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Sunrises and New Beginnings
I broke the heart of the only man I've ever loved.
I had it a job that I adored, in the only city that ever felt like home, and a steadfast unshakable love.
After the worst decision of my life, I'm forced to return to the UK where I'm left to deal with the wreckage I've created. Healing is anything but linear and I don't know where to begin.
Darí
Losing him was like losing a vital piece of myself.
Picking up the pieces of a life that was always supposed to include Harlan seems impossible. He is woven into every corner of the place we called home. I'm learning that time doesn't heal all wounds and sometimes the heart wants what it wants. Even if it's the very thing that destroyed you.
The road to new beginnings starts with the sunrise.
303 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 13, 2026
17 people are currently reading
139 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
Review of advance copy
This book was painful in the most visceral way.
Watching the damage one partner can cause - not just to the person they love, but to themselves and everyone around them - was genuinely heartbreaking.
I really, truly hated Harlan at first. My heart ached for Darío. No one deserves to be cheated on, especially not by the person they believe is their soulmate. That kind of betrayal cuts deep, and this book does not soften that blow.
But as the story unfolded, I found myself slowly starting to understand Lan. You can feel how much he’s struggling, how lost he is, how deeply he hates himself for what he’s done. And Dare is struggling just as much...if not more. It becomes painfully clear that neither of them is whole without the other...even though they’re both broken.
What I appreciated most was that their healing wasn’t rushed. They didn’t just fall back into bed together and pretend everything was fine. They rebuilt from the ground up. Friendship first. Trust slowly earned back. It felt real, and it felt earned.
I hated watching them try to find love and happiness with other people - it hurt - but I also understood it. They both needed space to heal on their own, to learn how to exist again without leaning entirely on each other.
Somewhere along the way, just like Darío, I found myself forgiving Harlan. He fucked up. Badly. But they were both so deeply miserable without each other for so long. And in the end, seeing them finally find their way back to one another felt incredibly cathartic.
Here’s to second chances, sunrises, and new beginnings.
Watching the damage one partner can cause - not just to the person they love, but to themselves and everyone around them - was genuinely heartbreaking.
I really, truly hated Harlan at first. My heart ached for Darío. No one deserves to be cheated on, especially not by the person they believe is their soulmate. That kind of betrayal cuts deep, and this book does not soften that blow.
But as the story unfolded, I found myself slowly starting to understand Lan. You can feel how much he’s struggling, how lost he is, how deeply he hates himself for what he’s done. And Dare is struggling just as much...if not more. It becomes painfully clear that neither of them is whole without the other...even though they’re both broken.
What I appreciated most was that their healing wasn’t rushed. They didn’t just fall back into bed together and pretend everything was fine. They rebuilt from the ground up. Friendship first. Trust slowly earned back. It felt real, and it felt earned.
I hated watching them try to find love and happiness with other people - it hurt - but I also understood it. They both needed space to heal on their own, to learn how to exist again without leaning entirely on each other.
Somewhere along the way, just like Darío, I found myself forgiving Harlan. He fucked up. Badly. But they were both so deeply miserable without each other for so long. And in the end, seeing them finally find their way back to one another felt incredibly cathartic.
Here’s to second chances, sunrises, and new beginnings.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Sunrises And New Beginnings
M.J. Silvio
Harlan & Dario
Stealing Hoodies
Cheating
Lingerie Model / Baseball Player
Found family
Anxiety rep
Second chance
Redemption
So this was unique. This is my first book about cheating amongst the MMC’s.
There is real on page cheating.
After the “incident” they are separated distance wise for reasons … During this time, they are both hurting but also trying to move forward with their lives as they feel they will never be together again.
They were both broken men, I think in very different ways, Harlan carrying serious guilt and shame for his choices, and Dario, pain over losing the love of his life and the betrayal.
Both MC’s try to get new partners and move forward with their lives. It doesn't work out, their hearts still belong to each other.
I think this was done well, it does come full circle. I do feel they earned each other again and were able to get past the “incident”.
I appreciate how they took their time to rebuild their relationship again and didn't just jump right in.
They still have so much love, and care and concern for each other. Aside from the hurt and pain, their well-being truly mattered.
Shout out to Dario's family too.
It’s absolutely a unique story for sure.
I am glad they found their way back to each other
So thankful for this arc
M.J. Silvio
Harlan & Dario
Stealing Hoodies
Cheating
Lingerie Model / Baseball Player
Found family
Anxiety rep
Second chance
Redemption
So this was unique. This is my first book about cheating amongst the MMC’s.
There is real on page cheating.
After the “incident” they are separated distance wise for reasons … During this time, they are both hurting but also trying to move forward with their lives as they feel they will never be together again.
They were both broken men, I think in very different ways, Harlan carrying serious guilt and shame for his choices, and Dario, pain over losing the love of his life and the betrayal.
Both MC’s try to get new partners and move forward with their lives. It doesn't work out, their hearts still belong to each other.
I think this was done well, it does come full circle. I do feel they earned each other again and were able to get past the “incident”.
I appreciate how they took their time to rebuild their relationship again and didn't just jump right in.
They still have so much love, and care and concern for each other. Aside from the hurt and pain, their well-being truly mattered.
Shout out to Dario's family too.
It’s absolutely a unique story for sure.
I am glad they found their way back to each other
So thankful for this arc
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2026
Harlan + Dario
-mm romance
-second chance
-lingerie model x baseball player
-found family
-redemption
oooffff this was ROUGHHHH!!! it does have the cheating trope...like on the mc not with...but holyyy shit was that redemption sooo good!! i loved these two & their story so much, it was raw & real & showed how you really need to go thru things separately sometimes to find out how you can be with each other again & dario just deserves everything good in the world!!!
-mm romance
-second chance
-lingerie model x baseball player
-found family
-redemption
oooffff this was ROUGHHHH!!! it does have the cheating trope...like on the mc not with...but holyyy shit was that redemption sooo good!! i loved these two & their story so much, it was raw & real & showed how you really need to go thru things separately sometimes to find out how you can be with each other again & dario just deserves everything good in the world!!!
Want to read
September 28, 2025Lingerie model x baseball player
Review of advance copy received from Author
✨️📚 Arc - Review 📚✨️
Harlan & Dario
Rating: 5 ⭐️
- Lingerie Model x Baseball Player
- Second Chance
- Found Family
- Hurt/ Comfort
- Pinning
- Cheating
300+ pages of pure, unfiltered heartbreak.
That's about it.
If you want to feel sad and fucking anxious for hours on end - read this.
Ok.
How about this:
When soulmates meet, live and love each other until one fucks up so bad they part for a while, both feeling like shit, behaving even worse.
When they can't stand to be separated, but also can't stand to be close.
When one hurts, hurts the other, who then hurts him back, just to hurt worse than before.
I loved Harlan, screamed at him, hurt for him.
I loved Dario, screamed at him, hurt for him.
I hated it - but couldn't stop reading.
Thank fuck they got their HEA.
Because these idiots belong to each other.
This was just as painful as real life sometimes is, and just as beautiful in the end. 🩵🩵🩵
Verse: No
HEA: Yes
POV: Duo/ Frist Person
Breakup: Yes
Cheat: Yes
Harlan & Dario
Rating: 5 ⭐️
- Lingerie Model x Baseball Player
- Second Chance
- Found Family
- Hurt/ Comfort
- Pinning
- Cheating
300+ pages of pure, unfiltered heartbreak.
That's about it.
If you want to feel sad and fucking anxious for hours on end - read this.
Ok.
How about this:
When soulmates meet, live and love each other until one fucks up so bad they part for a while, both feeling like shit, behaving even worse.
When they can't stand to be separated, but also can't stand to be close.
When one hurts, hurts the other, who then hurts him back, just to hurt worse than before.
I loved Harlan, screamed at him, hurt for him.
I loved Dario, screamed at him, hurt for him.
I hated it - but couldn't stop reading.
Thank fuck they got their HEA.
Because these idiots belong to each other.
This was just as painful as real life sometimes is, and just as beautiful in the end. 🩵🩵🩵
Verse: No
HEA: Yes
POV: Duo/ Frist Person
Breakup: Yes
Cheat: Yes
Review of advance copy received from Author
February 12, 2026Harlan • Darío
….
“This way, you’ll never miss another Brooklyn sunrise.”
….
First and foremost I want to say that I applaud for the bravery to bring out a book in such format. This is what I wish for more authors to do while writing second chances… to have the in between even if it hurts so damn much. Because we hurt but then we heal. It’s not only black and white, there’s so much growth in between and people that teach us lessons so we can be better and do better - be better to the ones that’s meant to be in the end.
This book hurt. It’s about one’s actions that leads to damaging someone else’s heart to the point of no return but hurting yourself the most. About moving on, growing up and what it means to be truly meant to be. Healing slowly, separate and then together. About second chances, sunrises and new beginnings.
….
“I love you most.” // “And how do you say goodbye to your heart? To your home? That’s what Dare is. My heart. My home.” // “I see the man I fell in love with under the layers of sadness, but I’ve never felt more disconnected from him.” // “It’s funny how food, music, and smells can take you to a moment in the past.” // “In the back of my mind, I wonder if there will ever be a time when I don’t physically respond to the sound of his voice.” // “The fact that we’re both still healing means that we had something worthy of breaking over, right?” // “I live for the still moments right as the sun crests the horizon, where it feels like I’m the only one in the universe.” // “He still smells like summer to me, and it brings me inexplicable comfort that this has remained the same.” // “A lot has changed, but so much has remained the same. Namely, our chemistry. It’s incendiary, and I’m afraid that if we ignite it again, nothing will remain of either of us…” …
….
*I reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
….
….
“This way, you’ll never miss another Brooklyn sunrise.”
….
First and foremost I want to say that I applaud for the bravery to bring out a book in such format. This is what I wish for more authors to do while writing second chances… to have the in between even if it hurts so damn much. Because we hurt but then we heal. It’s not only black and white, there’s so much growth in between and people that teach us lessons so we can be better and do better - be better to the ones that’s meant to be in the end.
This book hurt. It’s about one’s actions that leads to damaging someone else’s heart to the point of no return but hurting yourself the most. About moving on, growing up and what it means to be truly meant to be. Healing slowly, separate and then together. About second chances, sunrises and new beginnings.
….
“I love you most.” // “And how do you say goodbye to your heart? To your home? That’s what Dare is. My heart. My home.” // “I see the man I fell in love with under the layers of sadness, but I’ve never felt more disconnected from him.” // “It’s funny how food, music, and smells can take you to a moment in the past.” // “In the back of my mind, I wonder if there will ever be a time when I don’t physically respond to the sound of his voice.” // “The fact that we’re both still healing means that we had something worthy of breaking over, right?” // “I live for the still moments right as the sun crests the horizon, where it feels like I’m the only one in the universe.” // “He still smells like summer to me, and it brings me inexplicable comfort that this has remained the same.” // “A lot has changed, but so much has remained the same. Namely, our chemistry. It’s incendiary, and I’m afraid that if we ignite it again, nothing will remain of either of us…” …
….
*I reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.
….
February 15, 2026
This debut novel by MJ Sivilo is stunning, but I’ll be honest, my heart still hasn’t recovered yet.
I loved Darío and Harlan as a couple immediately. I couldn’t get enough of how they spoke to each other with such tenderness and love. There was no doubt in my mind that these two were meant to be together, which made me extra nervous for what I knew was coming. And boy, did it HURT. After receiving devastating news while Darío’s away, Harlan goes out with his friend, feeling disorientated, and commits the unthinkable.
I thought I’d hate Harlan after that, or at least dislike him, but – credit to the author for how well she introduced this character – I found I couldn’t, even though I knew I should. As he admits what happened to a shocked Darío, further shattering the life they’d built, he didn’t just break their hearts, he broke mine too. After feeling Darío’s pain – the disbelief, the betrayal, the distrust – I watched in dismay as these two said goodbye and put thousands of miles between them.
They both do their best to move on. Live their lives, have new relationships, even though they both feel a part of them is missing. They heal, grow in their own ways, in ways that they both needed. But it’s clear that their hearts are elsewhere. They belong to each other, and their worlds don’t seem to align properly without their other half.
What I loved about how they come back together is that they don’t just fall back into a relationship. They get to know each other again, as friends, before things evolve into more. I so enjoyed watching them starting their relationship afresh, rebuilding the trust, and seeing how their feelings only seem to grow even more. They seem more at peace this time, more secure in themselves, and that makes the separation mean something, even though I hated it. I relished seeing all those little things they noticed about each other this time around, like they’re relearning each other.
These two leave a lasting impression. Harlan doesn’t hide from his mistake, he owns up to it, and carries the guilt and pain from that, not truly living until his loyal bestie arrives, forcing him to do better. And Darío, well, he’s the ultimate keeper. His ability to forgive and move forward speaks of the amazing person he is. He’s fair and sees beyond his own hurt to be empathetic to what Harlan was feeling, even if it understandably takes him some time to get there.
This book did wreck me for a while – the raw emotion affected me deeply – but in the end, it felt like Darío and Harlan came back even stronger. Forgiveness is a powerful thing.
What made me love this book even more is that their family and friends were massively supportive of them too, though they’re not afraid of calling them out when they’re being idiots. These amazing friends knew, accepted and forgave Harlan for his mistake and loved him despite it, welcoming him home with open arms. Big love for this!
Oh, and did I mention, there’s a cute corgi too…
I can’t wait to see what comes next from this author.
----
I received an ARC copy of this book by the author and The Author Agency and this is my honest review.
----
Some of my favourite quotes
And how do you say goodbye to your heart? To your home? That’s what Dare is. My heart. My home.
“Sometimes, good people make bad decisions. It’s part of being human. You’re young. You’re resilient, and you are so much more to people than just that decision.”
“You can do hard things, Harlan.”
“That’s what best friends do. They love you even when you’re hard to love.”
“I don’t know how to love anyone else the way I love you,”
“You’re so beautiful, sweetness. I miss you so much it hurts. I haven’t felt whole since you left, you know?”
“I know I told you this in San Francisco, but I’m so proud of you. Things haven’t been easy, but you always find a way to shine,”
“Sitting here with you all makes me realize just how lucky I am. That even at my worst, you still loved me through it. I’m thankful to be back home.”
“I love your heart, Harlan James. The way that you care for others is a gift.”
“Darío, you are my home. There are a lot of things I may be unsure about, but you are not one of them. My heart is whole when I’m with you.”
“Harlan James, loving you has been the greatest privilege of my life.”
“Before you, I had no idea that I had the capacity to love someone the way that I love you. You make it feel easy, even when things are intense. Even when they’re hard.”
I loved Darío and Harlan as a couple immediately. I couldn’t get enough of how they spoke to each other with such tenderness and love. There was no doubt in my mind that these two were meant to be together, which made me extra nervous for what I knew was coming. And boy, did it HURT. After receiving devastating news while Darío’s away, Harlan goes out with his friend, feeling disorientated, and commits the unthinkable.
I thought I’d hate Harlan after that, or at least dislike him, but – credit to the author for how well she introduced this character – I found I couldn’t, even though I knew I should. As he admits what happened to a shocked Darío, further shattering the life they’d built, he didn’t just break their hearts, he broke mine too. After feeling Darío’s pain – the disbelief, the betrayal, the distrust – I watched in dismay as these two said goodbye and put thousands of miles between them.
They both do their best to move on. Live their lives, have new relationships, even though they both feel a part of them is missing. They heal, grow in their own ways, in ways that they both needed. But it’s clear that their hearts are elsewhere. They belong to each other, and their worlds don’t seem to align properly without their other half.
What I loved about how they come back together is that they don’t just fall back into a relationship. They get to know each other again, as friends, before things evolve into more. I so enjoyed watching them starting their relationship afresh, rebuilding the trust, and seeing how their feelings only seem to grow even more. They seem more at peace this time, more secure in themselves, and that makes the separation mean something, even though I hated it. I relished seeing all those little things they noticed about each other this time around, like they’re relearning each other.
These two leave a lasting impression. Harlan doesn’t hide from his mistake, he owns up to it, and carries the guilt and pain from that, not truly living until his loyal bestie arrives, forcing him to do better. And Darío, well, he’s the ultimate keeper. His ability to forgive and move forward speaks of the amazing person he is. He’s fair and sees beyond his own hurt to be empathetic to what Harlan was feeling, even if it understandably takes him some time to get there.
This book did wreck me for a while – the raw emotion affected me deeply – but in the end, it felt like Darío and Harlan came back even stronger. Forgiveness is a powerful thing.
What made me love this book even more is that their family and friends were massively supportive of them too, though they’re not afraid of calling them out when they’re being idiots. These amazing friends knew, accepted and forgave Harlan for his mistake and loved him despite it, welcoming him home with open arms. Big love for this!
Oh, and did I mention, there’s a cute corgi too…
I can’t wait to see what comes next from this author.
----
I received an ARC copy of this book by the author and The Author Agency and this is my honest review.
----
Some of my favourite quotes
And how do you say goodbye to your heart? To your home? That’s what Dare is. My heart. My home.
“Sometimes, good people make bad decisions. It’s part of being human. You’re young. You’re resilient, and you are so much more to people than just that decision.”
“You can do hard things, Harlan.”
“That’s what best friends do. They love you even when you’re hard to love.”
“I don’t know how to love anyone else the way I love you,”
“You’re so beautiful, sweetness. I miss you so much it hurts. I haven’t felt whole since you left, you know?”
“I know I told you this in San Francisco, but I’m so proud of you. Things haven’t been easy, but you always find a way to shine,”
“Sitting here with you all makes me realize just how lucky I am. That even at my worst, you still loved me through it. I’m thankful to be back home.”
“I love your heart, Harlan James. The way that you care for others is a gift.”
“Darío, you are my home. There are a lot of things I may be unsure about, but you are not one of them. My heart is whole when I’m with you.”
“Harlan James, loving you has been the greatest privilege of my life.”
“Before you, I had no idea that I had the capacity to love someone the way that I love you. You make it feel easy, even when things are intense. Even when they’re hard.”
Read
February 22, 2026In the past, cheating, especially by one character on another, was a hard "nope" for me. Childhood trauma and all that jazz. However, after loads of good ol' therapy, I found I could read stories with tropes that would normally trigger me. Therefore, cheating in books or movies became doable again as long as it was written well. This story of cheating and redemption kept showing up, with the highest of praise, in my various book groups, so I thought "why not give it a go?" Maybe I should have just...not.
Here's the thing. I have to be invested in the characters and their love story if the author expects me to forgive a cheating MC. To put it simply, I was not. I tried. I promise. I truly tried. I just could not really invest in the romance between Dare and Lan. First, there is literally no look or flashbacks of their 3-year romance. Just a quick back story and then we are thrown straight into the cheating scene. I have no reason to invest in their romance when we spend no time with them in the beginning of said romance.
As previously mentioned, the cheating happens extremely early in the book and for the stupidest of reasons. So ridiculous that I cannot find it in my heart to find an ounce of sympathy for Lan. I mean, Lan describes how horny the random makes him feel before he cheats on his long-term "soulmate" and feels no remorse until after the rando is done down his throat. On a positive, at least Lan confesses and Dare gets mad for maybe 2 minutes and says they're over. But, wait! Dare still wants Lan to know he is a perfect little flower and that he forgives Lan for the cheating. Dude only found out a day ago and already found forgiveness in his heart for a massive betrayal. What a saint. Or an idiot. Definitely an idiot.
Moving forward, Lan moves back to London and, after a few months of self pity, is living a lovely new life with a lovely new man. Basically, 6 months after destroying Dare, Lan meets Oliver. Lan gets all squishy and lovey with Oliver while allowing the dude to raw dog it after only being with him a short bit. Lan stays with Oliver for almost the rest of the time he and Dare are separated aka most of the book. I truly think Lan would still be with Oliver if the dude hadn't dumped him first. Me thinks Lan's "it is only ever that way with Dare because Dare is true lurve" is all cockamamie. Yet, Dare tries on one relationship after Lan's betrayal and it falls apart faster than a New Year's resolution. Its okay though, because he really just wants Lan to be happy.
Oh, don't get me started on San Fran when Dare and his friends come across Lan and Oliver. Dare's "closest friends" being all happy and sappy to see Lan with his new man while Dare is right there. Ya. No.
Better yet, when Lanyboo moves back to Brooklyn, one of Dare's "great friends" wants to have his party at Dare's house and the man invites Lan & Oliver. Oh, but even though he already invited the dynamic duo, he will tell them no if Dare is uncomfortable. Of course Dare says its okay, because for one, he will be the douche canoe if he says "no" and two that is what doormats do. Doormats let so-called true loves and friends wipe their crap feet all over them. Also, why the hell would Lan & Oliver accept other than to rub their relationship in Dare's face even more. Seriously selfish.
Oh, but don't worry, after Lan gets dumped by Oliver, Dare decides his friends are right and he needs to get over it and give Lan a chance because he is the most perfect ever Gary Sue who ever Sued and he will otherwise die alone if he doesn't love and take Lan back. I just can't with this book. Obviously.
Here is my conundrum. When I lean towards a low score, I tend to not rate a book unless the writing is atrocious. The writing in this book is actually, for the most parts, well done. For me, its the way the cheating character is well-loved while the cheated upon character gets dumped on over and over that drives me over the edge. Lets just say that the balance between betrayal and grovel is not to scale. Therefore, while I loathe this book, I can't fault the writing nor score a book low, especially a debut, because I don't like how a cruddy character is well-loved by the author. Ya. No rating, but no love. That's where I am at with this book.
Here's the thing. I have to be invested in the characters and their love story if the author expects me to forgive a cheating MC. To put it simply, I was not. I tried. I promise. I truly tried. I just could not really invest in the romance between Dare and Lan. First, there is literally no look or flashbacks of their 3-year romance. Just a quick back story and then we are thrown straight into the cheating scene. I have no reason to invest in their romance when we spend no time with them in the beginning of said romance.
As previously mentioned, the cheating happens extremely early in the book and for the stupidest of reasons. So ridiculous that I cannot find it in my heart to find an ounce of sympathy for Lan. I mean, Lan describes how horny the random makes him feel before he cheats on his long-term "soulmate" and feels no remorse until after the rando is done down his throat. On a positive, at least Lan confesses and Dare gets mad for maybe 2 minutes and says they're over. But, wait! Dare still wants Lan to know he is a perfect little flower and that he forgives Lan for the cheating. Dude only found out a day ago and already found forgiveness in his heart for a massive betrayal. What a saint. Or an idiot. Definitely an idiot.
Moving forward, Lan moves back to London and, after a few months of self pity, is living a lovely new life with a lovely new man. Basically, 6 months after destroying Dare, Lan meets Oliver. Lan gets all squishy and lovey with Oliver while allowing the dude to raw dog it after only being with him a short bit. Lan stays with Oliver for almost the rest of the time he and Dare are separated aka most of the book. I truly think Lan would still be with Oliver if the dude hadn't dumped him first. Me thinks Lan's "it is only ever that way with Dare because Dare is true lurve" is all cockamamie. Yet, Dare tries on one relationship after Lan's betrayal and it falls apart faster than a New Year's resolution. Its okay though, because he really just wants Lan to be happy.
Oh, don't get me started on San Fran when Dare and his friends come across Lan and Oliver. Dare's "closest friends" being all happy and sappy to see Lan with his new man while Dare is right there. Ya. No.
Better yet, when Lanyboo moves back to Brooklyn, one of Dare's "great friends" wants to have his party at Dare's house and the man invites Lan & Oliver. Oh, but even though he already invited the dynamic duo, he will tell them no if Dare is uncomfortable. Of course Dare says its okay, because for one, he will be the douche canoe if he says "no" and two that is what doormats do. Doormats let so-called true loves and friends wipe their crap feet all over them. Also, why the hell would Lan & Oliver accept other than to rub their relationship in Dare's face even more. Seriously selfish.
Oh, but don't worry, after Lan gets dumped by Oliver, Dare decides his friends are right and he needs to get over it and give Lan a chance because he is the most perfect ever Gary Sue who ever Sued and he will otherwise die alone if he doesn't love and take Lan back. I just can't with this book. Obviously.
Here is my conundrum. When I lean towards a low score, I tend to not rate a book unless the writing is atrocious. The writing in this book is actually, for the most parts, well done. For me, its the way the cheating character is well-loved while the cheated upon character gets dumped on over and over that drives me over the edge. Lets just say that the balance between betrayal and grovel is not to scale. Therefore, while I loathe this book, I can't fault the writing nor score a book low, especially a debut, because I don't like how a cruddy character is well-loved by the author. Ya. No rating, but no love. That's where I am at with this book.
February 23, 2026
DNF @ 14%
Starting off with a sex scene during after an unresolved and stressful conversation was interesting. I'm not a prude but it felt like it set the tone more for an erotica than romance tbh.
The expo dumps at the start were too wordy and boring. I don't think we needed to read about how Harlan and Darío met through Darío's sister that early (we could've gotten a scene showing us how Harlan and Darío's sister got along rather than having it told to us, etc) Same goes for Harlan internal monologuing about how he came to America and lived out his dream (could've gotten that from seeing his reaction upon landing back in the UK).
Something didn't make sense to me in Harlan's first POV chapter. He says that "Lust & Lace knew I'd walk away from their employment offer if I couldn't work from out New York offices" then he waxes poetic about how great it was to work for a queer owned, inclusive brand. I think the implication was that he specifically stipulated that he wanted to be placed in the New York office when he was first hired, but the paragraph hadn't been properly set up to indicate that he was talking about when he first got the job, so it made it feel like he accepted the offer contradictory to the situation since he was leaving the US. Very nitpicky, but something like "When I applied to L&L, I demanded that I be placed in the New York office" would've helped a lot on placing that particular sentence in the past (especially considering the following sentences imply that Harlan was presently being scouted).
The short paragraph where Harlan worries about how little time they'd spend together if he moves back to the UK AND Darío's team makes it to the world series didn't really make much sense considering Darío would have needed to focus on training regardless of whether or not Harlan was in the UK or US. I mean, they already barely saw each other during the regular season while he was in the states still, so I'm not sure him being in the UK while Darío was training for the series would've been a significant difference since they didn't live together. It still would've been four months a year regardless of the continent he was in.
Yeah, I knew about the cheating but that doesn't save this from being a 1 star rating for me. I thought it would be more complicated and maybe even have some justification to make it palatable, but no. It's just Harlan gets drunk because he has to leave the country and has sex with a rando without even thinking about Darío at the beginning. What a great way to start off a romance. 😒
The worst part of it is Darío and Harlan never even talk about the possibility of long distance before Harlan just up and cheats. Yeah he was drunk, but that doesn't magically make it ok (nor does it justify it in the writing because seriously? That's the lamest and laziest excuse for committing one of the biggest sins in romance novels).
Starting off with a sex scene during after an unresolved and stressful conversation was interesting. I'm not a prude but it felt like it set the tone more for an erotica than romance tbh.
The expo dumps at the start were too wordy and boring. I don't think we needed to read about how Harlan and Darío met through Darío's sister that early (we could've gotten a scene showing us how Harlan and Darío's sister got along rather than having it told to us, etc) Same goes for Harlan internal monologuing about how he came to America and lived out his dream (could've gotten that from seeing his reaction upon landing back in the UK).
Something didn't make sense to me in Harlan's first POV chapter. He says that "Lust & Lace knew I'd walk away from their employment offer if I couldn't work from out New York offices" then he waxes poetic about how great it was to work for a queer owned, inclusive brand. I think the implication was that he specifically stipulated that he wanted to be placed in the New York office when he was first hired, but the paragraph hadn't been properly set up to indicate that he was talking about when he first got the job, so it made it feel like he accepted the offer contradictory to the situation since he was leaving the US. Very nitpicky, but something like "When I applied to L&L, I demanded that I be placed in the New York office" would've helped a lot on placing that particular sentence in the past (especially considering the following sentences imply that Harlan was presently being scouted).
The short paragraph where Harlan worries about how little time they'd spend together if he moves back to the UK AND Darío's team makes it to the world series didn't really make much sense considering Darío would have needed to focus on training regardless of whether or not Harlan was in the UK or US. I mean, they already barely saw each other during the regular season while he was in the states still, so I'm not sure him being in the UK while Darío was training for the series would've been a significant difference since they didn't live together. It still would've been four months a year regardless of the continent he was in.
Yeah, I knew about the cheating but that doesn't save this from being a 1 star rating for me. I thought it would be more complicated and maybe even have some justification to make it palatable, but no. It's just Harlan gets drunk because he has to leave the country and has sex with a rando without even thinking about Darío at the beginning. What a great way to start off a romance. 😒
The worst part of it is Darío and Harlan never even talk about the possibility of long distance before Harlan just up and cheats. Yeah he was drunk, but that doesn't magically make it ok (nor does it justify it in the writing because seriously? That's the lamest and laziest excuse for committing one of the biggest sins in romance novels).
February 6, 2026
This was a good read! Harlan and Dario definitely had to put in the work to find their way back to each other and it was nice to see that they both wanted to do what was necessary to better themselves. Neither of them were in the best of head spaces when they parted but as time went on they managed to find things that helped get them to betters places. They both had friends that cared about them and did their best to support them, they had work and even therapy. I liked seeing them relearn each other as the healthier versions of themselves. The cooking, mornings runs and holiday gatherings were sweet!
💙ARC REVIEW❤️
💙ARC REVIEW❤️
March 3, 2026
To Err is Human
Dee’s Grade: A+
I was unsure about this book at the beginning. It had my anxiety high and I needed to finish. Cheating in books isn’t a hard limit for me. I just need a good story for how it’s resolved.
The way the book is written you go the journey with the characters and we were in the gutter for a minute.
What kept me invested is the characters felt real. They are complex and not perfect. They try to communicate effectively and they do. They also are self aware and continuously growing.
This book won’t be for everyone but it was for me.
Dee’s Grade: A+
I was unsure about this book at the beginning. It had my anxiety high and I needed to finish. Cheating in books isn’t a hard limit for me. I just need a good story for how it’s resolved.
The way the book is written you go the journey with the characters and we were in the gutter for a minute.
What kept me invested is the characters felt real. They are complex and not perfect. They try to communicate effectively and they do. They also are self aware and continuously growing.
This book won’t be for everyone but it was for me.
February 24, 2026
This book took me back to having my heart broken for the first time and I literally felt every emotion! Highly
Recommend reading the tw before reading because I can imagine this not being for everyone. Without going into much it was a hard read but it was also a sweet and spicy read too.. a second chance romance because they really were never gonna stay away from each other. A nice redemption and learning to become friends again before jumping back into to anything after such a betrayal of trust! Really enjoyed and my first read by this author… Quote** This is different. It feels like no matter what words I say, they will sound like goodbye. And how do you say goodbye to your heart? To your home? That’s what Dare is. My heart. My home.
Recommend reading the tw before reading because I can imagine this not being for everyone. Without going into much it was a hard read but it was also a sweet and spicy read too.. a second chance romance because they really were never gonna stay away from each other. A nice redemption and learning to become friends again before jumping back into to anything after such a betrayal of trust! Really enjoyed and my first read by this author… Quote** This is different. It feels like no matter what words I say, they will sound like goodbye. And how do you say goodbye to your heart? To your home? That’s what Dare is. My heart. My home.
February 13, 2026
I had the pleasure of reading this early and I can honestly say I think about these boys so often. A stunning debut novel 💙
Harlan and Dario are everything. They broke me and put me back together again.
There is cheating on page between Harlan and Dario- so know that going in! I never thought I would like reading cheating on page like this, but wow. The writing, the story, the characters. It was all so real and raw and set up the perfect redemption story. You could feel the self sabotaging tendencies through the page.
Both characters made mistakes and learned from them. There was no lying about what happened. And I think that’s huge.
Beautiful writing from MJ. I fell in love and was invested with these boys so fast. And the side characters are everything! *wink wink* I need the next book!
This story is unique to anything I’ve ever read before and that is special.
Harlan and Dario are everything. They broke me and put me back together again.
There is cheating on page between Harlan and Dario- so know that going in! I never thought I would like reading cheating on page like this, but wow. The writing, the story, the characters. It was all so real and raw and set up the perfect redemption story. You could feel the self sabotaging tendencies through the page.
Both characters made mistakes and learned from them. There was no lying about what happened. And I think that’s huge.
Beautiful writing from MJ. I fell in love and was invested with these boys so fast. And the side characters are everything! *wink wink* I need the next book!
This story is unique to anything I’ve ever read before and that is special.
March 4, 2026
1 star ⭐️
Nooooo. Not for me this one.
It wasn't even the cheating.
I've read a lot of cheating books before. Ones where the MC's cheat with each other and ones where, like in this one, there is cheating between the MC's. Sometimes, if I'm in the right mood, a cheating book can be so good, and I can get really emotionally invested because it's heavy, there's angst and yearning, and it just makes me feel.
And, for a little bit with this book, I felt that. I mean, I'll be honest, sometimes reading a book with an already existing couple can make me less emotionally invested anyway, because we are just being told about the relationship and the feelings, but we were never shown how they got there. Lan and Dare were a sweet couple in the beginning, though.
At least there was that.
I do think Harlans reason for cheating was a bit weak, and I felt so fucking sorry for Dare. Cheating is awful as it is, but the fact he had once been cheated on in the past and Lan was still selfish enough to cheat on him anyway. Shake my damn head.
But I carried on, wanting to see how their story continued.
Now to my main issue, which came in the second half when we see them dating other people. It was understandable that they'd try and move on, but it got to the point where we were getting well over half way, and I was hoping for a little more interaction from our main characters, you know, finding their way back together, the longing, the pain of being without each other. That kind of thing.
Yet we, as readers, were treated to reading explicit sex scenes of them with the guys they were dating.
I don't want to read basically the same repeated sex scene between Lan and Oliver (the other guy) as we saw in the beginning between Lan and Dare. It was almost copy and paste.
I was pretty much out at that point, but I was definitely out when I realised Lan wasn't using condoms with the other guy. Couldn't that level of intimacy have been saved for just Lan and Dare?
After that, I was questioning why I would still route for the main couple to get back together? What were we seeing that would lead me to believe that Lan and Dare were the love of each other's lives?
Well, maybe from Dare I could feel it. But dear God, don't get me started on Lans character.
As if the cheating wasn't bad enough. Please tell me, in what world should it be the guy that was cheated on be the one to try and get back together?
Lan should have been on his knees, grovelling for the love of his life back. Sure, it was great he went to therapy and attempted to work on himself. But he was such a selfish character imo. His reason for cheating was all about him, as was everything else in the book. Did he even care about Dare at all?
Because sure, he may not have been as happy with Oliver, but Lan seemed pretty okay being with him. In fact, if Oliver hadn't called things off, I think Lan would've just stayed in that relationship because he didn't want to be alone.
Putting into perspective that Lan made this huge mistake (granted he owned upto it straight away, and respected Dare enough to give him space when he asked for it) but there wasn't nearly enough yearning and grovelling from him in the long run.
Ugh, we see no real effort from him, really. In fact, we saw him putting more effort into doing better in his relationship with Oliver than we did with the supposed 'love of his life'. Yeah, yeah, he had learned his lesson from that mistake. But how about putting that effort into trying to make things right with Dare? Even just basic communication would've been fine. I know Dare initially asked for no contact but it had been a year.
I don't know, I'm ranting because he annoyed me.
The book was annoying me.
I didn't care about that relationship, and there was far too much focus on them, and it dragged for too long. Maybe if Lan had been the one to call things off with Oliver, it might have made things a bit better. Or maybe if Lan had actually really tried to get back together with Dare. Tried to communicate after a year apart, tried to see where Dare was at, just...attempted something.
I would've loved Dare to actually move on and fall in love with someone else. So the fact that it was Dare who initiated getting back together and proposed was 🤯
This book just wasn't for me.
Nooooo. Not for me this one.
It wasn't even the cheating.
I've read a lot of cheating books before. Ones where the MC's cheat with each other and ones where, like in this one, there is cheating between the MC's. Sometimes, if I'm in the right mood, a cheating book can be so good, and I can get really emotionally invested because it's heavy, there's angst and yearning, and it just makes me feel.
And, for a little bit with this book, I felt that. I mean, I'll be honest, sometimes reading a book with an already existing couple can make me less emotionally invested anyway, because we are just being told about the relationship and the feelings, but we were never shown how they got there. Lan and Dare were a sweet couple in the beginning, though.
At least there was that.
I do think Harlans reason for cheating was a bit weak, and I felt so fucking sorry for Dare. Cheating is awful as it is, but the fact he had once been cheated on in the past and Lan was still selfish enough to cheat on him anyway. Shake my damn head.
But I carried on, wanting to see how their story continued.
Now to my main issue, which came in the second half when we see them dating other people. It was understandable that they'd try and move on, but it got to the point where we were getting well over half way, and I was hoping for a little more interaction from our main characters, you know, finding their way back together, the longing, the pain of being without each other. That kind of thing.
Yet we, as readers, were treated to reading explicit sex scenes of them with the guys they were dating.
I don't want to read basically the same repeated sex scene between Lan and Oliver (the other guy) as we saw in the beginning between Lan and Dare. It was almost copy and paste.
I was pretty much out at that point, but I was definitely out when I realised Lan wasn't using condoms with the other guy. Couldn't that level of intimacy have been saved for just Lan and Dare?
After that, I was questioning why I would still route for the main couple to get back together? What were we seeing that would lead me to believe that Lan and Dare were the love of each other's lives?
Well, maybe from Dare I could feel it. But dear God, don't get me started on Lans character.
As if the cheating wasn't bad enough. Please tell me, in what world should it be the guy that was cheated on be the one to try and get back together?
Lan should have been on his knees, grovelling for the love of his life back. Sure, it was great he went to therapy and attempted to work on himself. But he was such a selfish character imo. His reason for cheating was all about him, as was everything else in the book. Did he even care about Dare at all?
Because sure, he may not have been as happy with Oliver, but Lan seemed pretty okay being with him. In fact, if Oliver hadn't called things off, I think Lan would've just stayed in that relationship because he didn't want to be alone.
Putting into perspective that Lan made this huge mistake (granted he owned upto it straight away, and respected Dare enough to give him space when he asked for it) but there wasn't nearly enough yearning and grovelling from him in the long run.
Ugh, we see no real effort from him, really. In fact, we saw him putting more effort into doing better in his relationship with Oliver than we did with the supposed 'love of his life'. Yeah, yeah, he had learned his lesson from that mistake. But how about putting that effort into trying to make things right with Dare? Even just basic communication would've been fine. I know Dare initially asked for no contact but it had been a year.
I don't know, I'm ranting because he annoyed me.
The book was annoying me.
I didn't care about that relationship, and there was far too much focus on them, and it dragged for too long. Maybe if Lan had been the one to call things off with Oliver, it might have made things a bit better. Or maybe if Lan had actually really tried to get back together with Dare. Tried to communicate after a year apart, tried to see where Dare was at, just...attempted something.
I would've loved Dare to actually move on and fall in love with someone else. So the fact that it was Dare who initiated getting back together and proposed was 🤯
This book just wasn't for me.
Review of advance copy received from Author
5 stars
This is definitely one of the most beautiful second chance romances I've ever read so far!
Darìo, baseball player, lives in Brooklyn with his longtime boyfriend Harlan, a British lingerie model and designer, who’s been living in the States for 6 years.
Their relationship is solid, they love each other very deeply and have a tight group of friends who have become their family. Harlan also has a very good relationship with Darìo’s family, who love him unconditionally.
All is perfect until Harlan’s visa is revoked and he has to leave the States within a month. This unexpected problem cause a huge distress for both of them, but, while Darìo is ready to commit to a long distance relationship and to work hard to make things work, Harlan starts to spiral and to push his boyfriend away, until he takes the worst decision in history and cheats on him with a meaningless man in a club.
There’s literally no justification for what Harlan did: he had everyone on his side, from his boyfriend, to his siblings in law, to his bestie Penny and Aj and Jules (Darìo’s teammates and friends to them both), who were all ready to support him anyway he needed. And yet threw all away for nothing.
I really really appreciated that the author didn’t make any excuses for him nor did she try to blame the stress or Darìo. It was completely Harlan’s fault.
The aftermath is devastating and heartbreaking: Darìo’s feelings from disbelief to disappointment to rage and hurt were beautifully written, I could feel all his emotions and the literal crack of his heart.
The days and the first months after their break up are very hard and, again, the author didn’t spare us anything: Harlan is miserable and depressed in London, while Darìo is angry and heartbroken in New York. Neither of them is able to face the grief and the loss of their love.
There were a couple of moments where Harlan and Darìo could have reconnected, but I’m so very glad that the author gave them more time: they weren’t ready to be together and the additional long months were absolutely necessary for both of them to get better. Their journeys needed to be made separately.
During this long time apart, both Harlan and Dario have other relationships. I know that this will be a deal breaker for some readers, but I think that is what happens in everyday life, people break up and move on. Or try to.
I feel bad for Jasper and Oliver who were nice men and they tried hard to make their relationships work. But Harlan and Darìo were soulmates and even if they knew they couldn’t be together again, they still inevitably loved each other .
Their reconnection is perfect: slow, tentative, not rushed. They went back to the origins, when they were friends before lovers and were able to rebuild a life together.
If I should point out the only thing that bothered me a bit, I would address the fact that during their “goodbye” intercourse, neither of them thought of using condoms, they just went bare like they were used to. And I get that the risk of having caught some STDs for Harlan was very low, but the hookup was still a disruption of their dynamic, something external that inserted itself into their relationship and I feel like maybe Darìo would have needed that “barrier” between them.
The side characters of this story are all amazing and they all loved the two MCs very much. I loved that, while they acknowledged that what Harlan did was wrong, they didn’t forget him, but they all offered him support.
I also hope that the author will consider writing a story for Aj and Jules because those two are something else.
The epilogue is absolute perfection!
I’m so happy I got to read this book, a very fantastic read that I absolutely recommend.
I received an ARC of this book from The Author Agency and this is my honest review.
This is definitely one of the most beautiful second chance romances I've ever read so far!
Darìo, baseball player, lives in Brooklyn with his longtime boyfriend Harlan, a British lingerie model and designer, who’s been living in the States for 6 years.
Their relationship is solid, they love each other very deeply and have a tight group of friends who have become their family. Harlan also has a very good relationship with Darìo’s family, who love him unconditionally.
All is perfect until Harlan’s visa is revoked and he has to leave the States within a month. This unexpected problem cause a huge distress for both of them, but, while Darìo is ready to commit to a long distance relationship and to work hard to make things work, Harlan starts to spiral and to push his boyfriend away, until he takes the worst decision in history and cheats on him with a meaningless man in a club.
There’s literally no justification for what Harlan did: he had everyone on his side, from his boyfriend, to his siblings in law, to his bestie Penny and Aj and Jules (Darìo’s teammates and friends to them both), who were all ready to support him anyway he needed. And yet threw all away for nothing.
I really really appreciated that the author didn’t make any excuses for him nor did she try to blame the stress or Darìo. It was completely Harlan’s fault.
The aftermath is devastating and heartbreaking: Darìo’s feelings from disbelief to disappointment to rage and hurt were beautifully written, I could feel all his emotions and the literal crack of his heart.
The days and the first months after their break up are very hard and, again, the author didn’t spare us anything: Harlan is miserable and depressed in London, while Darìo is angry and heartbroken in New York. Neither of them is able to face the grief and the loss of their love.
There were a couple of moments where Harlan and Darìo could have reconnected, but I’m so very glad that the author gave them more time: they weren’t ready to be together and the additional long months were absolutely necessary for both of them to get better. Their journeys needed to be made separately.
During this long time apart, both Harlan and Dario have other relationships. I know that this will be a deal breaker for some readers, but I think that is what happens in everyday life, people break up and move on. Or try to.
I feel bad for Jasper and Oliver who were nice men and they tried hard to make their relationships work. But Harlan and Darìo were soulmates and even if they knew they couldn’t be together again, they still inevitably loved each other .
Their reconnection is perfect: slow, tentative, not rushed. They went back to the origins, when they were friends before lovers and were able to rebuild a life together.
If I should point out the only thing that bothered me a bit, I would address the fact that during their “goodbye” intercourse, neither of them thought of using condoms, they just went bare like they were used to. And I get that the risk of having caught some STDs for Harlan was very low, but the hookup was still a disruption of their dynamic, something external that inserted itself into their relationship and I feel like maybe Darìo would have needed that “barrier” between them.
The side characters of this story are all amazing and they all loved the two MCs very much. I loved that, while they acknowledged that what Harlan did was wrong, they didn’t forget him, but they all offered him support.
I also hope that the author will consider writing a story for Aj and Jules because those two are something else.
The epilogue is absolute perfection!
I’m so happy I got to read this book, a very fantastic read that I absolutely recommend.
I received an ARC of this book from The Author Agency and this is my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This book was beautiful and raw and so painful but in the most satisfying ways. I knew from the start that I was going to have some trouble with this book as cheating is a big factor and catalyst in this book. Harlan's betrayal and the way it happened when he knows Dare is his soulmate gave me the ick and made me hate Harlan so much. Especially for someone he doesn't remember and that betrayal ran deep for Dare especially because trust is big for him as he was cheated on before and because the careers they both have that causes them to travel and be away from each other for periods of time. So to have that trust broken and reading it had me bawling throughout the whole book. But this book is also about time, healing and doing the work. Yes, Harlan messed up in the worst way but seeing what he went through and how deeply ashamed and guilty he was for hurting Dare and even wanting him to be happy and loved even if he wasn't the one doing it shows you how sorry he really is and that he'd NEVER make the same choices again. He hated himself for a long time but he pulled himself together and worked on himself and Dare did the same. Just because he ended things doesn't mean he wasn't still in love with Harlan because he was but he was so hurt and didn't think they could get past it at the time. Even when he tried to move on and date he only had Harlan in his heart. He didn't hate him and he forgave him but it isn't always that easy. I did hate and didn't really feel it was necessary to even have Oliver and Harlan be together let alone have to read intimate scenes between them which kind of put me off since the author didn't give Dare that right which he rightfully deserved so that ran a bit too long for me. But the author did an amazing job at both Dare and Harlan starting over as friends and building that foundation. But these two are soulmates and friends was never all they really were meant to be but they still took their time and put in the work with all the little things that make a life so big and full. Their journey back to each other was heartbreaking but so freaking beautiful too. This book also had some amazing supporting characters that really make a big difference for both men. I so hope this isn't the last we'll see of this crew.
February 21, 2026
My heart😭 This story was all kinds of painful. From their separation to the healing, it was such an emotional roller coaster.
Harlan was a lingerie model and designer who was living in New York on a visa. When his visa is denied, he’s forced to go back to England leaving not only his job behind but he’d also be leaving Darío, the man he loved.
Darío was a pro baseball player who loved Harlan with all his heart. Having to say goodbye to the love of his life was gonna to be the hardest thing he ever had to do.
Little did he know that saying goodbye wouldn’t be as painful as Harlan’s decision in a moment of grief and despair. That decision can only be classified as the most heartbreaking before and after to ever exist.
To say that I was angry, hurt and disappointed in Harlan is an understatement. But I also grieved with him and felt his pain and despair. I FELT his desperation to get Darío back. Knowing he lost him had me crying and hurting for him.
But I also felt Darío’s betrayal and anger for his world crumbling down. He had all the right to be angry and not want to be close to Harlan. After all, he never expected that from him.
Them being miserable and hurting was too much to bear. Knowing how much they loved each other but not being able to get past what happened was completely understandable but also frustrating.
Sometimes loving someone isn’t enough to forgive them, so I understood both points of view. But seeing them suffer was so hard and all I wanted was for them to make up.
It took some serious self forgiveness and healing for them both to find themselves together again. They both needed to grow as people in order to make things work for good.
In the end, they realized that their love for each other was stronger than the mistakes made. Darío knew that being without Harlan was more painful than his mistake. And Harlan knew that he would never do anything again that would hurt Darío in any way.
“𝐼 𝓉𝑜𝓁𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓈𝓃’𝓉 𝓁𝑒𝓉𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑔𝑜. 𝐼 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇, 𝓈𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓉𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈. 𝒯𝑜 𝓈𝓊𝓃𝓇𝒾𝓈𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝒷𝑒𝑔𝒾𝓃𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈.”
I can’t explain how my heart felt when they finally got back together. I cried tears of joy and felt so relieved that they were able to work things out. I’m seriously not cut out for this 😅 My poor heart can’t take all these emotional stress!
Harlan was a lingerie model and designer who was living in New York on a visa. When his visa is denied, he’s forced to go back to England leaving not only his job behind but he’d also be leaving Darío, the man he loved.
Darío was a pro baseball player who loved Harlan with all his heart. Having to say goodbye to the love of his life was gonna to be the hardest thing he ever had to do.
Little did he know that saying goodbye wouldn’t be as painful as Harlan’s decision in a moment of grief and despair. That decision can only be classified as the most heartbreaking before and after to ever exist.
To say that I was angry, hurt and disappointed in Harlan is an understatement. But I also grieved with him and felt his pain and despair. I FELT his desperation to get Darío back. Knowing he lost him had me crying and hurting for him.
But I also felt Darío’s betrayal and anger for his world crumbling down. He had all the right to be angry and not want to be close to Harlan. After all, he never expected that from him.
Them being miserable and hurting was too much to bear. Knowing how much they loved each other but not being able to get past what happened was completely understandable but also frustrating.
Sometimes loving someone isn’t enough to forgive them, so I understood both points of view. But seeing them suffer was so hard and all I wanted was for them to make up.
It took some serious self forgiveness and healing for them both to find themselves together again. They both needed to grow as people in order to make things work for good.
In the end, they realized that their love for each other was stronger than the mistakes made. Darío knew that being without Harlan was more painful than his mistake. And Harlan knew that he would never do anything again that would hurt Darío in any way.
“𝐼 𝓉𝑜𝓁𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓈𝓃’𝓉 𝓁𝑒𝓉𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝑔𝑜. 𝐼 𝓁𝑜𝓋𝑒 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝒻𝑜𝓇𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇, 𝓈𝓌𝑒𝑒𝓉𝓃𝑒𝓈𝓈. 𝒯𝑜 𝓈𝓊𝓃𝓇𝒾𝓈𝑒𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓃𝑒𝓌 𝒷𝑒𝑔𝒾𝓃𝓃𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈.”
I can’t explain how my heart felt when they finally got back together. I cried tears of joy and felt so relieved that they were able to work things out. I’m seriously not cut out for this 😅 My poor heart can’t take all these emotional stress!
February 19, 2026
DNF at 56%
let me be clear that my reason for the dnf and low rating is not the cheating trope (one mmc cheats on the other) as I actually knew that going in.
1) I felt like the reason for cheating wasn't strong enough. Harlan's visa extension is denied and has to leave Dario who he'd been in relationship with for many years. Dario didn't tell him they couldn't be together, they didn't explore plan or solutions. Yes, the reason was hard but did not feel like it's so catastrophic to resort to cheating just like that.
2) The cheating itself, I expected to be different to be somewhat excusable. So Harlan goes to a club, drink and a hot guy approaches him. The first thing that did not work out for me that Harlan was very, very turned on and really fast by the guy. The second thing is that Harlan goes on his knees and suck the guy off and swallows his load. Like no. If it was hand job or the guy did the blowjob, it would have been slightly more tolerable and acceptable.
3) They moved on too fast. Six months after the breakup, Dario has already been dating a guy for few weeks; btw Dario who been cheated on twice by an ex and Harlan, and then Harlan meets Oliver and they start to date.
4) Sex scenes with other people. I get that eventually there will be people in their life but I do not have to read descriptive sex scenes and dirty talk between mmc and other people. So we have a descriptive sex scene between super horny Harlan and Oliver where Oliver dirty talk and Harlan gets needier and hornier. but what drove me to dnf is at the end of this scene, Harlan feels Oliver cum leak out of his well-fucked hole. At this point, I was done. It's not just about safety, but for him to go raw with someone else breaks that special thing he had with Dario in my opinion
So in the end, I wanted more. Maybe more fighting from Harlan, and not him dating after 6 months and being needy and horny. I wouldn't trust him again cause I truly think whenever a problem arose, he will just go and cheat. I was not convinced of his and Dario's love at all.
let me be clear that my reason for the dnf and low rating is not the cheating trope (one mmc cheats on the other) as I actually knew that going in.
1) I felt like the reason for cheating wasn't strong enough. Harlan's visa extension is denied and has to leave Dario who he'd been in relationship with for many years. Dario didn't tell him they couldn't be together, they didn't explore plan or solutions. Yes, the reason was hard but did not feel like it's so catastrophic to resort to cheating just like that.
2) The cheating itself, I expected to be different to be somewhat excusable. So Harlan goes to a club, drink and a hot guy approaches him. The first thing that did not work out for me that Harlan was very, very turned on and really fast by the guy. The second thing is that Harlan goes on his knees and suck the guy off and swallows his load. Like no. If it was hand job or the guy did the blowjob, it would have been slightly more tolerable and acceptable.
3) They moved on too fast. Six months after the breakup, Dario has already been dating a guy for few weeks; btw Dario who been cheated on twice by an ex and Harlan, and then Harlan meets Oliver and they start to date.
4) Sex scenes with other people. I get that eventually there will be people in their life but I do not have to read descriptive sex scenes and dirty talk between mmc and other people. So we have a descriptive sex scene between super horny Harlan and Oliver where Oliver dirty talk and Harlan gets needier and hornier. but what drove me to dnf is at the end of this scene, Harlan feels Oliver cum leak out of his well-fucked hole. At this point, I was done. It's not just about safety, but for him to go raw with someone else breaks that special thing he had with Dario in my opinion
So in the end, I wanted more. Maybe more fighting from Harlan, and not him dating after 6 months and being needy and horny. I wouldn't trust him again cause I truly think whenever a problem arose, he will just go and cheat. I was not convinced of his and Dario's love at all.
February 24, 2026
BUCKLE UP BUTTERCUP
The way this book eviscerated my heart just to slowly weave its pieces back together is astonishing.
This is one of those books that sits in your heart and mind and pops back up over and over again. Which funny enough is how I even found it. It popped up on feeds a handful of time before I finally investigated on it. I’m not a trigger warning reader but when I was informed there was cheating I’m always hesitant but I never been more thankful I took the leap and dove in once it was released.
M.J. Silvio took a very real direction with this book. Harlan and Dario are so in love and ingrained into each other that you can’t help but truly break when they break. I had a cold sweat, tears, anxiety and laughs through this reading experience. It’s not often you find an author that can allow you to fill so lost in the dynamics of two character that you feel raw as you consume it.
Real life is hard, it’s scary and as a human a being you make mistakes that you can’t take back. Harlan loves life so loudly and is so authentically himself that when things fall apart it isn’t small but world shattering as he tries to pick up the pieces. Dario is this is strong protector that wants to love and care for his people with such a fierce passion and watching him fall apart was so real. Sometimes life happens and we hurt those we care about. It takes looking in the mirror and realizing we all have work we have to do to be our best selves. It takes hard conversation and circumstances to be able to grow and become someone we are proud of. And this book shows you that. As Dario says “You can do hard things” and love while being beautiful and wonderful is so hard.
Everyone should take a chance on this outstanding debut novel. It’s everything you didn’t even expect you’d need. With strong raw emotions you can feel these characters love wholly, fall apart and absolutely wrecked and realistically put themselves back together stronger, softer and with more love and devotion than ever.
To Dario and Harlan I hope everyone finds a love life theirs.
The way this book eviscerated my heart just to slowly weave its pieces back together is astonishing.
This is one of those books that sits in your heart and mind and pops back up over and over again. Which funny enough is how I even found it. It popped up on feeds a handful of time before I finally investigated on it. I’m not a trigger warning reader but when I was informed there was cheating I’m always hesitant but I never been more thankful I took the leap and dove in once it was released.
M.J. Silvio took a very real direction with this book. Harlan and Dario are so in love and ingrained into each other that you can’t help but truly break when they break. I had a cold sweat, tears, anxiety and laughs through this reading experience. It’s not often you find an author that can allow you to fill so lost in the dynamics of two character that you feel raw as you consume it.
Real life is hard, it’s scary and as a human a being you make mistakes that you can’t take back. Harlan loves life so loudly and is so authentically himself that when things fall apart it isn’t small but world shattering as he tries to pick up the pieces. Dario is this is strong protector that wants to love and care for his people with such a fierce passion and watching him fall apart was so real. Sometimes life happens and we hurt those we care about. It takes looking in the mirror and realizing we all have work we have to do to be our best selves. It takes hard conversation and circumstances to be able to grow and become someone we are proud of. And this book shows you that. As Dario says “You can do hard things” and love while being beautiful and wonderful is so hard.
Everyone should take a chance on this outstanding debut novel. It’s everything you didn’t even expect you’d need. With strong raw emotions you can feel these characters love wholly, fall apart and absolutely wrecked and realistically put themselves back together stronger, softer and with more love and devotion than ever.
To Dario and Harlan I hope everyone finds a love life theirs.
Review of advance copy received from Author
*ARC Review* Thank you to M.J. Sivilo for sending me a copy!
Intro:
This book is an MM romance between Harlan, a designer and model for Lust&Lace and Dario, a baseball player
Tropes/Highlights:
-Dual POV
-MM
-Open Door
-Found Family
-Second Chance
-Hurt/Comfort
-Cheating (Between MCs)
-Lingerie Model/Baseball Player
-HEA
Likes:
-Set in Brooklyn NY
-Established couple
-Supportive friends
-Well developed characters
-Lace Jock straps, need I say more
-Kasper & Oliver
-Sweet family moments
-Cute doggo
-Thoughtful gifts
-World building
-Different settings
-Emotional Turmoil
-How deep their love is
Quotes:
-"Jobs, the government, a fucking ocean–none of it matters–he's fucking mine"
-"He has become my biggest cheerleader and he loves me so loudly and unapologetically that I often don't feel worthy of him"
-"Leave it to the US government to ruin a good thing"
-"You don't have to earn me, Harlan"
-"I don't know how to love anyone else the way I love you"
-"This way, you'll never miss another Brooklyn sunrise"
-"I had fun, despite the pie homicide"
-"You've no problem eating arse, but a turkey is your limit"
-"That even at my worst, you still loved me through it"
-"He's meant to be yours. He's meant to be ours."
This is the first book I have read from this author and I really liked it. I was hesitant to read about cheating, its not usually my thing, but Sivilo had a way of portraying it in a less harsh light. None of the MCs are malicious and at their core are such sweethearts. I loved the journey both MCs took and the rollercoaster of emotions that was this book. This book is filled with hurt, but has so much love to offer and I can see the beauty in Harlan and Dario's story. Please read the trigger warnings before you read, but if you are looking for a book about two characters devastated by one drunken mistake who overcome grief and life's obstacles, then this book is for you.
Intro:
This book is an MM romance between Harlan, a designer and model for Lust&Lace and Dario, a baseball player
Tropes/Highlights:
-Dual POV
-MM
-Open Door
-Found Family
-Second Chance
-Hurt/Comfort
-Cheating (Between MCs)
-Lingerie Model/Baseball Player
-HEA
Likes:
-Set in Brooklyn NY
-Established couple
-Supportive friends
-Well developed characters
-Lace Jock straps, need I say more
-Kasper & Oliver
-Sweet family moments
-Cute doggo
-Thoughtful gifts
-World building
-Different settings
-Emotional Turmoil
-How deep their love is
Quotes:
-"Jobs, the government, a fucking ocean–none of it matters–he's fucking mine"
-"He has become my biggest cheerleader and he loves me so loudly and unapologetically that I often don't feel worthy of him"
-"Leave it to the US government to ruin a good thing"
-"You don't have to earn me, Harlan"
-"I don't know how to love anyone else the way I love you"
-"This way, you'll never miss another Brooklyn sunrise"
-"I had fun, despite the pie homicide"
-"You've no problem eating arse, but a turkey is your limit"
-"That even at my worst, you still loved me through it"
-"He's meant to be yours. He's meant to be ours."
This is the first book I have read from this author and I really liked it. I was hesitant to read about cheating, its not usually my thing, but Sivilo had a way of portraying it in a less harsh light. None of the MCs are malicious and at their core are such sweethearts. I loved the journey both MCs took and the rollercoaster of emotions that was this book. This book is filled with hurt, but has so much love to offer and I can see the beauty in Harlan and Dario's story. Please read the trigger warnings before you read, but if you are looking for a book about two characters devastated by one drunken mistake who overcome grief and life's obstacles, then this book is for you.
Review of advance copy
Thank you to M.J. Sivilo and @theauthoragency for the honor of receiving an Advanced Reader copy of this book. To say that I had an emotional reaction to this book would be putting it very mildly. This had me tossing and turning literally all night as I began it in the early morning hours and finishing it within 12 hours. It was joyful, wonderful, heartbreaking and so gut wrenching as you see both Harlan and Dario being so vulnerable and your heart breaking with them. It takes genuine skill try a story that can evoke such an emotional response and I really want to applaud MJ Sivilo, this book was amazing. To see the main characters and the side characters all go through this shared grief and have their own ways of dealing with it, processing it, seeing everybody's point of view, and how they all get through it together and the ending was so healing. There were times that I just truly did not function As the main characters were struggling to function I was like "yes!" but also "no!" at the same time but I feel that the separate journeys that they both go on was so meaningful and that's what really got to me as I read this story. They each have their own journeys on figuring life and love and who they are by themselves as well as in a relationship and really where I dug in and I was like this was really really good. I won't leave too many spoilers but definitely flag this book when it's released this Friday and because and not just the story of these individuals, it's the story of their community. One thing I will touch on is that I feel like there are a lot of side stories or stand alone stories in this universe that could be written so I'm like kind of wondering here is there going to be a story for any of the side characters? but I guess we'll wait and see. Overall wonderful story and heart warming. See you in my next review!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 14, 2026
I received an ARC in return for my honest review.
M.J. Sivilo’s Sunrises and New Beginnings is a true second-chance romance. It doesn’t rely on easy fixes or convenient forgiveness—instead, it thoughtfully explores the trials and tribulations Dario and Harlan must overcome to earn their happily ever after.
Dario is an everyday baseball player who has been with Harlan for three years when their world is suddenly shaken. Harlan learns his work visa won’t be renewed and he must return home. Instead of trusting in the strength of their relationship, Harlan makes one devastating mistake—one that changes everything.
“And how do you say goodbye to your heart? To your home? That’s what Dare is. My heart. My home.”
What follows is not a simple reconciliation, but a journey of growth and self-discovery apart from each other. This is what makes the story feel real. M.J. Sivilo doesn’t take the easy way out by glossing over betrayal or pretending everything can be fixed overnight. She shows the emotional fallout when trust is broken and how difficult—yet possible—it is to rebuild.
I cried. I laughed. I felt every setback and every step forward alongside them.
Through it all, their love never truly disappears. It’s captured beautifully in this moment:
“Let me be very clear. I love you. I have never stopped loving you.”
“I love you, too. I have always loved you. You were made for me to love, long before I knew you existed.”
Sunrises and New Beginnings is about forgiveness, accountability, and the kind of love that endures even when everything falls apart. If you’re looking for a second-chance romance that feels authentic and emotionally earned, this one delivers.
*Baseball Player Meets Lingerie Model
*MM Romance
*Age Gap Romance
*Second Chance Romance
*Found Family
*Cheating
*Redemption
*Wearing his Hoodie
*He Makes Him Soup
M.J. Sivilo’s Sunrises and New Beginnings is a true second-chance romance. It doesn’t rely on easy fixes or convenient forgiveness—instead, it thoughtfully explores the trials and tribulations Dario and Harlan must overcome to earn their happily ever after.
Dario is an everyday baseball player who has been with Harlan for three years when their world is suddenly shaken. Harlan learns his work visa won’t be renewed and he must return home. Instead of trusting in the strength of their relationship, Harlan makes one devastating mistake—one that changes everything.
“And how do you say goodbye to your heart? To your home? That’s what Dare is. My heart. My home.”
What follows is not a simple reconciliation, but a journey of growth and self-discovery apart from each other. This is what makes the story feel real. M.J. Sivilo doesn’t take the easy way out by glossing over betrayal or pretending everything can be fixed overnight. She shows the emotional fallout when trust is broken and how difficult—yet possible—it is to rebuild.
I cried. I laughed. I felt every setback and every step forward alongside them.
Through it all, their love never truly disappears. It’s captured beautifully in this moment:
“Let me be very clear. I love you. I have never stopped loving you.”
“I love you, too. I have always loved you. You were made for me to love, long before I knew you existed.”
Sunrises and New Beginnings is about forgiveness, accountability, and the kind of love that endures even when everything falls apart. If you’re looking for a second-chance romance that feels authentic and emotionally earned, this one delivers.
*Baseball Player Meets Lingerie Model
*MM Romance
*Age Gap Romance
*Second Chance Romance
*Found Family
*Cheating
*Redemption
*Wearing his Hoodie
*He Makes Him Soup
March 2, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Sunrises and New Beginnings by M.J. Silvilo is one of the most emotionally authentic second-chance romances I’ve read. 🌅
From the beginning, Harlan and Dario feel solid. Established. Deeply in love. Their relationship is woven into family, friendships, and shared history, which makes what happens next feel devastatingly real. 💔
When Harlan’s visa is revoked and he’s forced back to London, everything begins to unravel. And yes, there is on-page cheating. It is not softened. It is not excused. It is painful.
Harlan makes a choice that has real consequences.
What stood out most to me is that the author allows those consequences to breathe. Dario’s heartbreak is raw and layered, the anger, the disbelief, the grief. You feel it all. 🥺
The aftermath is not rushed. Months pass. They date other people. They try to convince themselves they can move on. They sit with their mistakes. That separation gives this story weight and maturity.
This isn’t about quick forgiveness. It’s about accountability. Growth. Learning how to love better than you did before. 🌱
Harlan’s remorse feels consuming. Dario’s boundaries feel necessary. Watching them slowly rebuild friendship before even touching romance again made their reconciliation feel earned instead of convenient.
If I had one small critique, it would be that some of the post-breakup relationships felt slightly extended on page, but even that reinforced the theme that moving on from a soulmate isn’t simple.
This story is messy. Emotional. Uncomfortable at times. 😮💨
But it’s also hopeful. It reminds you that redemption requires work, and that sometimes love survives because both people choose to grow. 🌅✨
Sunrises and New Beginnings by M.J. Silvilo is one of the most emotionally authentic second-chance romances I’ve read. 🌅
From the beginning, Harlan and Dario feel solid. Established. Deeply in love. Their relationship is woven into family, friendships, and shared history, which makes what happens next feel devastatingly real. 💔
When Harlan’s visa is revoked and he’s forced back to London, everything begins to unravel. And yes, there is on-page cheating. It is not softened. It is not excused. It is painful.
Harlan makes a choice that has real consequences.
What stood out most to me is that the author allows those consequences to breathe. Dario’s heartbreak is raw and layered, the anger, the disbelief, the grief. You feel it all. 🥺
The aftermath is not rushed. Months pass. They date other people. They try to convince themselves they can move on. They sit with their mistakes. That separation gives this story weight and maturity.
This isn’t about quick forgiveness. It’s about accountability. Growth. Learning how to love better than you did before. 🌱
Harlan’s remorse feels consuming. Dario’s boundaries feel necessary. Watching them slowly rebuild friendship before even touching romance again made their reconciliation feel earned instead of convenient.
If I had one small critique, it would be that some of the post-breakup relationships felt slightly extended on page, but even that reinforced the theme that moving on from a soulmate isn’t simple.
This story is messy. Emotional. Uncomfortable at times. 😮💨
But it’s also hopeful. It reminds you that redemption requires work, and that sometimes love survives because both people choose to grow. 🌅✨
February 15, 2026
Indescribable pain, struggled healing an a beautiful new beginning
I felt for these two men when they first knew about the visa. However, watching the train wreck at the club made me absolutely hate Harlan. I get he was hurting but what he did was almost the worst possible thing he could have done to Dario knowing his past. No one deserves that but especially when you think you are soulmates.
As the story unfolded we sat in that pain from both men. Following Lan's self loathing and inability to function was heartbreaking. You could truly feel that pain. The spiral was so real and raw. Dare was struggling just as much. Without their friends pushing neither of these men would have begun to heal.
Watching them attempt new relationships while never being able to forget each other was heartbreaking. You knew these two were meant to be together but seeing that happen seemed absolutely hopeless.
The friends these men have are absolutely amazing and some of those secondary characters were so critical to these men finding themselves again.
This book was absolutely filled with the pain they felt but the healing helped them to become so much more. The did what they each needed to become who they were meant to be. Eventually they found each other again though the battle was long and hard but absolutely beautiful.
This is a debut book and I'm stunned by the beauty of it. The emotions were absolutely at the forefront while the story was compelling and real. I'm so excited to see what is next from this author.
I felt for these two men when they first knew about the visa. However, watching the train wreck at the club made me absolutely hate Harlan. I get he was hurting but what he did was almost the worst possible thing he could have done to Dario knowing his past. No one deserves that but especially when you think you are soulmates.
As the story unfolded we sat in that pain from both men. Following Lan's self loathing and inability to function was heartbreaking. You could truly feel that pain. The spiral was so real and raw. Dare was struggling just as much. Without their friends pushing neither of these men would have begun to heal.
Watching them attempt new relationships while never being able to forget each other was heartbreaking. You knew these two were meant to be together but seeing that happen seemed absolutely hopeless.
The friends these men have are absolutely amazing and some of those secondary characters were so critical to these men finding themselves again.
This book was absolutely filled with the pain they felt but the healing helped them to become so much more. The did what they each needed to become who they were meant to be. Eventually they found each other again though the battle was long and hard but absolutely beautiful.
This is a debut book and I'm stunned by the beauty of it. The emotions were absolutely at the forefront while the story was compelling and real. I'm so excited to see what is next from this author.
February 10, 2026
Sunrises and New Beginnings is such an emotionally driven story, and I was not prepared for the reaction it pulled out of me. From the start, Dare and Harlan’s relationship felt like a dream—pure, devoted, and beautiful. Their love was perfect. And then… reality hit.
Watching their relationship fall apart because of one devastating mistake was heartbreaking. This book doesn’t sugarcoat the pain of being cheated on, and honestly? I was furious with Harlan at first. How could he do that? How could he hurt Dare like that?
As the story goes on, you really start to see how guilty and regretful Harlan is. He’s completely broken by his own actions, disgusted with himself, and drowning in remorse. His pain ends up matching Dare’s in a heartbreaking way.
Because Dare isn’t just heartbroken—his entire life explodes in front of him. Everything he believed in disappears, and walking away feels like the only way to survive. They both spend months stuck in self-loathing, trying to move on, trying to pretend they’re okay… but it’s obvious they aren’t. They can’t let each other go.
So when life slowly pulls them back into each other’s orbit, it’s incredibly sweet to watch. Nothing is rushed. The thought, restraint, and emotional maturity they both show before starting again is honestly impressive. They make sure they’re healed. They make sure they’re ready. And yet, in the end, their love still outweighs everything.
And somewhere along the way, I felt it too—the release of all that anger. The forgiveness. The relief!!!!!
MJ wrapped this love story in the most deceiving packaging, but what was inside was so much more than I ever expected. Emotional, painful, and beautiful in the best way. 💔🌅
Watching their relationship fall apart because of one devastating mistake was heartbreaking. This book doesn’t sugarcoat the pain of being cheated on, and honestly? I was furious with Harlan at first. How could he do that? How could he hurt Dare like that?
As the story goes on, you really start to see how guilty and regretful Harlan is. He’s completely broken by his own actions, disgusted with himself, and drowning in remorse. His pain ends up matching Dare’s in a heartbreaking way.
Because Dare isn’t just heartbroken—his entire life explodes in front of him. Everything he believed in disappears, and walking away feels like the only way to survive. They both spend months stuck in self-loathing, trying to move on, trying to pretend they’re okay… but it’s obvious they aren’t. They can’t let each other go.
So when life slowly pulls them back into each other’s orbit, it’s incredibly sweet to watch. Nothing is rushed. The thought, restraint, and emotional maturity they both show before starting again is honestly impressive. They make sure they’re healed. They make sure they’re ready. And yet, in the end, their love still outweighs everything.
And somewhere along the way, I felt it too—the release of all that anger. The forgiveness. The relief!!!!!
MJ wrapped this love story in the most deceiving packaging, but what was inside was so much more than I ever expected. Emotional, painful, and beautiful in the best way. 💔🌅
February 16, 2026
*arc review*
4.5/⭐️
1.75-2/🌶️
This story was more emotional than I was expecting it to be, mainly because I went in nearly blind. Only part that I knew about was there was on page cheating from one of the MCs, so I went in very cautiously for that reason.
But this was a story about hurt, growth, refining yourself, and learning who you can be without someone and how to rebuild love. And Milo did that so well.
Harlan and Dario were a force to be reckoned with. At the beginning of the book, you could tell and feel the love between them, but you could also feel the distance Harlan was putting between them. Which eventually escalated into a horrible choice in his part, and he literally felt guilty from the beginning. The scene was tough to read, but thankfully it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been in my opinion.
After their collapse of their relationship in Harlan is back in London, you feel all of the emotions and regrets and changes that he needs to go through to grow… while Dario is moving on and trying to live his best life away from the man he will forever love.
Both of them men get in different relationships within this book and didn’t know how I felt about that not because it wasn’t important to the story but because I’m one of those who only likes to see relations between the two main characters.
But I cried, and I smiled, and I giggled and I loved these two end and came back to one another. Slowly building trust and building their friendship back.
4.5/⭐️
1.75-2/🌶️
This story was more emotional than I was expecting it to be, mainly because I went in nearly blind. Only part that I knew about was there was on page cheating from one of the MCs, so I went in very cautiously for that reason.
But this was a story about hurt, growth, refining yourself, and learning who you can be without someone and how to rebuild love. And Milo did that so well.
Harlan and Dario were a force to be reckoned with. At the beginning of the book, you could tell and feel the love between them, but you could also feel the distance Harlan was putting between them. Which eventually escalated into a horrible choice in his part, and he literally felt guilty from the beginning. The scene was tough to read, but thankfully it wasn’t as bad as it could’ve been in my opinion.
After their collapse of their relationship in Harlan is back in London, you feel all of the emotions and regrets and changes that he needs to go through to grow… while Dario is moving on and trying to live his best life away from the man he will forever love.
Both of them men get in different relationships within this book and didn’t know how I felt about that not because it wasn’t important to the story but because I’m one of those who only likes to see relations between the two main characters.
But I cried, and I smiled, and I giggled and I loved these two end and came back to one another. Slowly building trust and building their friendship back.
February 18, 2026
𝗔𝗥𝗖 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄
This book is basically heartbreak on tap—soulmates, bad timing, and enough emotional whiplash to make me want to bubble-wrap my own love life.
When Harlan’s visa extension expires, one mistake shatters his relationship with Darío, a professional athlete for the Sea Scorpions. Their breakup is brutal, their letters devastating, and both men struggle to heal in their own ways. Harlan begins therapy and finds honesty with Oliver, while Darío tries to move forward with Jasper but can’t shake the love he still feels. This is a story of soulmates torn apart by betrayal, yet bound by a love that refuses to fade.
Personal Reaction
This book broke me in the best way. The raw emotion, the gutting letters, and the way guilt and forgiveness are woven into their journeys made me cry more than once. I loved Harlan’s honesty with Oliver, it showed growth and accountability, and Darío’s eventual realization that he still loves Harlan was both heartbreaking and cathartic. My only frustration was watching them hurt so badly while trying to move on with other people; I wanted them to pause, heal, and then find their way back.
Closing Impression
If you love second-chance romance that’s messy, raw, and achingly human, this book is for you. It’s about forgiveness, healing, and the terrifying beauty of soulmates who refuse to let go. Keep tissues nearby, you’ll need them.
This book is basically heartbreak on tap—soulmates, bad timing, and enough emotional whiplash to make me want to bubble-wrap my own love life.
When Harlan’s visa extension expires, one mistake shatters his relationship with Darío, a professional athlete for the Sea Scorpions. Their breakup is brutal, their letters devastating, and both men struggle to heal in their own ways. Harlan begins therapy and finds honesty with Oliver, while Darío tries to move forward with Jasper but can’t shake the love he still feels. This is a story of soulmates torn apart by betrayal, yet bound by a love that refuses to fade.
Personal Reaction
This book broke me in the best way. The raw emotion, the gutting letters, and the way guilt and forgiveness are woven into their journeys made me cry more than once. I loved Harlan’s honesty with Oliver, it showed growth and accountability, and Darío’s eventual realization that he still loves Harlan was both heartbreaking and cathartic. My only frustration was watching them hurt so badly while trying to move on with other people; I wanted them to pause, heal, and then find their way back.
Closing Impression
If you love second-chance romance that’s messy, raw, and achingly human, this book is for you. It’s about forgiveness, healing, and the terrifying beauty of soulmates who refuse to let go. Keep tissues nearby, you’ll need them.
Review of advance copy
Well… hmm… where should I even begin?
Haha, I feel like I can’t quite find the right words, but I’ll try my best to write a coherent review.
In the first part of the book, I honestly couldn’t decide who I was more angry with: Harlan or Darío.
Then I realized—both of them, and neither of them.
Yes, Harlan messed up.
Badly.
And because of that, we can’t really blame Darío for reacting the way he did.
Still, I was also angry with Darío, because he absolutely didn’t handle the situation well (okay, who am I kidding? No one would have handled it better), but even so, his behavior toward Harlan wasn’t entirely likable to me.
On top of all that, my heart completely shattered watching how broken both boys were 🥹
This book makes you feel everything all at once:
breakup, grief, desperation, hope, happiness…
The boys went on a long journey before finding their way back to each other, and along the way, both of them tried to move forward in their own way.
They had to heal and rediscover themselves.
And everything they needed for that was there: the most wonderful friends, Darío’s family, and the two of them.
It was simply fantastic.
And the fact that I got to read this book from a debut author only makes it even more special.
Thank you to Author Agency for the opportunity to receive an ARC copy of this book—this is my honest opinion.
Haha, I feel like I can’t quite find the right words, but I’ll try my best to write a coherent review.
In the first part of the book, I honestly couldn’t decide who I was more angry with: Harlan or Darío.
Then I realized—both of them, and neither of them.
Yes, Harlan messed up.
Badly.
And because of that, we can’t really blame Darío for reacting the way he did.
Still, I was also angry with Darío, because he absolutely didn’t handle the situation well (okay, who am I kidding? No one would have handled it better), but even so, his behavior toward Harlan wasn’t entirely likable to me.
On top of all that, my heart completely shattered watching how broken both boys were 🥹
This book makes you feel everything all at once:
breakup, grief, desperation, hope, happiness…
The boys went on a long journey before finding their way back to each other, and along the way, both of them tried to move forward in their own way.
They had to heal and rediscover themselves.
And everything they needed for that was there: the most wonderful friends, Darío’s family, and the two of them.
It was simply fantastic.
And the fact that I got to read this book from a debut author only makes it even more special.
Thank you to Author Agency for the opportunity to receive an ARC copy of this book—this is my honest opinion.
Review of advance copy
This story isn’t loud. It’s not dramatic in a flashy way. Instead, it’s deeply emotional, reflective, and healing—the kind of romance that sits with you quietly and asks you to feel everything.
What struck me most is how real the heartbreak feels. Not just the loss of a relationship, but the loss of what life was supposed to look like. Harlan and Darío aren’t just dealing with a breakup—they’re grieving a future they once believed in. And the author handles that grief with such care and authenticity that you can’t help but feel it with them.
The pacing mirrors healing itself: slow, uneven, thoughtful. There’s no quick fix here. No instant forgiveness. Just two men trying to figure out who they are after love, after mistakes, after distance—and whether there’s still a path back to each other.
The UK coastal setting adds to that soft, sunrise-like atmosphere. Everything about this book feels symbolic of starting over, of learning to live again, and of accepting that healing isn’t linear.
This is a character-driven MM romance where the emotional journey is just as important as the love story. If you love romances that focus on growth, reflection, and second chances that feel earned, this one delivers beautifully.
Thank you to Author Agency for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
What struck me most is how real the heartbreak feels. Not just the loss of a relationship, but the loss of what life was supposed to look like. Harlan and Darío aren’t just dealing with a breakup—they’re grieving a future they once believed in. And the author handles that grief with such care and authenticity that you can’t help but feel it with them.
The pacing mirrors healing itself: slow, uneven, thoughtful. There’s no quick fix here. No instant forgiveness. Just two men trying to figure out who they are after love, after mistakes, after distance—and whether there’s still a path back to each other.
The UK coastal setting adds to that soft, sunrise-like atmosphere. Everything about this book feels symbolic of starting over, of learning to live again, and of accepting that healing isn’t linear.
This is a character-driven MM romance where the emotional journey is just as important as the love story. If you love romances that focus on growth, reflection, and second chances that feel earned, this one delivers beautifully.
Thank you to Author Agency for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest review.
February 20, 2026
MY OPINION: I’m not crying, you’re crying. As a debut, this wrung me out emotionally. Generally, it was a solid story that I enjoyed reading.
I am telling you right now, I cried through a lot of this. MJ has a way of drawing out those feelings with words, which is wonderful. Be prepared, this is a lot, and it doesn’t have many points where you aren’t on that roller coaster.
The story itself is about two men who are madly, hopelessly in love, and trust is broken, which breaks them apart. A lot of this is our couple with other men. I wasn’t sure how I felt about including spice with these third parties.
Overall, there are some great friends that we get to know, and I would have liked to know a little more about them. And most of the focus is literally on how they feel about each other and the pain that is causing them in their lives.
I liked the book. The epilogue wraps up the HEA, which is lovely, and there were some great moments throughout. When there is spice, it is open door and hot. The couple is wonderful together, and I loved Harlan so much. You really do get to know the MCs well, and their internal dialogue is strong.
There are triggers that weren’t noted in the ARC but might be in the finished edition. I am looking forward to more books by this author and recommend this if you are looking for a good cry. It’s a painful story getting you to an HEA.
I am telling you right now, I cried through a lot of this. MJ has a way of drawing out those feelings with words, which is wonderful. Be prepared, this is a lot, and it doesn’t have many points where you aren’t on that roller coaster.
The story itself is about two men who are madly, hopelessly in love, and trust is broken, which breaks them apart. A lot of this is our couple with other men. I wasn’t sure how I felt about including spice with these third parties.
Overall, there are some great friends that we get to know, and I would have liked to know a little more about them. And most of the focus is literally on how they feel about each other and the pain that is causing them in their lives.
I liked the book. The epilogue wraps up the HEA, which is lovely, and there were some great moments throughout. When there is spice, it is open door and hot. The couple is wonderful together, and I loved Harlan so much. You really do get to know the MCs well, and their internal dialogue is strong.
There are triggers that weren’t noted in the ARC but might be in the finished edition. I am looking forward to more books by this author and recommend this if you are looking for a good cry. It’s a painful story getting you to an HEA.
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