaged from start to end with two broken but ultimately lovable MCs. 4.5 stars.
February 28, 2025
4.25 ⭐️ rounded down
really lovely story of two fwb who help each other through difficult experiences with their families. trauma was dealt with delicately and lovingly. i just want to give Nolan a hug 🥺
really lovely story of two fwb who help each other through difficult experiences with their families. trauma was dealt with delicately and lovingly. i just want to give Nolan a hug 🥺
March 14, 2025
This was so BORING!!!! Both characters were annoying too. I felt like they just tolerated each other. No chemistry at all.
December 13, 2025
Every once in a while, a book comes along that doesn’t just surprise you, but also recalibrates something inside you. Leave by L.A. Witt did exactly that. I picked it up expecting a situation ship-turned-fake-dating romance between two military roommates. I just could not place the cover into this concept. So, in the end, what I got was a slow, devastating, healing, beautifully human unravelling of trauma, intimacy, and the quiet bravery it takes to let someone see the parts of you, you’d rather never touch again.
Nolan and Riley start as two men who have mastered the art of emotional detachment. Roommates. Friends. Bodies occasionally shared, but hearts barricaded. And then Nolan has to return to his hometown in the U.S. and suddenly those walls, those carefully engineered defences, start cracking. The dread he feels is palpable from page one, like something heavy and unsaid is following him home. And L.A. Witt doesn’t sensationalise it. Witt doesn’t wave trauma around like a plot twist. Instead, it eases you—slowly, organically—into the shadows Nolan has spent his life trying to outrun. You always seem to know, but you never have the full picture.
And then Riley steps in, not to fix him, not to rescue him, but to stand with him. They enter this fragile, nearly transactional fake relationship so Riley can act as a buffer, a shield, an emotional anchor. And vice versa because Riley has some family issues, too. It’s messy and sweet and heartbreaking all at once.
What stunned me, though, was how different the homophobia and harm present in their families are. Riley’s parents weaponise rejection. Nolan’s parents, in contrast, are accepting of his sexuality, but acceptance doesn’t erase the other demons. And Witt captures this difference with remarkable nuance. Nothing is exaggerated. Nothing is exploited for shock value. Instead, the book offers a painfully honest, psychologically rich look at how trauma shapes victims and how survival sometimes looks like silence, avoidance, or compliance.
Nolan’s story gutted me. Riley’s compassion stitched me back together.
And the relationship that grows between them? It’s intimate in ways beyond sex. Vulnerable in ways beyond confession. Precious in a way that makes you feel like you’re holding your breath, witnessing something raw and real, you’re not entirely sure, you were meant to see.
Even the smut takes on a different weight here. It becomes interwoven with Nolan’s trauma response. It becomes part of the healing arc. And for the first time in my life as a smut reader, I found myself rooting not for the heat, but for the safety, the agency, the emotional groundwork that had to come first. Witt makes you wait, and the waiting feels like healing alongside them.
This book hit me in a way that I know will linger. It’s one of those stories I’ll be talking about for a long, long time. It’s not just a romance. It’s not just a trauma narrative. It’s an exploration of fear, connection, survival, and the complicated, beautiful psychology of learning to trust again.
To me, this was perfect. Unforgettable. Impactful.
Nolan and Riley start as two men who have mastered the art of emotional detachment. Roommates. Friends. Bodies occasionally shared, but hearts barricaded. And then Nolan has to return to his hometown in the U.S. and suddenly those walls, those carefully engineered defences, start cracking. The dread he feels is palpable from page one, like something heavy and unsaid is following him home. And L.A. Witt doesn’t sensationalise it. Witt doesn’t wave trauma around like a plot twist. Instead, it eases you—slowly, organically—into the shadows Nolan has spent his life trying to outrun. You always seem to know, but you never have the full picture.
And then Riley steps in, not to fix him, not to rescue him, but to stand with him. They enter this fragile, nearly transactional fake relationship so Riley can act as a buffer, a shield, an emotional anchor. And vice versa because Riley has some family issues, too. It’s messy and sweet and heartbreaking all at once.
What stunned me, though, was how different the homophobia and harm present in their families are. Riley’s parents weaponise rejection. Nolan’s parents, in contrast, are accepting of his sexuality, but acceptance doesn’t erase the other demons. And Witt captures this difference with remarkable nuance. Nothing is exaggerated. Nothing is exploited for shock value. Instead, the book offers a painfully honest, psychologically rich look at how trauma shapes victims and how survival sometimes looks like silence, avoidance, or compliance.
Nolan’s story gutted me. Riley’s compassion stitched me back together.
And the relationship that grows between them? It’s intimate in ways beyond sex. Vulnerable in ways beyond confession. Precious in a way that makes you feel like you’re holding your breath, witnessing something raw and real, you’re not entirely sure, you were meant to see.
Even the smut takes on a different weight here. It becomes interwoven with Nolan’s trauma response. It becomes part of the healing arc. And for the first time in my life as a smut reader, I found myself rooting not for the heat, but for the safety, the agency, the emotional groundwork that had to come first. Witt makes you wait, and the waiting feels like healing alongside them.
This book hit me in a way that I know will linger. It’s one of those stories I’ll be talking about for a long, long time. It’s not just a romance. It’s not just a trauma narrative. It’s an exploration of fear, connection, survival, and the complicated, beautiful psychology of learning to trust again.
To me, this was perfect. Unforgettable. Impactful.
October 16, 2025
Edit: Yup I read it again a week later because I really liked the depiction of how complicated it is to tell family about sexual assault
Will I always drop everything to read L.A. Witt? Pretty much.
I don't know if this was a reread, but I certainly enjoyed the development of their relationship and the author takes up sexual assault and the fallout of telling. I was pretty riveted.
Will I always drop everything to read L.A. Witt? Pretty much.
I don't know if this was a reread, but I certainly enjoyed the development of their relationship and the author takes up sexual assault and the fallout of telling. I was pretty riveted.
March 20, 2025
I like this one, loved it emotionally in fact. I would give it 5 emotional stars but I felt that the middle of the book dragged.
Certain scenes were too much and unnecessary to me. The way the hero loved the other hero though, that is so worth this read!!
Trauma mentioned
Certain scenes were too much and unnecessary to me. The way the hero loved the other hero though, that is so worth this read!!
Trauma mentioned
March 28, 2025
The intro was a bit too "telling without showing". Riley essentially just dumps how he and Nolan became roomies in the first place and I feel like that cutoff should've just been a prologue where we see it in action instead of a long winded expo dump.
The scenes felt a bit too repetitive. I feel like in just the first 15%, we got like three or four scenes where Riley and Nolan sat across from each other, talking about how Riley's family was homophobic and Nolan had to use an anecdote about an abuse victim to get his point across. One or two should've been enough. The anecdotes in general felt long winded and too detailed (like Nolan telling the story of getting a black eye from a CO) and needed to either get to the point or not even tell the story because that just seemed like it was pointless?
Then we get like three scenes where Riley is feeling lonely after Nolan leaves the bedroom (each time getting some call from his family) and he's super hurt and feeling alone, but nothing comes of it. Riley still tries to push the relationship forward, never pulls away, or hints that he's hurting or guards himself from the pain that he knows will come. What was the point of those scenes if they didn't have any effect on their dynamic?
At the hockey game, Nolan's parents giving Riley the spiel about how Nolan suddenly became reclusive during his senior year felt super super awkward. While Nolan is sitting a seat away. Like who talks about their son like that?
I really appreciated Riley being considerate about Nolan's trauma. Made sense given he dealt with a lot of abuse on his line of work and it was nice to see that carry over to his interactions woth Nolan. Wanting to avoid triggers but also never prying them open.
Their first times doing anal respectively being busts was also pretty nice to read. Romance novels always seem to make sex out to be this perfect dance of sensuality, but having Riley come very early and Nolan fail to keep his erection made things feel less cookie cutter.
And though I really liked the fact that the author chose to write a story where a man was raped by a woman and the struggles of that situation, having Leanne still be an active character in the story kind of took away from the romance and put the spotlight on trauma. Everything post Riley's small story focused around how to get Nolan away from her instead of the romance building between the main characters. At its core, this is a trauma story first and a romance second with how much of the interactions between Riley and Nolan were essentially trying to deal with the stress. Idk, I just wanted less screentime for her and more of a spotlight on the MCs but given how easily they started catching feelings, I guess there wouldn't have been much to talk about if that was the case.
TL;DR Riley's conflict was very brief, Nolan's takes up most of the book. Anecdotes about work are long and repetitive. Leanne's a certified bitch and the romance suffers because the story is really more about the effects of trauma than it is Riley and Nolan falling in love.
The scenes felt a bit too repetitive. I feel like in just the first 15%, we got like three or four scenes where Riley and Nolan sat across from each other, talking about how Riley's family was homophobic and Nolan had to use an anecdote about an abuse victim to get his point across. One or two should've been enough. The anecdotes in general felt long winded and too detailed (like Nolan telling the story of getting a black eye from a CO) and needed to either get to the point or not even tell the story because that just seemed like it was pointless?
Then we get like three scenes where Riley is feeling lonely after Nolan leaves the bedroom (each time getting some call from his family) and he's super hurt and feeling alone, but nothing comes of it. Riley still tries to push the relationship forward, never pulls away, or hints that he's hurting or guards himself from the pain that he knows will come. What was the point of those scenes if they didn't have any effect on their dynamic?
At the hockey game, Nolan's parents giving Riley the spiel about how Nolan suddenly became reclusive during his senior year felt super super awkward. While Nolan is sitting a seat away. Like who talks about their son like that?
I really appreciated Riley being considerate about Nolan's trauma. Made sense given he dealt with a lot of abuse on his line of work and it was nice to see that carry over to his interactions woth Nolan. Wanting to avoid triggers but also never prying them open.
Their first times doing anal respectively being busts was also pretty nice to read. Romance novels always seem to make sex out to be this perfect dance of sensuality, but having Riley come very early and Nolan fail to keep his erection made things feel less cookie cutter.
And though I really liked the fact that the author chose to write a story where a man was raped by a woman and the struggles of that situation, having Leanne still be an active character in the story kind of took away from the romance and put the spotlight on trauma. Everything post Riley's small story focused around how to get Nolan away from her instead of the romance building between the main characters. At its core, this is a trauma story first and a romance second with how much of the interactions between Riley and Nolan were essentially trying to deal with the stress. Idk, I just wanted less screentime for her and more of a spotlight on the MCs but given how easily they started catching feelings, I guess there wouldn't have been much to talk about if that was the case.
TL;DR Riley's conflict was very brief, Nolan's takes up most of the book. Anecdotes about work are long and repetitive. Leanne's a certified bitch and the romance suffers because the story is really more about the effects of trauma than it is Riley and Nolan falling in love.
October 19, 2025
Another self-pubbed book that is in serious need of a good editor.
I really liked Riley and Nolan and the process of them falling in love. They were sweet to each other and the sex was smoking hot.
However, I had a few issues that lowered my rating.
+I didn't like how Riley's family issues were just brushed aside. It made me feel that Nolan was selfish and the relationship was one-sided.
+I can empathize with the trauma of sexual assault. But as the author was trying to drive the point home, she pushed it off a cliff.
+It was repetitive and the book needed pages and pages of the incredibly long and boring conversations cut out. I did a fair amount of skimming and didn't miss a thing.
Side note: This is first person and the casual vernacular was annoying. A lot of extra-grammatical 'like' and 'ya know'. It was reminiscent of the 80's valley girl speak and unnecessary.
I really liked Riley and Nolan and the process of them falling in love. They were sweet to each other and the sex was smoking hot.
However, I had a few issues that lowered my rating.
+I didn't like how Riley's family issues were just brushed aside. It made me feel that Nolan was selfish and the relationship was one-sided.
+I can empathize with the trauma of sexual assault. But as the author was trying to drive the point home, she pushed it off a cliff.
+It was repetitive and the book needed pages and pages of the incredibly long and boring conversations cut out. I did a fair amount of skimming and didn't miss a thing.
Side note: This is first person and the casual vernacular was annoying. A lot of extra-grammatical 'like' and 'ya know'. It was reminiscent of the 80's valley girl speak and unnecessary.
March 26, 2025
I really tried to like it but I just couldn't..... the repetitive cycles went on and on...... and the drama at the end, so over the top..... and I am honestly bothered by the fact that put of everyone in his family, the first person to voice their statement of belief of what Nolan was saying to be true, was his future sister-in-law...
October 19, 2025
Recently I have found LA Witt very uneven. This is a good one.
June 4, 2025
Snooze fest…if by page 100 i’m not invested or entertained then what’s the point? Too many good books to spend time reading one that doesn’t interest me
August 1, 2025
Riley’s family trauma felt like an afterthought-something dropped in for depth but never actually explored. It was mentioned briefly, then ignored for most of the book, to the point that Nolan literally forgot it had even happened. That kind of oversight doesn’t just feel lazy; it feels unfair to Riley as a character. His pain didn’t serve any narrative function, wasn’t tied meaningfully into the central arc, and was never given the same emotional weight as Nolan’s trauma. It just sat there in the background, untouched and unresolved.
And then there’s the ending-where everything gets tied up with a suspiciously neat bow. Nolan and Riley get engaged at a hockey game, Andrew conveniently reappears to say he’s left Leanne, Leanne’s being investigated for raping other men, and oh, by the way, the kid wasn’t Nolan’s after all. It felt too convenient, like the story needed to reassure the reader that justice was served and true love prevailed, even if it meant skipping over the messy emotional aftermath. For a book rooted in such heavy subject matter, the ending felt like it belonged to a much simpler story.
And then there’s the ending-where everything gets tied up with a suspiciously neat bow. Nolan and Riley get engaged at a hockey game, Andrew conveniently reappears to say he’s left Leanne, Leanne’s being investigated for raping other men, and oh, by the way, the kid wasn’t Nolan’s after all. It felt too convenient, like the story needed to reassure the reader that justice was served and true love prevailed, even if it meant skipping over the messy emotional aftermath. For a book rooted in such heavy subject matter, the ending felt like it belonged to a much simpler story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2025
Just wow!
This book has blown me away. The care and detail taken in writing these characters is outstanding.
It's unfortunately common for us to hear of some girl we know who was SA'd, or victimised, or coerced. But do we ever hear the same stories when it's a male as the abused?
In Leave, this is exactly the story we get. And it is heartbreaking.
Nolan lives his life as solitary as possible, keeping himself protected from those around him who wouldn't believe or understand him. When a call home forces these truths out, he needs someone in his corner. His roomate and occasional bj partner is that person.
Together, they face and battle their families, their fears, and their futures.
I can not recommend this book enough. Yes, it's a very sensitive subject, but I feel we can all learn from this and possibly see an alternative side to abuse that we may have never thought about before.
This book has blown me away. The care and detail taken in writing these characters is outstanding.
It's unfortunately common for us to hear of some girl we know who was SA'd, or victimised, or coerced. But do we ever hear the same stories when it's a male as the abused?
In Leave, this is exactly the story we get. And it is heartbreaking.
Nolan lives his life as solitary as possible, keeping himself protected from those around him who wouldn't believe or understand him. When a call home forces these truths out, he needs someone in his corner. His roomate and occasional bj partner is that person.
Together, they face and battle their families, their fears, and their futures.
I can not recommend this book enough. Yes, it's a very sensitive subject, but I feel we can all learn from this and possibly see an alternative side to abuse that we may have never thought about before.
March 17, 2025
What a book. Witt never shys away from hard topics and this book…man do we get that. Riley and Nolan are roomates with benefits turned fake boyfriends to help each other out with their families. While Riley’s family struggles with grasping his gayness Nolan is struggling with far more.
Riley is the most beautifully patient and understanding man. His ability to create trust with Nolan and their friendship turned more was just everything.
Nolan-this man. Kind, generous, rescuer of kittens was so broken and felt so alone but he braved such hard moments. The love he found and gave to Riley was so much more beautiful because of his past.
Check your triggers on this one but spoiler the jerk gets what’s comjng to them.
Riley is the most beautifully patient and understanding man. His ability to create trust with Nolan and their friendship turned more was just everything.
Nolan-this man. Kind, generous, rescuer of kittens was so broken and felt so alone but he braved such hard moments. The love he found and gave to Riley was so much more beautiful because of his past.
Check your triggers on this one but spoiler the jerk gets what’s comjng to them.
April 20, 2025
I’m have a lot of respect for books that take the time to treat trauma and mental health with the care they deserve, so I give the author all the props for that. It is clear they wanted to do right by the characters, and they did. They explored topics of sexual assault, male victims, PTSD and shame with thoughtfulness.
On a personal note, though, it felt like it was a little redundant and maybe veered into too much processing. I don’t know if the extent to which the characters needed to tell and retell and process and reprocess their trauma stories and reactions to it were entirely necessary to move the story forward, and it felt a little like being stuck in a roundabout with no exit ramp at times.
But, I loved how supportive the MCs were of one another. It’s a great love story in that regard, and a nice tone shift from some of the author's more fast-paced books.
CWs:
Parental Rejection
Retelling of sexual assault that includes drugging
PTSD
Victim blaming
Homophobic tropes
Descriptions of drug and alcohol use
MCs:
Gay
Vers
White
Details:
Military
Roommates to lovers
Fake boyfriends
Oral sex
Mutual masturbation
Anal sex
No particular kinks explored
Dirty talk 🌶️/5
Spice 🌶️🌶️/5
On a personal note, though, it felt like it was a little redundant and maybe veered into too much processing. I don’t know if the extent to which the characters needed to tell and retell and process and reprocess their trauma stories and reactions to it were entirely necessary to move the story forward, and it felt a little like being stuck in a roundabout with no exit ramp at times.
But, I loved how supportive the MCs were of one another. It’s a great love story in that regard, and a nice tone shift from some of the author's more fast-paced books.
CWs:
Parental Rejection
Retelling of sexual assault that includes drugging
PTSD
Victim blaming
Homophobic tropes
Descriptions of drug and alcohol use
MCs:
Gay
Vers
White
Details:
Military
Roommates to lovers
Fake boyfriends
Oral sex
Mutual masturbation
Anal sex
No particular kinks explored
Dirty talk 🌶️/5
Spice 🌶️🌶️/5
February 26, 2025
Oof ok this was a rough one. Truly felt for Nolan, he was carrying that secret for so long and all his reservations were unfortunately very valid. I loved how he learned to trust Riley though and how Riley knew even more confirmed what had happened and was running interference. He really had Nolan’s best interest at heart and was such a good support system for him. Riley was so kind and whole and such a *good* person! His family situation was rough and yet he still found the drive to be kind of person who could hold Nolan up.
Mind the TW!
Mind the TW!
March 19, 2025
A little meh for me. While it was nice how sweet and understanding Riley was about Nolan, it just didn't click for me that this was how two military guys would deal with it. Yeah, Riley is military police, but he's not a therapist, and the therapy speak was starting to get kinda corny to me. I just wanted them to sound like regular guys. The whole thing was kinda bland. And I was a little sad that Riley's family drama was ignored so quickly.
March 24, 2025
This was a really long book and it took me quite a while to finish it but it was well worth it. I loved Nolan and Riley from the beginning. They were both carrying emotional family problems that they found difficult to handle. The storyline was quite gut wrenching at times but fortunately it resulted in a hea. I can highly recommend this book and for me it was a pleasure to read.
dnf
July 21, 2025DNF @ 38%
Nothing inherently wrong with this book, I can see why my friends have rated it quite high, but I know Nolan’s abuser will be showing up soon and I don’t think I’m in a headspace to deal with SA trauma right now.
Protecting my peace - but may still try again later!
Nothing inherently wrong with this book, I can see why my friends have rated it quite high, but I know Nolan’s abuser will be showing up soon and I don’t think I’m in a headspace to deal with SA trauma right now.
Protecting my peace - but may still try again later!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 14, 2025
4,5⭐️
Okayyy. Denna var sååå bra. Riley var ju en ängel och Nolan var tragiskt nog väldigt påverkad av sitt trauma. Tyckte det omhändertogs fint i denna bok. Speciellt av Riley❤️. Väldigt ”verklig” på något sätt. Allt gick inte alltid bra osv.
Kanske lite lite fokus på vad som hände med Riley, men man förstod ju att Nolan hade annat att tänka på.
Okayyy. Denna var sååå bra. Riley var ju en ängel och Nolan var tragiskt nog väldigt påverkad av sitt trauma. Tyckte det omhändertogs fint i denna bok. Speciellt av Riley❤️. Väldigt ”verklig” på något sätt. Allt gick inte alltid bra osv.
Kanske lite lite fokus på vad som hände med Riley, men man förstod ju att Nolan hade annat att tänka på.
November 16, 2025
very sweet fake dating to falling in love. the trauma was very hard to read but I'm glad they stuck together
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