Shadows Never Lie

Shadow Duet #1

by Lark Taylor

Dominic Walker has always been a good liar.

Dominic stands where I am supposed to — at my identical twin’s side. His confidant. His right- hand. His best friend. The brother he would choose.

I’ve been cast aside, relegated to the shadows. Forced to watch as Max and Dominic get everything they want. Everything I secretly want.

But then, Dominic suddenly sees me and issues an offer I can’t refuse. A challenge, actually. One he never expects me to follow through on.

With anyone else, I wouldn’t have considered it. But I’ll be damned before I let Dominic get the better of me.

It has me sinking to my knees. Literally.

A decision that changes everything.

Dominic pulls me out of the shadows, and I never want to go back.

But it’s not the shadows I need to be afraid of.

No, it’s the path that leads somewhere far darker than I could ever have imagined. Somewhere where truth and lies become shadowed.


Shadows Never Lie is the first book in the Shadow Duet. It's a contemporary, high-angst MM romance, featuring brand new characters. The duet will end in a HEA.

Genres: M M Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Contemporary, Second Chance, Brothers Best Friend, College

328 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 1, 2026

About the author

Lark lives with her family in southern England. An obsessive romance fan, she loves nothing more than a Happily Ever After – especially if there’s a good plot and a hefty amount of spice along the way. When she’s not reading or writing, she can be found hiding from adult life in escape rooms, travel and the MCU. As a Bi woman with OCD, Lark is a fervent supporter of the LGBTQIA+ community and an advocate for mental health awareness and support.

Reviews

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

“You’re always pretending. Trying to blend in with the shadows when what you deserve is to shine under a spotlight.”

I'm pretty pleased with myself for waiting until the last possible second to read this book. I know Lark delights in making us suffer, all in the name of a great book. For those of you like me who love Lark's writing but want to limit how much she's able to hurt you, book 2 is out on May 15. To be clear, you're still gonna be hurt, but you can take away the hurt of waiting at least 😆.

Just like always, there was a scowl marring his brow. I used to think Dominic was just perpetually pissed off at the world. Now, I knew it was just his resting face. Until he saw me, that was. That was when the scowl melted, to be replaced by the most beautiful smile. One I’d only ever seen aimed in my direction.

Shadows Never Lie was a very enjoyable read, in spite of all of what I just said about being hurt. It's the good kind of hurt, where the MCs are earning their HEA. The kind of hurt that lets you know they're never going to break up because their love is so intense and strong that it verges on toxic. The Shadow Duet is about wanting someone who you know can't be yours, but you don't care. You want them anyway and you're going to yearn and pine and refuse to put your head before your heart. It is not about good communication skills (the MCs are 18 year old boys and act accordingly). I absolutely loved it, and I recommend it! You might just want to wait until May 14th to pick this one up 🤪.

Dreams didn’t come true. Dominic had taught me that. It was better to go for the safe option. I’d taken a risk with him and paid with my heart, but I wasn’t a fool. I learned from my mistakes. From now on, there’d be no dreaming. No flights of fancy. No throwing caution to the wind and seeing where it took me. Life was better when it was predictable. When you knew what your next steps were, and the results of taking them. That mindset didn’t leave any room for broken hearts.

Rating: 5 stars
Angst: 4.5/5
Steam: 3.5/5

I received an advance copy of this book from the author and this is my honest review.

I’d been cold for years. I was desperate to burn again.

[⪩ tuba ⪨ ꠹ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5⭐️ I MAY HAVE FAILED MY DRIVING EXAM TODAY, BUT THIS BOOK DIDN’T!!💀

IT LITERALLY ATE AND LEFT NO CRUMBS 😭JUMPING TO THE SECOND BOOK ASAP!!

Will be giving a better review after finishing the second one ’CAUSEEEE I’M IMPATIENT AF!!!





preread :p
HONESTLY, I WAS PLANNING ON READING SOMETHING ELSE AFTER MY LAST BOOK, BUT Y’ALL CONVINCED ME, SO HERE WE GO!!😭

[Brittany (Brit.tea.reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

STOP 😭💔

[Emna · Rating 5 out of 5]

6⭐
I'LL BE NEEDING STITCHES.

[Kati *☆･ﾟ(Dramione obsessed rn) · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

4.5***** stars


It’s 2:30 in the morning on a weekday. And it’s this book’s fault. Just sayin’. 🥱🫩


I fucking looooooved that the prologue was about the very same moment in time as the epilogue.

Before we get their teenage love story and started and ended a decade ago we get the moment they first see each other again. From Ryan’s POV, as most of the book is—at his bachelor party.

And after we watch their hearts first fall hard for each other and then breaking to smithereens we get the other side of that moment. Dominic’s POV.

“Walk away if you want, Shadow, but I’ll get you back. I don’t give a shit how many years pass, or who you give yourself to in the meantime. It means fuck all. You’re mine, and I’ll be back to claim you. Just you fucking wait and see.”

“You can’t be happy without me.”
“Fucking watch me.”

Freaking hell this was intense. Great chemistry, awesome tension. JUST THE WAY I LIKE IT!!

An epic first book in this duet. I’m glad I’ve waited for the second to release first. I can’t wait to see how they (you know who) are going to fix what they’ve broken.


**********
Shadow Duet

Book 1 - Shadows Never Lie - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - Shadows Never Leave - 4.0 stars

[Marci · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH MY GOD🫪 THAT WAS EVERYTHING🫠 THANK YOU LARK TAYLOR FOR THIS DELICIOUS MEAL!!!! And even better…the next course is hot and ready for me and I’m hungry AF and starting it NOWWWWW. THE YEARNING, TENSION, JEALOUSY, OBSESSION, SOFT TOUCHES, FIRST KISS, ANGST!!!!!!!!!!! PERFECTION!!!!!!! The plot had me turning the pages too. It’s a really interesting and unique premise!!! Ok this was fantastic I don’t even know what else to say and I hope the next book is just as good!!!!!😁🤞🏻😁🤞🏻😁🤞🏻😁

[caffeinated.crystal · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Hurt me again, Lark Taylor. I'll be here waiting. Waiting for Dom and Ryan to get their forever."

This is what I wrote right after I finished book one. I enjoyed this book so much, how it starts, the bulk of the story, and how she leaves us right there with Ryan and Dom at the bar. They're wondering what will happen next and so are we!!!

Shadows Never Lie is marketed as enemies to lovers, but I don't think so. They're teens in book one, and teens are SO DUMB. Their brains aren't fully developed. So mistakes happen, and they don't have the language to actually communicate.

All that to say, Lark puts us THROUGH IT with this one and since it's a duet, she leaves us at an understandable cliffhanger.

I am lucky enough to have read book 2 and I know how it ends. Y'all, it's a treasure.

● twin brother's best friend
● bully vibes, but not really
● angst & yearning
● family drama
● first times
● first time with a man
● second chance
● cliffhanger


More thoughts from my original review:

book one leaves us wondering how the hell is this gonna be fixed?

This is a brother's best friend romance, and this seriously comes to play because the twins have a terrible relationship.

But the potential? The soulmate potential between Ryan and Dominic is there. And the pain just oooooooozes out of this book. The situation, the location, the relationships all come into play and it makes what happens between Ryan and Dom all the more spectacular because it SHOULDN'T happen.

The entire book was great, but the last 20% took it to the next level. Knowing how and where it would end had me all up in my feels before it happened, and the three confrontations that landed near the end took me by surprise and just twisted the knife.

[Rachael Hamilton · Rating 4.5 out of 5]

This book had my attention from the start. The prologue sets the tone for a tense plot. I loved the set up for this book starting in the present before flashing back a decade. It created a mystery that made me determined to find out how we got to the present timeline.

The relationship between Ryan and Dominic is a rollercoaster. I love the tension between them. I thought this was going to end up going the bully romance route, but that didn’t last long. I despised Dominic, then I was rooting for him, and then I was back to hating him. He better beg for forgiveness in this next book for hurting sweet Ryan like that, because he didn’t deserve that at all.

I was shocked by the plot twists. They were unexpected and have left me with so many questions. I'm heavily invested in the side characters and their plots too. I need more from Ryan's twin brother and am so curious about Dominic's father's potential redemption arc.

I could not put this one down, and I'm already about to jump into book two. The only thing I wished for was a deeper dive into Dominic's headspace, but I suspect that's coming in the final book of the duet.

[oshiiy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars ⭐️

I’m glad about two things: first, that I found this book, and second, that I found it after the second book was already released

Ryan and Dom were everything. I loved their chemistry and relationship, it was so intense and complicated at times. And I loathe Max so much!!

Onto the next installment!!

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ryan + Dominic 🖤
Enemies | Brothers best friend | Double awakening

Max is going in the burn book.
And Dom better GROVEL in book 2.
Why do I do this to myself? IT HURTS IT HURTS 😭

The 15th can't come quick enough.


*This is part 1 of a duet and ends on a cliffhanger.




⚠️ potential spoilers below in detailed tropes, content and warning lists






Tropes/content:
Enemies
Brothers best friend
Double awakening
Secret pining
Prologue - present time. Ryan is engaged to a woman and is having a bachelor party. He's 6 weeks away from getting married. His twin brother and Dominic walk in uninvited. He loses it and kicks Dom out. His brother follows. Dom says he made a promise and he will keep it. The promise of coming back for Ryan. It's been 10 years since they've seen each other. Dom was in the military.
Chapter 1 starts when they're 18
Who did this to you? Not those exact words but same vibe
Beats up the bullies
Pet name Shadow
Virgin
Gay chicken
First times
Finish 💦 in pants while giving head
Praise
Uncut x2
"What are you doing to me?"
Draws him naked
Pinky holding
Bed sharing w/o sex
Frotting
Sneaking off
Helps him study with flashcards for an exam
Waits for him outside of his classes
Having to keep quiet - smothering himself with a pillow
I didnt know where else to go vibes
Hurt comfort
Frotting
Rimming
Candelight love making for Ryan's first time - and I love you's shared
Talks him through it
Bareback
Epilogue - back to present time at Ryan's bachelor party - this time from Dominic's POV. Him and Max have done growing up. Even Max understands he hurt his brother and is worried about making it worse by crashing his bachelor party. Dom hints there's something that neither we or Ryan know about. Maybe something that will help all of us forgive him easier in book 2.




Warnings/icks:
Cliffhanger ending
Bullying - chapter 1 Ryan is getting beat up from other guys saying they're beating him up because Max (Ryan's twin) slept with one of their girlfriends. Max and Dominic dont know about the incident but have been treating Ryan like shit for years.
Dominic's dad is verbally and emotionally abusive - tells Dom that he wishes Dom died instead of his mom
Gray area, possible coercion - Dominic says he'll tell people to stop beating up Ryan but only if he blows him
Max is an all around asshole to his twin
Dom's mom drowned trying to save him from a river he fell into when he was 4 years old
Betrayal - Dom signed up with Max for the army before him and Ryan ever were together. Ryan only finds out 2 weeks before they leave and he hears it from Max, not Dominic. Dom also has been lying the entire time and has been telling Max EVERYTHING. This was just barely a few days right after they made love in candelight for the first time and shared 'I love yous'
Max puts it in Ryan's head that he's really the one that Dom loves and that Ryan is just the one that's willing to have sex with him and since they're twins he's just a stand-in for who Dom really wants
Ryan discovers that Dom and Max took off early to travel and didnt even stay their last two weeks
He takes his anger out on Dominic's drunk dad, goes to his house and chews him apart
Intoxication resulting in concussion (Ryan)
Quick hospital stay

[Jessica Swan · Rating 5 out of 5]

What in the actual fuck. 5 stars.

[Sofi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not even a chapter in and I just knew I was going to get hooked on this book. Dominic and Ryan were just so addictive, the banter, their dynamic, how obsessed they were with each other without even realizing it, and when they did, it just got better. This book actually wasn’t what I expected it to be, and I am not disappointed.

And the characters surprised me too. I love that they were both just such sweet guys, especially to each other. Them together, the way they go from “hate” to becoming each other’s safe place... ugh, I love them and I just want to see them happy. And I know Dominic’s actions in this book were... not good, but I just can’t hate him, and I know he will redeem himself, which makes me so excited for the second part of their story.

One thing I do have to say is that I wish the POVs had been more balanced because I was dying to get into Dominic’s mind and actually know what he was thinking and feeling. I loved getting to know Ryan on a deeper level, his insecurities, thoughts, fears, his artistic mind, and I just wanted that too with Dominic, who I know has even more depth than what we got to see. And that is saying a lot because I still felt like I got to know him even though we didn’t get his POV as consistently, so I just wanted more of that.

I love that we actually got to see a more realistic representation of eighteen year old guys trying to understand their feelings while dealing with life. You could see their confusion over things that might be obvious, but at that age they just aren’t, and it was such a good look into a first love kind of relationship where they are both figuring things out and learning together. I liked that this made the frustration I usually feel when characters avoid having the conversations they need less intense, since these two were portrayed in a way that actually felt true to their age and their reactions and feelings made sense for them at that stage of life.

I also loved how the book was structured. I mean, that prologue literally grabbed me and made putting this book down really difficult. I love that it came full circle from prologue to epilogue. It made their story more intriguing to me since, from the start, you just know something is going to happen. So you see them build this cute as hell, first love relationship, but in the back of my mind I was just waiting for that hit. I just think it was so well executed, and it got me even more into the story.

Ohh, can I highlight the endearments? Because first of all, “love” will forever be my weakness, and even though I didn’t like “Shadow” at first because... what the hell? I actually ended up loving it because of the meaning Dominic gave it, and of course, the “baby” never fails. I just wanted to say that because, personally, a good or cringy pet name can really affect me in books, and I loved every single one that was used here.

“Made for each other. It was a fanciful thought, but I loved it. I was his Shadow, and he was my love.”

“Ryan was my Shadow. The one I could never escape. If he was cut from me, I’d be half a man until I got him back. Even before this all started, I’d caught myself watching him. Noticing him. Seeking him out. Ironic that Ryan believed I called him ‘Shadow’ because I thought that was where he belonged. Really it was because I’d got used to him always being there, in my periphery. My shadow. Where he belonged.”

I actually don’t have much more to say, not because I don’t think there is depth in the story and characters, since my God, there is a lot of that, but more because I need to start book two, like immediately.

“I’ll make you one more promise, Ryan. A vow that I’ll never break.” I didn’t stop moving, but his words landed all the same. “Walk away if you want, Shadow, but I’ll get you back. I don’t give a shit how many years pass, or who you give yourself to in the meantime. It means fuck all. You’re mine, and I’ll be back to claim you. Just you fucking wait and see.”

4.8 ⭐️

-----------------

Quotes:

“You’re always pretending. Trying to blend in with the shadows when what you deserve is to shine under a spotlight.”

“This felt different. I’d had a lot of kisses, but never one like this. One where everything suddenly seemed to centre on the other person. Where it felt simultaneously familiar yet somehow brand new. Like coming home after a long day and immediately bungee jumping out of a window. I didn’t think it was because I was kissing a man though. I thought it was because that man was Ryan.”

“Love?”
“Is that okay?”
“Depends,” Dominic said quietly, his dark eyes intense. “Depends on how you mean it. Is it like when I call you ‘baby’? Or when I call you ‘Shadow’?”
I didn’t need to ask him what he meant. Somehow, I knew. Baby was an endearment. Shadow was something more. “Shadow.”

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I’d told Dominic that my room was his safe space, and I’d meant it. I hadn’t realised the price I’d pay for that would be my own sanity."

Oh I loved this one! Shadows Never Lie is book 1 in Lark Taylor's Shadow Duet and it's out now! (Book 2 Shadows Never Leave is out on 15 May).

This is an angsty, teenagers in love, first times, first heart break and all the drama in between. It's the story of Ryan and his twin brother's best friend Dominic - and all the mistakes and regrets and emotions that come from a dynamic where the brothers don't get along and Dominic falls for the boy who isn't his best friend.

Shadows Never Leave picks up the story years later (to be reviewed soon).

🖤MM romance
🖤Twin brother’s best friend
🖤Double bi-awakening
🖤Protective MC
🖤Slow burn, but also not
🖤ALL THE PINING AND ANGST
🖤Steamy first times
🖤Some dark themes
🖤Grief
🖤Secret relationship
🖤Book 1 in a duet so cliffhanger ending
🖤Book 2 has a hard won HEA

LOVE LOVE LOVE!

4.5 Stars

[amina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a second chance trope💔
However, in their initial relationship development it felt like they started to have quite deep feelings for each other out of nowhere.. needed a bit smoother transition from “hate” to “you are it for me”
Also, who needs enemies when you have Max for a brother. Like jeeze what an asshole
The ending though….cant wait to dive into the second part of this 🫡💖

[haletostilinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so happy I waited until the second installment was out to read this, because that ending would have had me so anxious and eager for more, waiting two weeks to see what would would have been torture!

Hands down, this is one of Lark Taylor's best. I was hooked from the beginning and couldn't put it down, only put it down when I had to, and I just wanted to keep reading this all straight through if I could.

Ryan has a twin, Max, who hates. Why? It's not very clear. At best, we get that Max thinks their parents love Ryan more and see him as the better son, although where he got that idea - at least for so long that it started when they were around 11 years old - is a mystery. And why he takes it out so harshly on Ryan is completely unfair. And Dominic, Max's best friend, seems to have bought the kool-aid Max has been drinking. At least he does for some number of years.

But at the start of this it also seems like Dominic has never hated Ryan himself and has started seeing more to Ryan than Max's biased view.

Things really start to change when Dominic is able to see Ryan's winces of pain, as he was beat up by guys at college (not college as we see it in the US, but college in the UK, which people go to from ages 16-18 before university) for Max sleeping with one of the guys' girlfriends. They messed with Ryan as an "easy target" instead of Max himself to send a message, as Max and Dominic are fighters and know hot to fuck others up. So who do they go to to try to hurt Max? Ryan.

Only...Max barely even gives Ryan the time of day. And Ryan doesn't tell anyone, but Dominic notices him in pain and finds out anyway. After that, he warns off the bullies, except he pretends like he won't warn off anyone else messing with Ryan either unless he gives him a blowjob. He's trying to mess with Ryan, call his bluff, but Ryan actually does it, and that officially starts things between the two.

It actually takes awhile for them to officially start things, but they start hanging out more and more after that and it becomes less Max and Dominic and more Ryan and Dominic.

The sexual tension, the wanting, the pining before they gave in was wonderful, and still them having to hide it because of Max because he's a little bitch...

Max's part in the downfall of their relationship is big, and he deserves more hate than he's getting in the present day, but ultimately it was Dominic and Ryan who screwed up. Mainly Dominic, yes, but there are things Ryan did that weren't the right way to go about it either.

But it hurt even worse knowing Ryan changed his mind and was wanting to work on it and Dominic was already gone - I need that point to come up in the next book from Ryan because he didn't think it was over after that one conversation and he was willing to try before it was all taken away.

The fact that in the future it's been 10 years, which is more years than these two knew each other...but they're still hanging onto each other because of course they're mean to be together.

I've already started reading the second one, so excited to see these two get their heads out of their asses and be together forever.

As realistic as this was with these two being two 18 year olds who didn't know hot to communicate, it didn't make it any less frustrating, so I'm waiting for ALL the communication in the second one with them as full grown adults 10 years later.

Diving into the next one right now! 😘 If you haven't read this yet, do so now, as you can dive into the next one right away, it's amazing.

Onto the next!

[Gemeli · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to the audio and mmm… the narrator was so so. And maybe that’s why it didn’t feel like a 6 star read this time around. Still a great book but I’m taking this off my 6 star reads shelf.



Old review: SIX STARS THROUGH AND THROUGH! Holy fucking hell, what a journey! I’m so damn hurt!
My heart broke into a million pieces for Ryan. My god. My god. My god.

And now I have to wait two days for book 2? Fucking shoot me in the face already!

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am UNWELL over this book… This duet is shaping up to be something seriously special and I am completely hooked.

Dominic and Ryan are a slow burn dream. Their tension at the start and then learning their heartbreaking (but also cute) history through book one? Honestly, the absolute emotional chaos of it all! SEND HELP. Their story is full of that delicious push and pull, where you don’t know if you want them to kiss or fight (or both).

This book has:

* brother’s best friend
* enemies to lovers energy
* double bi-awakening
* the most protective MC
* slow burn
* so much pining at times it physically hurts
* angst, tension and emotional damage
* a reluctant friendship turning into something consuming

This is very much a part one, and you feel it, but in the best way. Dominic has one hell of a hill to climb to win Ryan’s love back.

[bunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

GOBBLED this up

the beginning and the end being the same scene? diff pov? after everything they’ve been through? help, my heart’s melted out my body and i can’t seem to get it back.

i went into this book thinking it would be quick flashbacks here and there, crumbs into their past life for you to build the full picture. but no, what we got was so much better, and ive never been in more love with a story telling.

i can’t pick up the second book fast enough but also special note for max, he can get fucked. hopefully not literally cause i will lose my mind.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shadows Never Lie was such a great start to this duet. I loved Dominic and Ryan together instantly. Dominic was an absolute sweetheart behind his tough exterior. I loved seeing how vulnerable he became around Ryan.
Ryan was so precious, and I hated the way his twin brother, Max, treated him. The fallout between Max, Dominic, and Ryan even though it was expected,had me feeling every moment of it.
I was so grateful I could jump straight into Shadows Never Leave, because emotionally, I don't think I could have handled the wait.

[Debra ~~ seriously slacking on her reviews ~~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first read by this author and I really enjoyed it. There was some good emotion in the relationship between Ryan and Dom and some heartbreak in whatever happened between Ryan and his brother Max. The men were so young here and with the 10 years that have passed, I'm really looking forward to the next book to see how it all ends.

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible impressive story!

Did I like Dominic? Certainly not at first. He and Max, Ryan’s twin brother, were horrible to Ryan and constantly ignored him. They were rude, demanded that he not follow them around, and laughed at him. Dominic called Ryan ‘Shadow’. Ryan hated that, as if he belonged there.

It deeply hurt Ryan; he retreated into himself and avoided contact with everyone. No one liked him.
He got bullied, knocked to the ground, kicked at, his body full of bruises, and all because of his twin Max, and Max’s best friend Dominic.

Reality is a bit different, and more complicated.

The prologue starts with Ryan in his twenties, on the night before his wedding. Wedding? Yes, but not with the one he thought he would spend his life with.
Chapter one is where he’s eighteen and where my review starts.

“It’s only ever been you. Never him.”

“You’re mine, and I’ll be back to claim you. Just you fucking wait and see.”

I can’t tell more, I’m heartbroken. Thank goodness I have book two from this duet, so that’s where I will be until it’s finished.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️
This was so good! It felt a little slow in the middle but it picked back up again and I really enjoyed it.

“I walked away, but you f***ing ran”

I understood why Dom joined the military, but TEN YEARS?????
it made me soooo mad when I read that he had been telling Max EVERYTHING!!! what do you mean you don’t want to hurt Max but you’re okay with hiding things from Ryan?? He should’ve just told Ryan that Max knows! Would’ve saved Ryan from the humiliation and they could’ve actually been affectionate in public.

I’m hoping the second book is just as good. Normally I would think after 10 years they’ve both moved on. Hopefully the author pulls it off and makes it believable.

Also I would love to have a book with Max as the mc 👀

[Ri]

Second chance contemporary romance
Brother’s best friend
Enemies to lovers
Double bi-awakening
Cheating (not between MMCs)

[L Monster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two Stars

I'll probably go into a huge rant about this book, but I need to get a few things off my chest real quick.

First of, the writing isn't great, so if you don't think you can look past the off-pitch character voices (I blame the author because I don't think this was entirely intentional), or the fact that all secondary characters are basically NPCs with no agency, you best skip this one.

Secondly, the prologue spoils the ending. WTF? Yes. You heard me. But I'LL GET TO THAT.

And Thirdly, the BETRAYAL was just so fucking stupid. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaa.

The strength of this book is the premise: teen boy falls in love with twin's best friend, and for some UNKNOWN reason, they must keep it a secret. I mean, who doesn't love that? The angst and the lead-up to it was definitely there, but to get to the juicy center, you have to listen to Ryan's woe-is-me first person narrative. And I'm not gonna lie to you, it was a task. Plus, like I said, it doesn't help that the "reason" is just so fucking stupid.

Fortunately for you (unfortunately for me?) I enjoy an angsty romance as much as the next gal and I LOVE a second chance romance probably more than I do any other trope. So I went ahead and finished this book so you didn't have to. And boy, do I got lots to say. Just keep this in mind: This book isn't GREAT, but... it had its moments, and it had so much more potential. This is what to expect, in a nutshell:

- First person POV, present.
- Prologue and epilogue in the NOW.
- The bulk of the story is in the PAST (when MCs were 18 years old).
- "Falling for brother's best friend"
- Book 1 is "how they fell in love" and book 2 (I haven't read it) will cover the 10-years-later. So, THIS book ISN'T a second-chance romance.
- POV character is kept mostly in the dark, building up for the "revelation".
- 80% of the book is MCs dating in secret.
- This book contains graphic smut. More on that later.

All in all, I gave this book 2 stars because I FINISHED IT. And also.... I grudgingly admit... because the level of angst was adequate, and I do love me some imaginary man tears. Even if these are hardly "men" and their frontal lobes aren't entirely developed.

Let's get to it then. Warning: this review contains spoilers, but don't worry, they'll be announced in advance. Plus, most of the spoilers that ACTUALLY MATTER are given to you by the author, in the prologue.

Ah, that damn prologue.

Tis these three things we learn off the bat:
1) Ryan is getting married after finally getting over his horrible high school ex-boyfriend.
2) The high school ex-boyfriend is an objectifying asshole who shows up after spending 10 years in the military to "get Ryan back" because "he belongs to him." Fucking yuck.
3) The high school ex-boyfriend shows up accompanied by the evil twin--the reason they broke up in the first place, promising that everything's changed while showing that absolutely nothing's changed.

So, before we even get into the actual story, the prologue already tells us the single most important thing about this book: Dominic is going to choose the OTHER TWIN over Ryan. Why, oh WHY ARE WE PUTTING THIS IN THE PROLOGUE?

For about 80% of the story, Ryan is dating Dominic in secret while being kept in the dark of things happening "behind the scenes". Why is Dominic so mysterious about what his plans are after high school? Will Dominic finally stand up for Ryan in front of his twin and give him his place? Who will Dominic pick in the end? Why does Ryan's evil twin Max look so smug half the time? The inner monologues are endless and pretty fucking pointless if you consider what the Prologue already told us: which is the answers to ALL THOSE QUESTIONS--that Dominic joins the military with Max instead of staying with Ryan.

Without knowing it, Lark Taylor has spoiled their own ending. BEFORE PAGE 10.

Fucking think about it. Agatha Christie giving you a prologue where Poirot is doing the classic face-off and revealing who the killer is--before the story even begins.

Why are you telling me the ending before I even get to know these characters? And since the ending has effectively been spoiled by the prologue, the other 98% of the novel is about watching Ryan fall in love with Dominic, KNOWING Dominic is going to pick his brother over him in the end. It's catastrophic. It's pointless. It's bad writing 101.

But OKAY. Let's ignore that. Let's assume you're one of those people who think the prologue was actually a bit more like foreshadowing than downright spoiling the fucking ending. Let's assume Lark Taylor's intention wasn't so much the what but more so the how. The process, so to speak. Let's assume Taylor wanted their readers to know what was going to happen, just so they could focus on the beautiful teenage romance instead.

Well, about that.

Call me old-fashioned Lark Taylor, but watching Dominic being an asshole in the prologue, an asshole in the epilogue, and asshole throughout the story (except for when nobody else is watching) didn't feel like quite the romantic romance I was promised. And no amount of blueberry muffins given to Ryan "in secret" is going to change that.

I'm not going to be morally sanctimonious here. Dominic being a prick and an asshole and a total jerk is irrelevant to whether or not this is a good story. HEY. Some of the absolute best stories have jerks as their main characters. It's called a character arc, and watching them assholes change is part of the beauty. I'd even argue is 99% of the beauty. Think Jamie Lannister from Game of Thrones. Think Jake Riordan from Fatal Shadows (HOLY SHIT if you haven't read the Adrien English mysteries, go read those immediately!) Think Tom from Object of Desire (he's the POV character!)... the point is Dominic is ALLOWED to be a jerk throughout his initial arc. Dude's 18 and comes from a bad (more on that later!) family. In fact, the more of a jerk, the better, when it comes to second chance romances.

A side note.

Jake Riordan from Fatal Shadows (linked above) is the epitome of asshole love interest. Jake's level of asshole is completely off the charts, but you know what? It's also completely OFF PAGE until you get to the juicy BETRAYAL. And then, we the readers, HATE HIM. We despise him. We feel zero sympathy for him. We want him to DIE. But... then his side of the story is revealed, and things change. When your main POV character is hurt and wronged by someone they trusted and loved with all their hearts, and suddenly you switch POVs to said asshole, friend, that is the reason I read romances.

Give me a jerk. Give me an asshole. Give me the worst, single most abusive sonofabitch ever to walk planet earth... from someone else's perspective. Then give me HIS POV where everything is explained. You will have me eating off the palm of your hand for the rest of your life.

This... wasn't the case here.

Giving Dominic his own POV in the epilogue... that is to say, having Dominic show up 10 years later, only to tell Ryan that he STILL belongs to him and that Ryan can't be happy without him and that he's the only one who OWNS THE RIGHTS to Ryan's life... only shows that Dominic has done NO GROWTH AT ALL. He's STILL an asshole. He's STILL an idiot. He's STILL with Max. I am in no way whatsoever rooting for him to get Ryan back. Ryan best get himself a restraining order in my opinion. I'd love to read that book.

Because that's a problem, isn't it? Dominic has no redeemable traits. He shows up 10 years later empty handed, and we're supposed to what, root for him? Ex-fucking-cuse you.

A side note.

Have you read The Lemon Drop Kid by Josh Lanyon?

No?

Drop whatever you're doing and hear me out.

In Lemon Drop, Casper Bredahl is sent to jail for a crime he didn't commit. Raleigh, his policeman boyfriend is the one who puts him behind bars. You heard right. Raleigh, the main love interest, is a cop so hell-bent on doing the right thing that the moment he suspects his boyfriend killed a man, he does his very best to have him put behind bars--only to find out that Casper didn't commit the crime in the first place, years after the fact. Now, as the story begins, Casper is out of prison, and Raleigh is DESPONDENT. He knows he fucked up. He wants to get Casper back. He can't get Casper to speak to him. And the best thing about this book? Casper is the POV character.

All we know is Casper's version of events. His heartbreak. His hatred for the man he once loved. He doesn't know Raleigh's motivations, doubts or regrets. He's a man who was hurt, and just wants to move on. He's rightfully angry, and when Raleigh shows up to grovel, Casper is fucking not having it.

THAT is what this book should have been if Taylor and their developmental editor had taken their heads out of their asses and had taken a second look to the big picture.

There are 29 chapters in this book. Ryan gets 26 POV chapters, Dominic gets 3. The Prologue is Ryan's, as he enjoys his stag party with all his friends present. He reminisces about his accomplishments and about how much he loves his fiancee. Cool beans. I like this for him, especially when he's obviously still not over his high school boyfriend. That's got me licking my chops in anticipation. That's me thinking there will be angst.

But when Dominic shows up, instead of appearing stricken, regretful, remorseful or even a tiny bit sorry... he goes on this macho tirade about how Ryan is just an object who belongs to him and always will.

And three-hundred-or-so-fucking-pages-lager, Dominic gets his own POV in the epilogue where he does and says EXACTLY THE SAME SHIT he does in the prologue, but with a few parenthesis of how much he loves Ryan added in, if only to add insult to injury.

WHY? WHY ARE WE DOING THIS TO THE MAIN LOVE INTEREST?

It made the book start on a bad note, and since the Epilogue is just Ryan's POV of the same fucking scene, with copy-pasted dialogues to boot--it made it end on a bad note as well.

Okay, hell. Enough about the fucking prologue/epilogue from hell now. Let's talk about the actual story, where it failed, and what should have been done. Because I paid for this book and I am angry that it COULD HAVE BEEN SO MUCH MORE if Lark Taylor had only had a competent developmental editor.

Problem: The characters are either caricatures or pointless NPCs.

Ryan is good. He's constantly referred to as "a goody-two-shoes" (who says that??) and he's bullied because he likes to draw, and he likes to bake, and he likes to clean and he likes to help his mommy and he likes to be kind and polite and he doesn't smoke or drink or go on dates... okay you get it. Ryan isn't just good: he is a caricature of good. In my opinion, he just reads as the dude without a personality who needs to be as different from his twin as humanly possible, because then his twin becomes...

Max, he evil twin. He's evil. He's a bully. He hates Ryan. He bullies Ryan. He mocks Ryan. He doesn't let Ryan play with his best friend Dominic. He absolutely fucking hates Ryan so goddamn much that he's actively doing everything in his power to make Ryan's life experience as miserable as possible. He also fucks girls all the time. He fucks and fucks and fucks. He does drugs. He gets drunk. He fucks girls who are in relationships. He fails all his classes. He's so mean, geddit?

18-year-old Ryan starts off by telling us that he's been beaten to within an inch of his life MULTIPLE TIMES, by dudes who are angry at his twin brother Max for sleeping with their girlfriends. First off, that's a bit of a stretch isn't it? That not one, not two, but multiple guys have had the idea of beating up Ryan (instead of the guy who actually slept with their girlfriends) in order to send Max a message. I maaaybe get it if had been an isolated incident... but you're telling me that Max has slept with so many girls that he's collectively gathered enough angry boyfriends to make this a recurrent problem for Ryan? And that all these knuckleheads decided to beat Ryan up instead of... oh, I don't know... go beat up the dude who actually boned their girls?

Let's assume this is what happened. Let's assume Ryan's been beaten up multiple times. How come nobody noticed? Ah, well, that's because Ryan goes to an invisible school and all his teachers are imaginary. And also, his mom is only there to cry on cue whenever the author needs her to. She's a good mom... sure... but she's never noticed that:

1) One of her sons is on the verge of death by ass kicking.
2) Her other son is constantly fucking girls in his bedroom.
3) One twin is severely bullying the other twin to the point where Ryan can barely speak up in public.

And since we're on the topic:

4) That the other twin is having sex with Dominic every night in his bedroom, for months on end?

And the dad? Oh boy. Let's just say Lark Taylor decided that "out of sight, out of mind" and they could get away with explaining the total lack of paternal presence by claiming that "Oh, dad doesn't care." Do we know what he does? how often is he home? How come dad hasn't noticed a thing? How come dad only grunts? Is he even a real person? The parents are NPCs.

And that includes the fucking cherry-on-top-of-the-pile-of-shit that was Dominic's dad. Because Dominic comes from a broken home where his dad is an abusive alcoholic who beats him, despite Dominic being 6 foot 4. And all it takes is one angry visit from Ryan to make this dad go to AA and start changing his life.

GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK.

Oh, but that's not all.

Let's talk about the women. Women in this book are here for: crying. Nagging. Crying. Nagging. Crying. Nagging. Crying. Nagging.

I can't deal with this. And yet... that's what this is. Ryan's mom: cry and nag. Max's girlfriend: cry and nag. Are there any more women in this book? Nope. That's all. Fucking hell.

I'm very fucking tired of thinking about this book, so let's get to the sweet ending of this review. And for that... This is a MAJOR SPOILERS ALERT.

You've been warned.

Look away if you must.

Here it comes.

Max SHOULD have been fucking Dominic. And by all appearances, they weren't fucking. This never happened. The reason Dominic decided to lie to Ryan in the first place... the BIG BETRAYAL wasn't that he was fucking Max. It was that he "didn't want Max to get hurt" by keeping his relationship with Ryan a secret from him.

So, Dominic was largely okay with Max making Ryan's life a living hell, but he didn't want to hurt Max's feeligns by... telling him that he was in love with his brother? How was this going to hurt Max's feelings, if Max was straight? Dude. Make it make sense.

How do we go from that to Max telling Ryan that "Dominic actually wants to fuck me, but I'm straight so he's fucking you instead." ???

We see NOTHING about Dominic and Max's relationship other than what Ryan tells us: that they play videogames and they fuck girls. You think Dominic's POV could have been put to more use if he'd only spent 10 seconds telling us why Max was so important to him? I honestly thought (hoped) that they were fucking in secret. That would have made this book worth the goddamn awful writing if only I'd gotten that bit of delicious angst where Max says: He's actually wanted to fuck me for years, but since I'm straight, you're the second best option.

And if that had been true?! DELICIOUS.

BUT NO, of course not. Because despite Dominic being painted to be the ultimate villain who doesn't change judging by his actions, it turns out that he's really been in love with Ryan all along? Honestly and for real? This is gaslighting. I CALL GASLIGHTING.

Fuck. No. Don't gaslight me, Lark Taylor. This guy wasn't in love with Ryan if he had no good reason not to hurt him. AAaaaaaaa.

I can't.

I just can't. I'm tired. THIS COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED IF ONLY THE DEVELOPMENTAL EDITOR HAD TOLD LARK TAYLOR A FEW THINGS. So, that's what I'm going to do.

Dear Lark Taylor.

- Dominic's reason for keeping Ryan in the dark is stupid. His reason for leaving the way he did is stupid. His reason for not reaching out in the first place is stupid.

- Max's reason for hating Ryan is... what, exactly? TELL ME FOR FUCK'S SAKE.

- Dominic hurting Ryan for no good reason isn't building up angst--it's poor character development.

- Max hating Ryan for no good reason isn't teenagers being teenagers--it's poor character development.

- Ryan being blindsided by Dominic leaving isn't worthy of being the climax if the revelation offers nothing ELSE other than "why didn't you tell me sooner?" Especially not if Dominic and Max weren't fucking.

I MADE A MESS OF THIS REVIEW BUT I DON'T CARE. MAX AND DOMINIC SHOULD HAVE BEEN FUCKING, OR AT LEAST, DOMINIC SHOULD HAVE BEEN REPLACING MAX WITH RYAN. BECAUSE IF NOT FOR THIS, THE REASONS FOR THE BETRAYAL DON'T MAKE SENSE.

Just... ugh.

I am NOT going to read book 2.

[TashiexReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC - busy running to book 2

[❦ Gracie ❦ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much 😭💓 stop because now I desperately need book two. I should’ve never started this masterpiece yet because now I have to WAIT, and as a very impatient person… this is torture 😞

Ryan and Dominic, my precious babies 🥹 I absolutely loved following their love story. Their relationship was beautiful, and you could truly feel how much they loved each other.

Now Max? A huge piece of sh*t. I don’t care if he changes later or if something traumatic happened to justify his behavior — the way he treated his twin brother was unforgivable to me. He spent the whole book being unbearable and cruel for no reason.

As someone who has experienced a similar family dynamic with my older brother and sister, reading Ryan’s story genuinely broke my heart because I saw so much of myself in him. And honestly, it only made me hate Max even more 😠

As for Dominic… I understand that he suffered a lot because of his father and everything he went through. But leaving the man you claim to love in complete silence for 10 years?? I genuinely don’t know how Ryan could ever forgive that. If I were Ryan, honestly… next 😭 But we’ll see what Dominic has to say in the next book and how he explains his choices.

Anyway, I absolutely adored this book. It was incredible, emotional, frustrating, beautiful — everything. I’m already desperate for the sequel 😭💖📚

[Jenni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d tried one of this author’s books before and it didn’t really work for me, so I was a little hesitant about giving another one a chance. But with all the good reviews—and a free audiobook—I figured, why not?

I probably should have switched from the audiobook sooner instead of making it all the way to the halfway point. I can’t help wondering if that played a part in why the book didn’t leave a stronger impression on me. Then again, maybe it’s simply the author’s writing style, because even once I was reading it myself, I still never really felt that emotionally connected to the story.

It wasn’t bad, though, and I was somewhat invested. But when I reached the end, I was mostly left wondering, Am I invested enough to keep going? And after reading some of the reviews, I’m honestly not convinced I’ll pick up the next one.

In general, I struggle with stories where a couple is separated for several years, especially when they completely lose contact during that time. Ten years is such a huge amount of time, and for that kind of separation to work for me, I need to really feel the bond between the characters—the kind of connection that makes you believe that, despite everything and all those years apart, these two could still find their way back to each other. Unfortunately, I never felt that here. Their relationship just didn’t have that emotional weight for me, and without that, I struggled to understand what would keep them tied to each other after ten years of no contact. The story told me they belonged together, but it never really made me feel why.

I think this might have worked much better for me as a standalone, with a shorter separation period. As it is, I just didn’t connect with the story or the relationship enough to make me want to continue -at least for now. So, not a bad book but also quite not for me.

[♥ Rebecca ♥ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m not sure how I felt about this. It was very depressing. I’m not a huge fan of enemies-to-lovers because it upsets me when they argue. And I’m also not a big fan of second chance romances because I hate that it didn’t work out the first time. It’s extra sad if we actually see the first break up, and even sadder again if we know they were suffering in the interim, both being the case in this book.

So this is told almost exclusively from the POV of Ryan, with only 3 chapters from the POV of Dominic. Dominic is the best friend of Ryan’s twin brother Max. Ryan and Max have not been close since they were 15 and Max became friends with Dominic and started excluding Ryan. Ryan starts getting bullied at school and has no friends. Until all of a sudden when they’re 18, Dominic starts showing an interest in Ryan. I hate how Dominic and Max treated Ryan in the beginning and we are never given a good explanation for why they mistreat him and belittle him all the time. Considering that Ryan and Max used to be inseparable I really wish we had been given some sort of explanation besides the fact that Max simply thought that Ryan was their parents’ favourite.

The bulk of the story takes place when they are 18, with the prologue and epilogue taking place 10 years later. From the glimpse we got of the present day in the prologue, I really thought their falling out was going to be worse. Ryan really hates Dominic in the present day and I expected a truly heinous betrayal. But it just turned out to be that Dominic had signed up to join the military after college and hadn’t told Ryan. This was the main focus of their argument.

But also, Dominic had told Max about his relationship with his twin even though they had agreed to keep their relationship a secret. This fact really confused me. Max hates Ryan, so why would Dominic be telling Max all the detail of their relationship? When they first kissed, when they first had sex. Why would Max want to know? How would that conversation have gone? “So I kissed your brother today. Want to know what else we did? Wanna hear the details of what I’ve done with your brother? Yes? Ok.” Like, what? I don’t understand why that happened. And when Dom and Ryan finally have it out they barely touch on that and argue primarily about Dom joining the military.

So I feel emotionally wrung out, and not in a good way. Hopefully book 2 will help some things make sense. And of course there will be an HEA. But I don’t even know if I want them together. Dominic and Max suuuuck. I assume book 2 will be primarily set in the present day as Dominic tries to win back Ryan. I also really love the fact that from what we saw of Dominic, it seems that he fell first and harder. I lot harder. I love that. It will help to have more of his POV.

[Engrossed Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is why you should never start a series without the other books being available. It's an exercise in patience, restraint and a little bit of misery.
Why isn't it the 15th of May already.

The blurb tells us that this is a love story and even though you know this, the relationships between the twins and the best friend don't let you see it for a long while.

Ryan and Max are twins and appeared to be close until Dominic turns up. Then he's best friends with Max and Ryan is sidelined. It doesn't help that the guys (Max and Dom) are popular and Ryan isn't.

I grieved the breakdown of the twins relationship and wondered really why it had fractured. I saw Dominic as this interloper who was always present (at home and college) and didn't allow Max and Ryan the space to get to know each other again and become close. But I forgot that there's two sides to every story and often the villain isn't villainous all the time. It's all a matter of perspective.

This story starts in the present at Ryan's stag do and we see a man who has settled for a life that's fine, mediocre but doesn't hurt. Because when he reached for love, and passion, it burned too bright and deep and scarred him. Ryan is content to settle, until in walks his twin and Dominic who he hasn't seen in 10 years.

Then immediately we are in the past getting to the nitty gritty of why the siblings relationship and the romantic relationship are what they are now. Watching the love story play out in increments is delightful.

I almost cried when I realised that I would have to wait to find out how Dominic would up his game and win Ryan back. Duets kill me, but they are better than trilogies.

Roll on 15 May 2026.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so many feelings