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The Resilience of Stars
I'm pretty sure I'm having a midlife crisis.
I started my career in adult entertainment at eighteen, and now, at almost forty, I'm realizing my days in front of the camera are numbered. It's the only reason I agreed to a collab with a guy who's brand new to the industry...and fifteen years younger than me.
I've been doing this a long time, and I've worked with a lot of guys, but I didn't expect the actual ray of sunshine that turned up on my doorstep. Riley is everything I'm not: young, self-assured, green. I've always been alone, because it's easy to avoid hurt if there's no one around to disappoint you. But one collab with Riley has me wanting to open up my life to him...and maybe even my heart.
The Resilience Of Stars is a fast burn spice, slow burn love MM romance between two unconventional coworkers for readers 18+.
I started my career in adult entertainment at eighteen, and now, at almost forty, I'm realizing my days in front of the camera are numbered. It's the only reason I agreed to a collab with a guy who's brand new to the industry...and fifteen years younger than me.
I've been doing this a long time, and I've worked with a lot of guys, but I didn't expect the actual ray of sunshine that turned up on my doorstep. Riley is everything I'm not: young, self-assured, green. I've always been alone, because it's easy to avoid hurt if there's no one around to disappoint you. But one collab with Riley has me wanting to open up my life to him...and maybe even my heart.
The Resilience Of Stars is a fast burn spice, slow burn love MM romance between two unconventional coworkers for readers 18+.
378 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2026
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not-safe-nop-for-me
April 3, 2026Please read my reasons carefully for not liking this book cus they are mostly a ME thing.
So here, we have Luke (39), who is an adult content creator for about 2 decades; and Riley (24) who wants to join the adult entertainment. Luke's friend and cameraman wants Luke to be Riley's first collab. They meet and sparks fly.
So, I went into this book knowing that the two main characters are in the adult entertainment, which is a tough of a pill to swallow. Not that I'm judging any lifestyle but it's not my preference cus that means they've been with so many others before (proven by Luke doing few collabs a month with different men for twenty years). But I thought that they will be collaborating with each other exclusively so that will be okay. That's not what happened, and one of the main reason for disliking the book.
1) Luke finding Riley one of a kind, although being with so many men (in his words "I've met a lot of attractive men in this business and fucked most of them"), is a bit unrealistic.
2) Luke and Riley meet and hit it off right away. They are both thinking about each other. More sparks and "connection" happen after they have their first collab with each other at 10%. They text regularly and become really close. But they still go and collab with others which rubbed me the wrong way.
3) At 20%, we have Riley's collab with Benji, which is explicitely detailed on page with dirty talk that makes Riley's arousal goes down cus Benji's calling his hole "pussy." I get it's to show that he didn't enjoy it as much and was different than his collab with Luke, but it could have been a tell no show😒
4) At 26%, we have another very explicit and detailed on page collab of Riley with Dante where Luke is directing and videotaping (per Riley's request to feel comfortable). And later, Luke joins in and we get a threesome where everyone is enjoying everyone. Hmmmm it's a nooo for me, sorry🤢
5) We have Riley and Luke enter a relationship as boyfriends, and living together. But they still do individual collabs with other men (off page). We even had to read a scene about Luke being annoyed cus he is editing one of Riley's collab where the guy is spitting in Riley's mouth. Like no, I'm sorry but a big fat no🤮
6) They agree to be exclusive and only collab with each other; and I'm like finally cus at this point they are deeply in love with each other. Well, my happiness doesn't last long, because their subscription numbers go down so they decide to collab with other people again. And they do. They even plan a threesome with them and another guy at 74% but it doesn't happen. So the number of subscriptions is way more important than their relationship?!! This is not love or romance to me😑
7) We have the one year separation where Luke continues on his collabs with OP, and Riley hooks up with OP. Then, Luke goes to see Riley, they talk for a bit then at night we have them having sex. Other than my problem of being with others during separation cus God forbid someone stay celibate for a year🙄, I want my main characters to reconnect emotionally after separation and not jump right into sex. I want them to show me their emotional growth and not how they can stick their 🍆 into each other.
8) The term of endearment "baby," which I like so much, loses its sentiment when it's also thrown in during every collabs with OP😏
9) No judgement or shaming but Riley's sister being so overly excited when he tells her about him doing porn felt weird to me🤨
Again, I was prepared to kinda ignore Luke's past and the statue of their job, if they only did collabs with each other. But the explicit OP scenes on page, the collabs with others after being in love, and all the things mentioned above prevented me from enjoying the book or feel their emotion and chemistry.
My brain doesn't function with OP drama and on page scenes, but if you are okay with that, then give this book a chance🤷🏻♀️
So here, we have Luke (39), who is an adult content creator for about 2 decades; and Riley (24) who wants to join the adult entertainment. Luke's friend and cameraman wants Luke to be Riley's first collab. They meet and sparks fly.
So, I went into this book knowing that the two main characters are in the adult entertainment, which is a tough of a pill to swallow. Not that I'm judging any lifestyle but it's not my preference cus that means they've been with so many others before (proven by Luke doing few collabs a month with different men for twenty years). But I thought that they will be collaborating with each other exclusively so that will be okay. That's not what happened, and one of the main reason for disliking the book.
1) Luke finding Riley one of a kind, although being with so many men (in his words "I've met a lot of attractive men in this business and fucked most of them"), is a bit unrealistic.
2) Luke and Riley meet and hit it off right away. They are both thinking about each other. More sparks and "connection" happen after they have their first collab with each other at 10%. They text regularly and become really close. But they still go and collab with others which rubbed me the wrong way.
3) At 20%, we have Riley's collab with Benji, which is explicitely detailed on page with dirty talk that makes Riley's arousal goes down cus Benji's calling his hole "pussy." I get it's to show that he didn't enjoy it as much and was different than his collab with Luke, but it could have been a tell no show😒
4) At 26%, we have another very explicit and detailed on page collab of Riley with Dante where Luke is directing and videotaping (per Riley's request to feel comfortable). And later, Luke joins in and we get a threesome where everyone is enjoying everyone. Hmmmm it's a nooo for me, sorry🤢
5) We have Riley and Luke enter a relationship as boyfriends, and living together. But they still do individual collabs with other men (off page). We even had to read a scene about Luke being annoyed cus he is editing one of Riley's collab where the guy is spitting in Riley's mouth. Like no, I'm sorry but a big fat no🤮
6) They agree to be exclusive and only collab with each other; and I'm like finally cus at this point they are deeply in love with each other. Well, my happiness doesn't last long, because their subscription numbers go down so they decide to collab with other people again. And they do. They even plan a threesome with them and another guy at 74% but it doesn't happen. So the number of subscriptions is way more important than their relationship?!! This is not love or romance to me😑
7) We have the one year separation where Luke continues on his collabs with OP, and Riley hooks up with OP. Then, Luke goes to see Riley, they talk for a bit then at night we have them having sex. Other than my problem of being with others during separation cus God forbid someone stay celibate for a year🙄, I want my main characters to reconnect emotionally after separation and not jump right into sex. I want them to show me their emotional growth and not how they can stick their 🍆 into each other.
8) The term of endearment "baby," which I like so much, loses its sentiment when it's also thrown in during every collabs with OP😏
9) No judgement or shaming but Riley's sister being so overly excited when he tells her about him doing porn felt weird to me🤨
Again, I was prepared to kinda ignore Luke's past and the statue of their job, if they only did collabs with each other. But the explicit OP scenes on page, the collabs with others after being in love, and all the things mentioned above prevented me from enjoying the book or feel their emotion and chemistry.
My brain doesn't function with OP drama and on page scenes, but if you are okay with that, then give this book a chance🤷🏻♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚. 𝙁𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝, 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝, 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤, 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤. 𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚.”
Listen, I went into this expecting a smutty good time to be had—and it was, but my god I was not expecting to get emotionally wrecked along the way.
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧:
- adult content creators
- age gap
- friends to lovers
- workplace romance
- opposites attract
- hurt x comfort
- fast burn spice but slow burn love
- only one bed
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙡𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚. 𝙁𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝, 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝, 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤, 𝙛𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤. 𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚.”
Listen, I went into this expecting a smutty good time to be had—and it was, but my god I was not expecting to get emotionally wrecked along the way.
𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗫𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧:
- adult content creators
- age gap
- friends to lovers
- workplace romance
- opposites attract
- hurt x comfort
- fast burn spice but slow burn love
- only one bed
May 30, 2026
It’s one of those books that made me revisit the rating I was going to give.
Up till around 70% I was leaning more towards 4, but that last 30% wrecked me in a way that only 5-star reads do 😭
“If I’m the sun, then you’re the stars.”
This is a very beautiful book with not a very conventional trope.
Luke is an adult content creator with two decades of experience when Riley decides to try his hand in this industry and meets him.
Chemistry between them is instant and sparkling, and the connection runs much deeper than just sexual attraction.
I loved how their relationship unfolded, is really fascinating how two sex workers can navigate being with other people.
And while the main conflict could be predicted, I didn’t expect it to hit me so hard. You could say that Riley was way more mature than Luke (who is 15 years older), but by that point we know enough about Luke’s life to actually understand why he acted the way he did.
But God how my heart was breaking for him 💔
And then those letters, I was full-on crying the whole time 😭
That said, I loved how they eventually found the way to each other.
It was a very logical and grown up way and it really made sense (even though it was gut-wrenching).
I loved them both, I loved their story and I also loved Riley’s family so much!! I don’t know why but it is so healing to see how totally supportive and accepting parents are of their children, it soothes the mother side of me ❤️🩹
Up till around 70% I was leaning more towards 4, but that last 30% wrecked me in a way that only 5-star reads do 😭
“If I’m the sun, then you’re the stars.”
This is a very beautiful book with not a very conventional trope.
Luke is an adult content creator with two decades of experience when Riley decides to try his hand in this industry and meets him.
Chemistry between them is instant and sparkling, and the connection runs much deeper than just sexual attraction.
I loved how their relationship unfolded, is really fascinating how two sex workers can navigate being with other people.
And while the main conflict could be predicted, I didn’t expect it to hit me so hard. You could say that Riley was way more mature than Luke (who is 15 years older), but by that point we know enough about Luke’s life to actually understand why he acted the way he did.
But God how my heart was breaking for him 💔
And then those letters, I was full-on crying the whole time 😭
That said, I loved how they eventually found the way to each other.
It was a very logical and grown up way and it really made sense (even though it was gut-wrenching).
I loved them both, I loved their story and I also loved Riley’s family so much!! I don’t know why but it is so healing to see how totally supportive and accepting parents are of their children, it soothes the mother side of me ❤️🩹
August 11, 2026
2.5⭐
I think this is one of those books where I have to put a giant “IT’S ME” disclaimer at the top because my particular brand of romance-reader brain simply could not handle what was happening here. I knew what I was getting into, and I genuinely tried to meet the book halfway, but there were certain things I just couldn't get past.
Luke and Riley's relationship had plenty of chemistry, and I could see what the author was trying to do with them. My problem was never really the adult entertainment aspect itself. It was everything that came with it once these two started falling for each other. Apparently, my romance-loving heart has a very specific idea of what “you're the one” should look like, and this book kept looking at those expectations and going, “Yeah… we're not doing that.”
Luke has been in the industry for almost twenty years, while Riley is just getting started. I went in knowing Luke had a very extensive history, and I was actually prepared to overlook that. What I wasn't prepared for was them continuing to collaborate with other people even after the attraction, emotional connection, and eventually the relationship between them became very serious.
And that is where my personal struggle with this book really began.
They meet, click almost immediately, start thinking about each other, text constantly, and develop this obvious connection… while still sleeping with other people for work.
My brain: Okay, but why are we doing this? 😭
And unfortunately, some of those encounters are shown in quite a lot of detail, which made it even harder for me to separate the characters' work from their romance. I kept wanting their relationship to feel like something uniquely theirs, but the book kept bringing other people into that space.
Then they become boyfriends and move in together, but the collaborations with other men continue.
At this point, I had accepted that apparently exclusivity was not coming anytime soon.😂
Eventually, they do decide to be exclusive, and I was genuinely relieved. Finally! This is where I get my romance! Just Luke and Riley!
Except their subscription numbers drop.
And suddenly we're back to collaborating with other people.
Me, staring at the page: So the algorithm is the third person in this relationship?😭
That was probably the point where I realized this book and I were simply not compatible. I understand the business reasoning behind it, but romantically, it completely took me out of the story. I need my main couple to feel like they're choosing each other above everything else once they're deeply in love, and I never quite felt that here.
The one-year separation also didn't give me the emotional reunion I wanted. After that much time apart, I wanted conversations, vulnerability, growth, and that painful “we've both changed, but I still choose you” kind of moment. Instead, they reconnect physically pretty quickly, and I was sitting there thinking, Sir. We have waited a YEAR. Can we please have a conversation first?😭
None of this means I think the characters are wrong for choosing this lifestyle. It simply isn't a relationship dynamic I can emotionally connect with in romance. I need my main couple to feel emotionally and romantically exclusive once they've fallen in love, and I need their intimacy with each other to feel like something uniquely theirs. Here, I constantly felt that their relationship was competing with their work, other partners, and the business side of things.
So yes, the problem is me.😂 My brain simply does not compute “I love you, you're the most important person in my life, and now let's go film a threesome for subscribers.”
If you're perfectly comfortable with that dynamic, you might genuinely enjoy this book much more than I did.
Unfortunately, my little romance-reader heart said absolutely not, thank you.😭
I think this is one of those books where I have to put a giant “IT’S ME” disclaimer at the top because my particular brand of romance-reader brain simply could not handle what was happening here. I knew what I was getting into, and I genuinely tried to meet the book halfway, but there were certain things I just couldn't get past.
Luke and Riley's relationship had plenty of chemistry, and I could see what the author was trying to do with them. My problem was never really the adult entertainment aspect itself. It was everything that came with it once these two started falling for each other. Apparently, my romance-loving heart has a very specific idea of what “you're the one” should look like, and this book kept looking at those expectations and going, “Yeah… we're not doing that.”
Luke has been in the industry for almost twenty years, while Riley is just getting started. I went in knowing Luke had a very extensive history, and I was actually prepared to overlook that. What I wasn't prepared for was them continuing to collaborate with other people even after the attraction, emotional connection, and eventually the relationship between them became very serious.
And that is where my personal struggle with this book really began.
They meet, click almost immediately, start thinking about each other, text constantly, and develop this obvious connection… while still sleeping with other people for work.
My brain: Okay, but why are we doing this? 😭
And unfortunately, some of those encounters are shown in quite a lot of detail, which made it even harder for me to separate the characters' work from their romance. I kept wanting their relationship to feel like something uniquely theirs, but the book kept bringing other people into that space.
Then they become boyfriends and move in together, but the collaborations with other men continue.
At this point, I had accepted that apparently exclusivity was not coming anytime soon.😂
Eventually, they do decide to be exclusive, and I was genuinely relieved. Finally! This is where I get my romance! Just Luke and Riley!
Except their subscription numbers drop.
And suddenly we're back to collaborating with other people.
Me, staring at the page: So the algorithm is the third person in this relationship?😭
That was probably the point where I realized this book and I were simply not compatible. I understand the business reasoning behind it, but romantically, it completely took me out of the story. I need my main couple to feel like they're choosing each other above everything else once they're deeply in love, and I never quite felt that here.
The one-year separation also didn't give me the emotional reunion I wanted. After that much time apart, I wanted conversations, vulnerability, growth, and that painful “we've both changed, but I still choose you” kind of moment. Instead, they reconnect physically pretty quickly, and I was sitting there thinking, Sir. We have waited a YEAR. Can we please have a conversation first?😭
None of this means I think the characters are wrong for choosing this lifestyle. It simply isn't a relationship dynamic I can emotionally connect with in romance. I need my main couple to feel emotionally and romantically exclusive once they've fallen in love, and I need their intimacy with each other to feel like something uniquely theirs. Here, I constantly felt that their relationship was competing with their work, other partners, and the business side of things.
So yes, the problem is me.😂 My brain simply does not compute “I love you, you're the most important person in my life, and now let's go film a threesome for subscribers.”
If you're perfectly comfortable with that dynamic, you might genuinely enjoy this book much more than I did.
Unfortunately, my little romance-reader heart said absolutely not, thank you.😭
Did Not Finish
April 5, 2026DNF @ 53%
It’s probably just me, but this was incredibly boring. Which is unfortunate since there aren’t many books with good portrayals of sex workers engaged in a healthy relationship dynamic. However Riley and Luke both severely lack any depth or characterizations that make this plot fun, engaging or interesting. And one would think that the sex would make up for it, but how much sex can one couple have without this becoming a Porn without a Plot novel, versus an actual romance. I was going to stick this out since the reviews were so praiseworthy and this is a new publish but I found myself skimming a lot and that’s when I know it’s time to throw in the towel. No rating because like I said, it’s probably me.
It’s probably just me, but this was incredibly boring. Which is unfortunate since there aren’t many books with good portrayals of sex workers engaged in a healthy relationship dynamic. However Riley and Luke both severely lack any depth or characterizations that make this plot fun, engaging or interesting. And one would think that the sex would make up for it, but how much sex can one couple have without this becoming a Porn without a Plot novel, versus an actual romance. I was going to stick this out since the reviews were so praiseworthy and this is a new publish but I found myself skimming a lot and that’s when I know it’s time to throw in the towel. No rating because like I said, it’s probably me.
won-t-read-bc-nopes
April 26, 2026Another one with a beautiful cover and age-gap that only the honest @Sarah lays out the biggest potential trigger for me (everyone else's reviews? I'd have had no clue and been raked in the face):
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Not for me. Sex work/porn stars, continually collaborating with other people throughout the book, while also entering a loving relationship with each other. Does not bother them, and if it won't bother you and you want to read that dynamic, looks like people love it, so happy reading.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Not for me. Sex work/porn stars, continually collaborating with other people throughout the book, while also entering a loving relationship with each other. Does not bother them, and if it won't bother you and you want to read that dynamic, looks like people love it, so happy reading.
May 13, 2026
MM Romance
Porn Stars / Coworkers
Insta Heat - Slow Burn Love
Forced Proximity
Found Family
Friends to Lovers
Second Chance
HEA
Med Angst
Spice - 4/5
Story - 5/5
If this is a debut author, I CANNOT WAIT for more books from them, this book was hands down THE BEST.
The love, the spice, the mental heath components, the yearning, the working on yourself, I cannot say enough good things about it.
This is in my favourite books of all time.
After I got it on KU, I purchased a copy of it so I can re-read when the feeling hits.
Porn Stars / Coworkers
Insta Heat - Slow Burn Love
Forced Proximity
Found Family
Friends to Lovers
Second Chance
HEA
Med Angst
Spice - 4/5
Story - 5/5
If this is a debut author, I CANNOT WAIT for more books from them, this book was hands down THE BEST.
The love, the spice, the mental heath components, the yearning, the working on yourself, I cannot say enough good things about it.
This is in my favourite books of all time.
After I got it on KU, I purchased a copy of it so I can re-read when the feeling hits.
November 6, 2026
I felt like I was stuck in a slump till I started this one. I was intrigued from the start. This definitely isn't for the weak, it gets gut wrenching there for awhile. However, I'm glad that Luke and Riley find their way back to each other.
*my 200th book of the year, which was my goal. just want to commemorate for my own reasons. :D
*my 200th book of the year, which was my goal. just want to commemorate for my own reasons. :D
April 8, 2026
Yeah when I chose to start this book I definitely decided that I wanted to cry about two porn stars. Well done Xara, but also fuck you. Pretty sure I said “ow” out loud at least 10 or so times while reading chapter 33. God you made my chest hurt so badly. My heart is not okay; you got me fucked up big time!! It’s been a while since I’ve read a book that has given me such strong visceral reactions to what is happening to characters in a story. Exceptional work, very well written. Would recommend this book if you want to be hurt in the very best way. Loved it. Ow.
July 26, 2026
I need someone to make me completely understand how this was a DEBUT novel!!! I absolutely DEVOURED this book!!! Riley and Luke were absolutely perfect. Adult content creators who meet for a collab in an age gap scenario and well....plot happens, HOT SPICE 🥵🥵 happens (again....this is her debut with all this sexy? Wowwww), and with all this a slow burn romance happens? This was absolutely my kind of book. I will read every word this author writes from here on out.
July 27, 2026
Love the title, loved the book, great cover. I can't believe this is a debut novel.
The beginning of this book sucked me in right away. I couldn't put it down. You really felt Luke & Riley's chemistry. Their first collab with each other was really well written - the spice was spicy! I also loved reading as they became friends. I did feel like there was a lot of internal monologue for both MCs about wanting more / how do I tell the other person I have feelings for them, etc... for not much pay-off in the big moment they DO get together. It was sort of sudden and like an afterthought; basically, Luke just says the word "boyfriend" by accident and then they're a couple. I always lose a little interest when the couple in a book gets together. I like slow burn BECAUSE I know I'm like this.
I also thought Riley seemed like a different character from the first chapter or so when he arrives to the rest of the book. It would have made sense if he slowly gained confidence, but he seemed to VERY quickly become the dominant and confident one.
I like to read reviews AFTER I've read the book to see what other people thought. I'm not in a book club or anything and reading reviews - and writing my own - is sort of my way of "talking" about the books I've read / getting my thoughts out. I saw one reviewer who got blasted for giving this one star because of the MCs being with other people throughout the book... people were upset she gave the book 1 star when she knew it was about adult content creators; basically saying she just shouldn't have read it. I agree with that on some level; I usually DON'T rate books that I should have known better not to read (I don't read poly books anymore for that reason). On the other hand, there were no content warnings from the author and I sort of assumed they wouldn't be with other people after falling in love, too. I really struggled with Riley's first collab with someone else after they got together - yuck.
Lastly, logically I know Riley made the right choice for himself by leaving Luke - but I really struggled with the fact that he didn't check in on him. He loves him, but left him KNOWING he was having alcohol problems and had no family to turn to, and never checked on him? I'm not an author, but I would have liked it better if Riley had sort of kept in contact with Jess (on page) to know Luke was safe.
Any book that makes me cry is usually an automatic 5-star read for me. If it weren't for the issues I mentioned above, this easily would have been a 5-star book. I cried when Riley left, and Luke's spiral absolutely broke my heart. I'm already looking forward to seeing what the author writes next!
The beginning of this book sucked me in right away. I couldn't put it down. You really felt Luke & Riley's chemistry. Their first collab with each other was really well written - the spice was spicy! I also loved reading as they became friends. I did feel like there was a lot of internal monologue for both MCs about wanting more / how do I tell the other person I have feelings for them, etc... for not much pay-off in the big moment they DO get together. It was sort of sudden and like an afterthought; basically, Luke just says the word "boyfriend" by accident and then they're a couple. I always lose a little interest when the couple in a book gets together. I like slow burn BECAUSE I know I'm like this.
I also thought Riley seemed like a different character from the first chapter or so when he arrives to the rest of the book. It would have made sense if he slowly gained confidence, but he seemed to VERY quickly become the dominant and confident one.
I like to read reviews AFTER I've read the book to see what other people thought. I'm not in a book club or anything and reading reviews - and writing my own - is sort of my way of "talking" about the books I've read / getting my thoughts out. I saw one reviewer who got blasted for giving this one star because of the MCs being with other people throughout the book... people were upset she gave the book 1 star when she knew it was about adult content creators; basically saying she just shouldn't have read it. I agree with that on some level; I usually DON'T rate books that I should have known better not to read (I don't read poly books anymore for that reason). On the other hand, there were no content warnings from the author and I sort of assumed they wouldn't be with other people after falling in love, too. I really struggled with Riley's first collab with someone else after they got together - yuck.
Lastly, logically I know Riley made the right choice for himself by leaving Luke - but I really struggled with the fact that he didn't check in on him. He loves him, but left him KNOWING he was having alcohol problems and had no family to turn to, and never checked on him? I'm not an author, but I would have liked it better if Riley had sort of kept in contact with Jess (on page) to know Luke was safe.
Any book that makes me cry is usually an automatic 5-star read for me. If it weren't for the issues I mentioned above, this easily would have been a 5-star book. I cried when Riley left, and Luke's spiral absolutely broke my heart. I'm already looking forward to seeing what the author writes next!
August 28, 2026
Oh my god this book is a MASTERPIECE.
I was expecting it to just be this fun, lighthearted read, and it was, until 80% when the tears came instantly and did not stop. I loved every minute of it regardless.
Luke and Riley are perfect. I loved them together and I am so so glad they got their HEA. Truly deserved. Oh Luke 😭 my heart still hurts for him. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so proud of a character for the work they put in to be better.
I also just absolutely loved how the author had Luke and Riley navigating their relationship while also working in the sex industry. It was so real and raw. Honestly one of the most realistic portrayals of how a relationship might look between adult content creators. It’s not talked about enough and I really loved to see it.
Absolutely beautiful book. ❤️
I was expecting it to just be this fun, lighthearted read, and it was, until 80% when the tears came instantly and did not stop. I loved every minute of it regardless.
Luke and Riley are perfect. I loved them together and I am so so glad they got their HEA. Truly deserved. Oh Luke 😭 my heart still hurts for him. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so proud of a character for the work they put in to be better.
I also just absolutely loved how the author had Luke and Riley navigating their relationship while also working in the sex industry. It was so real and raw. Honestly one of the most realistic portrayals of how a relationship might look between adult content creators. It’s not talked about enough and I really loved to see it.
Absolutely beautiful book. ❤️
September 8, 2026
4 ⭐️ | Audiobook: 10/10 🎧
This book put me through a JOURNEY!
First, THE AUDIOBOOK. Absolutely spectacular. 10/10. The production and performances elevated the entire experience for me, and if you’re going to read this one, I genuinely recommend listening to it.
Now… I need to talk about the complicated part.
At around 30% I was SOBBING. Luke absolutely broke my heart. His loneliness, never really having a family, not knowing how to accept love because he doesn’t actually believe he’s worthy of being loved… I was in my freaking FEELINGS. And then you put Riley, this ray of sunshine, in front of him??? DONE.
I loved Riley. I loved Luke. I loved watching Riley recognize when their relationship became unhealthy and have enough strength and self-respect to walk away. And I REALLY loved that the book didn’t use romance as some magical cure for Luke. He needed to heal. He needed therapy. He needed to learn how to give AND receive love in a healthy way before he could actually build a life with someone.
Their entire dynamic as adult content creators was also something I really appreciated. They’re still people. They fall in love. They deserve healthy relationships. And those relationships don’t have to follow conventional rules to be real or meaningful. Sex, intimacy, monogamy and boundaries can look completely different from one relationship to another, and I loved seeing that explored here.
Also… this book was HOT. 🔥 Occasionally a little cringe for me with scenes of them with others? Yes. 😂 But HOT.
Where this lost me was Luke’s sudden alcohol dependency.
It felt like it came completely out of left field. We hadn’t really been shown alcohol as a coping mechanism for him, so when it suddenly became such an important part of his downward spiral, it didn’t feel organically connected to the character we’d been getting to know. And that frustrated me because Luke already had MORE than enough emotional complexity to carry this story without adding another major issue.
But there’s another layer that made this particularly uncomfortable for me.
The author has discussed Kyle Krieger as an inspiration for Luke’s physical appearance, and I’ve followed Kyle for YEARS, from long before his adult-content career. At first, recognizing little similarities was actually fun. Inspiration is inspiration, and plenty of those characteristics could apply to countless influencers.
But Kyle has also publicly discussed his history with addiction and recovery. Once Luke’s storyline introduced alcohol dependency, the similarities stopped feeling fun to me and started feeling uncomfortably close to a real person’s life.
Obviously I cannot know where the author drew the line between inspiration and fiction, and I’m not claiming to know her intentions. I’m only talking about how it affected MY reading experience. Knowing Kyle’s story made it difficult for me to separate the fictional character from the real-life inspiration at that point, and I didn’t love that feeling (FOR ME PERSONALLY)
And honestly? Even if I knew absolutely nothing about Kyle, I still don’t think the alcohol storyline worked for me. It needed significantly more groundwork to feel believable rather than like another source of trauma added for dramatic impact.
Which is SO frustrating because everything surrounding it was strong enough without it.
Watching Luke actually do the work afterward was one of my favorite parts. The therapy, the time apart, the self-reflection, learning to exist on his own and becoming someone capable of receiving the kind of love Riley was offering him… THAT worked for me.
And Riley holding his boundaries instead of sacrificing himself because he loved Luke? YES.
Love doesn’t mean allowing someone else’s pain to destroy you.
So ultimately, 4 stars. Without the alcohol storyline, this genuinely could have been a five-star read for me. And had I not known the real-life context surrounding the author’s inspiration, I probably would’ve landed closer to 4.5. But still a solid 4 stars and I still recommend you check this book out.
There is SO much here that I loved. Riley and Luke got me emotionally invested. I cried. I laughed. I swooned. I was VERY entertained by their extracurricular activities 😂🔥 and I loved what this book had to say about unconventional relationships, healing, boundaries and learning that being loved isn’t the same thing as knowing how to accept love.
And that audiobook? 10 freaking stars. 🎧
This book put me through a JOURNEY!
First, THE AUDIOBOOK. Absolutely spectacular. 10/10. The production and performances elevated the entire experience for me, and if you’re going to read this one, I genuinely recommend listening to it.
Now… I need to talk about the complicated part.
At around 30% I was SOBBING. Luke absolutely broke my heart. His loneliness, never really having a family, not knowing how to accept love because he doesn’t actually believe he’s worthy of being loved… I was in my freaking FEELINGS. And then you put Riley, this ray of sunshine, in front of him??? DONE.
I loved Riley. I loved Luke. I loved watching Riley recognize when their relationship became unhealthy and have enough strength and self-respect to walk away. And I REALLY loved that the book didn’t use romance as some magical cure for Luke. He needed to heal. He needed therapy. He needed to learn how to give AND receive love in a healthy way before he could actually build a life with someone.
Their entire dynamic as adult content creators was also something I really appreciated. They’re still people. They fall in love. They deserve healthy relationships. And those relationships don’t have to follow conventional rules to be real or meaningful. Sex, intimacy, monogamy and boundaries can look completely different from one relationship to another, and I loved seeing that explored here.
Also… this book was HOT. 🔥 Occasionally a little cringe for me with scenes of them with others? Yes. 😂 But HOT.
Where this lost me was Luke’s sudden alcohol dependency.
It felt like it came completely out of left field. We hadn’t really been shown alcohol as a coping mechanism for him, so when it suddenly became such an important part of his downward spiral, it didn’t feel organically connected to the character we’d been getting to know. And that frustrated me because Luke already had MORE than enough emotional complexity to carry this story without adding another major issue.
But there’s another layer that made this particularly uncomfortable for me.
The author has discussed Kyle Krieger as an inspiration for Luke’s physical appearance, and I’ve followed Kyle for YEARS, from long before his adult-content career. At first, recognizing little similarities was actually fun. Inspiration is inspiration, and plenty of those characteristics could apply to countless influencers.
But Kyle has also publicly discussed his history with addiction and recovery. Once Luke’s storyline introduced alcohol dependency, the similarities stopped feeling fun to me and started feeling uncomfortably close to a real person’s life.
Obviously I cannot know where the author drew the line between inspiration and fiction, and I’m not claiming to know her intentions. I’m only talking about how it affected MY reading experience. Knowing Kyle’s story made it difficult for me to separate the fictional character from the real-life inspiration at that point, and I didn’t love that feeling (FOR ME PERSONALLY)
And honestly? Even if I knew absolutely nothing about Kyle, I still don’t think the alcohol storyline worked for me. It needed significantly more groundwork to feel believable rather than like another source of trauma added for dramatic impact.
Which is SO frustrating because everything surrounding it was strong enough without it.
Watching Luke actually do the work afterward was one of my favorite parts. The therapy, the time apart, the self-reflection, learning to exist on his own and becoming someone capable of receiving the kind of love Riley was offering him… THAT worked for me.
And Riley holding his boundaries instead of sacrificing himself because he loved Luke? YES.
Love doesn’t mean allowing someone else’s pain to destroy you.
So ultimately, 4 stars. Without the alcohol storyline, this genuinely could have been a five-star read for me. And had I not known the real-life context surrounding the author’s inspiration, I probably would’ve landed closer to 4.5. But still a solid 4 stars and I still recommend you check this book out.
There is SO much here that I loved. Riley and Luke got me emotionally invested. I cried. I laughed. I swooned. I was VERY entertained by their extracurricular activities 😂🔥 and I loved what this book had to say about unconventional relationships, healing, boundaries and learning that being loved isn’t the same thing as knowing how to accept love.
And that audiobook? 10 freaking stars. 🎧
May 30, 2026
This was such a beautifully written book. When I tell you I was pleasantly surprised by how invested I became in Luke and Riley’s story, I’m not joking. I was sucked in.
Luke Larson is our 39 year old veteran porn star/sex worker who decides to do a collab with a newbie in the business, our very own sunshine incarnate Riley Cunningham. There’s a delicious age gap between these two and they have one of those sparks that not many of us find. They hit it off right away and discover that they actually have a really easy and great bedroom dynamic. Insert that Riley has always been a fan 😏 and he’s into older men 😉 and the spice is spicing! 🤣
You can definitely tell that Luke carries some trauma from his past as a foster child and honestly, for Riley being in his mid twenties, the man is so mature. He handles Luke with love and care and teaches him the importance of open communication, especially in their line of work, and once they’ve decided to give the relationship a real try. I loved watching these two not only have hot sex, but loved watching their friendship and feelings develop on the page. It was so swoon worthy and I loved and gobbled up every minute of it.
My only struggle here lied in the execution of “an addiction” or really “a drinking problem.” There was several scenes earlier in the book where Luke and Riley share a couple of beers, have wine with their dinner, go out for food and order a side of alcoholic beverages. There was NO indication at any point in any of these multiple scenes that Luke struggled with alcohol. Insert when he spiraled (poor baby has uncontrolled anxiety), and made a mistake that crossed the boundaries of his relationship with Riley, and all of a sudden alcohol would make him feel better? We watched (metaphorically) how instead of dealing with problems and stress, he turned to a bottle? It just came out of left field. There were not hints of that being his coping mechanism before, and you’re telling me with how prevalent his anxiety is, he hasn’t turned to bottle BEFORE he met Riley? It felt like, out of nowhere, the author added in a drinking problem that spanned over two weeks of discord with Riley, and then when Riley left, he went full blown to the bottle, which honestly…. Felt so out of character for someone who craves control in his everyday life. Maybe it’s a “me” thing and I fully accept that. I’m a sucker and loveeeeee a good mental health rep, addiction x recovery rep and this, in my opinion, felt like an afterthought and not very well portrayed. Do I believe therapy was absolutely necessary for Luke to become a better person? Yes. He obviously had A LOT of issues he needed to process and work through but the usage alcohol didn’t feel like one.
Overall, this story was heart warming, it followed the theme that I will live by to my last dying breath which is “love doesn’t cure all”, so Luke getting help and both of them taking the necessary time apart to better and find themselves was beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what else this author has in store for us!
Luke Larson is our 39 year old veteran porn star/sex worker who decides to do a collab with a newbie in the business, our very own sunshine incarnate Riley Cunningham. There’s a delicious age gap between these two and they have one of those sparks that not many of us find. They hit it off right away and discover that they actually have a really easy and great bedroom dynamic. Insert that Riley has always been a fan 😏 and he’s into older men 😉 and the spice is spicing! 🤣
You can definitely tell that Luke carries some trauma from his past as a foster child and honestly, for Riley being in his mid twenties, the man is so mature. He handles Luke with love and care and teaches him the importance of open communication, especially in their line of work, and once they’ve decided to give the relationship a real try. I loved watching these two not only have hot sex, but loved watching their friendship and feelings develop on the page. It was so swoon worthy and I loved and gobbled up every minute of it.
My only struggle here lied in the execution of “an addiction” or really “a drinking problem.” There was several scenes earlier in the book where Luke and Riley share a couple of beers, have wine with their dinner, go out for food and order a side of alcoholic beverages. There was NO indication at any point in any of these multiple scenes that Luke struggled with alcohol. Insert when he spiraled (poor baby has uncontrolled anxiety), and made a mistake that crossed the boundaries of his relationship with Riley, and all of a sudden alcohol would make him feel better? We watched (metaphorically) how instead of dealing with problems and stress, he turned to a bottle? It just came out of left field. There were not hints of that being his coping mechanism before, and you’re telling me with how prevalent his anxiety is, he hasn’t turned to bottle BEFORE he met Riley? It felt like, out of nowhere, the author added in a drinking problem that spanned over two weeks of discord with Riley, and then when Riley left, he went full blown to the bottle, which honestly…. Felt so out of character for someone who craves control in his everyday life. Maybe it’s a “me” thing and I fully accept that. I’m a sucker and loveeeeee a good mental health rep, addiction x recovery rep and this, in my opinion, felt like an afterthought and not very well portrayed. Do I believe therapy was absolutely necessary for Luke to become a better person? Yes. He obviously had A LOT of issues he needed to process and work through but the usage alcohol didn’t feel like one.
Overall, this story was heart warming, it followed the theme that I will live by to my last dying breath which is “love doesn’t cure all”, so Luke getting help and both of them taking the necessary time apart to better and find themselves was beautiful. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can’t wait to see what else this author has in store for us!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 30, 2026
I absolutely adored this book and its characters! I’m honestly in disbelief that this was written by a debut author because it was just that well written. The writing was stunning, depicting a beautifully heartwarming and heartbreaking story of survival after parental loss, new beginnings, found family, and love.
Luke’s backstory was gut wrenching. His parents died when he was young, and his aunt and only surviving relative decided that she didn’t want to be burdened with a child, so Luke was placed in foster care. Unfortunately, he was never adopted, nor had he ever had a truly long term foster care placement. He was left alone, lonely, and lost. My heart shattered for him. Once he aged out of foster care, he was thrust into adult life with no skills or support, so he turned to adult filmmaking to survive. He built a protective wall around himself, not allowing time for love or relationships that he wasn’t really sure he deserved anyway.
Enter Riley, Smily Riley who breezed into Luke’s life as a literal ray of southern sunshine. Younger, looking to dip his toes into adult content creation, and newly transplanted into LA, Riley quickly connected both professionally and personally with Luke. Their relationship started on camera, but a behind the scenes friendship quickly formed. What started as a high steam connection quickly became a slower burn friends-to-lovers once Riley and Luke could no longer deny their feelings toward another. And let me tell you, this progression was absolutely beautiful to read. It felt so organic and sweet, and I swooned so many times!
Riley and Luke will be living in my head rent free for quite a while. I particularly adored Luke’s character, but honestly I loved the whole cast. Riley’s parents especially deserve lots of love for being the most wonderful and supportive southern parents! Mandy, Jess, Dante, and Nathan all earn shoutouts too, for popping off the page and being people of love to be friends with. (Actually, I want to hire Jess as my PA to get my life organized.)
I’m looking forward to seeing what Xara Kenley has in store for the future because if this is her debut I can only guess at how many more wonderful things are to come. She masterfully created characters that felt genuine, a story that was compelling, and made me cry and laugh. Absolutely brilliant!
Luke’s backstory was gut wrenching. His parents died when he was young, and his aunt and only surviving relative decided that she didn’t want to be burdened with a child, so Luke was placed in foster care. Unfortunately, he was never adopted, nor had he ever had a truly long term foster care placement. He was left alone, lonely, and lost. My heart shattered for him. Once he aged out of foster care, he was thrust into adult life with no skills or support, so he turned to adult filmmaking to survive. He built a protective wall around himself, not allowing time for love or relationships that he wasn’t really sure he deserved anyway.
Enter Riley, Smily Riley who breezed into Luke’s life as a literal ray of southern sunshine. Younger, looking to dip his toes into adult content creation, and newly transplanted into LA, Riley quickly connected both professionally and personally with Luke. Their relationship started on camera, but a behind the scenes friendship quickly formed. What started as a high steam connection quickly became a slower burn friends-to-lovers once Riley and Luke could no longer deny their feelings toward another. And let me tell you, this progression was absolutely beautiful to read. It felt so organic and sweet, and I swooned so many times!
Riley and Luke will be living in my head rent free for quite a while. I particularly adored Luke’s character, but honestly I loved the whole cast. Riley’s parents especially deserve lots of love for being the most wonderful and supportive southern parents! Mandy, Jess, Dante, and Nathan all earn shoutouts too, for popping off the page and being people of love to be friends with. (Actually, I want to hire Jess as my PA to get my life organized.)
I’m looking forward to seeing what Xara Kenley has in store for the future because if this is her debut I can only guess at how many more wonderful things are to come. She masterfully created characters that felt genuine, a story that was compelling, and made me cry and laugh. Absolutely brilliant!
March 21, 2026
When I read an ARC, I usually have my notes app open on my phone so I can take notes as I go. With this one, I forgot. This story had me in its grip so hard and so fast that I simply forgot.
My EPUB file did not have page numbers, but according to Goodreads this is a 395 page book. I finished it in two days. If that’s not proof of how much I was into this story, I don’t know what is.
The story follows Luke, a 39 year old gay porn content creator who’s kind of slipping into a midlife crisis. He gets the opportunity to work with Riley, a 24 year old who’s looking to get into the industry. At first Luke is hesitant (what’s he supposed to do with such a young, inexperienced newbie?), but after meeting Riley and feeling the undeniable chemistry they have, they decide to collab.
Afterwards, Luke feels somewhat protective of Riley and he wants to make sure he doesn’t get hurt. On the other hand, Riley enjoys having an experienced mentor helping him navigate the industry, so they keep in touch. Purely professional, of course… As friends… 😏
I never thought I’d describe a story about two gay porn stars as cute and adorable, but here we are anyway. I was literally squealing and kicking my feet. And if I wasn’t doing that, I was annotating about how cute I thought it was.
It was either that or annotating ‘haha’, ‘hahaha’, and ‘HAHAHA’, because the book was pretty funny as well.
I smiled, I made weird and random squeaky noises, but I also cried. Chapter 33, if you know you know. And if you don’t, you better start reading.
This book made me feel it all.
There were no inconsistencies that annoyed me, no spelling errors I noticed, I have literally nothing negative to say. The characters? Good. The plot? Great. The spice? *Chef’s kiss*.
And this was a debut novel? Girl, with a debut this strong I will be first in line for everything she ever decides to write in the future. The ‘about the author’ page at the end of the book simply said that Xara Kenley is not an author. Well, with a talent like that, she should be.
I started recommending this book to all my friends when I was only 1/3 through and now I’m recommending it to everyone, whether they want to hear it or not.
(I got this book as an ARC and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.)
My EPUB file did not have page numbers, but according to Goodreads this is a 395 page book. I finished it in two days. If that’s not proof of how much I was into this story, I don’t know what is.
The story follows Luke, a 39 year old gay porn content creator who’s kind of slipping into a midlife crisis. He gets the opportunity to work with Riley, a 24 year old who’s looking to get into the industry. At first Luke is hesitant (what’s he supposed to do with such a young, inexperienced newbie?), but after meeting Riley and feeling the undeniable chemistry they have, they decide to collab.
Afterwards, Luke feels somewhat protective of Riley and he wants to make sure he doesn’t get hurt. On the other hand, Riley enjoys having an experienced mentor helping him navigate the industry, so they keep in touch. Purely professional, of course… As friends… 😏
I never thought I’d describe a story about two gay porn stars as cute and adorable, but here we are anyway. I was literally squealing and kicking my feet. And if I wasn’t doing that, I was annotating about how cute I thought it was.
It was either that or annotating ‘haha’, ‘hahaha’, and ‘HAHAHA’, because the book was pretty funny as well.
I smiled, I made weird and random squeaky noises, but I also cried. Chapter 33, if you know you know. And if you don’t, you better start reading.
This book made me feel it all.
There were no inconsistencies that annoyed me, no spelling errors I noticed, I have literally nothing negative to say. The characters? Good. The plot? Great. The spice? *Chef’s kiss*.
And this was a debut novel? Girl, with a debut this strong I will be first in line for everything she ever decides to write in the future. The ‘about the author’ page at the end of the book simply said that Xara Kenley is not an author. Well, with a talent like that, she should be.
I started recommending this book to all my friends when I was only 1/3 through and now I’m recommending it to everyone, whether they want to hear it or not.
(I got this book as an ARC and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.)
April 1, 2026
DNF @ 19%
Notes I wrote as I was reading:
Blegh, the story does the "There's just something special about him (even though we've seen literally no evidence of that)" when Luke first meets Riley irl 😒. So this experienced porn actor has apparently never encountered a boy-next-door type guy in all of his years making porn? AND he's the one who's nervous about filming? Yeah, ok.
Ending the chapter right after the scene cut was understandable, if you think about it in terms of pacing where cutting right as the action ends ups the entertainment value, BUT it did not make sense in context of a romance, considering how much Luke and Riley had been building up their excitement for the scene. We needed to see at least one of their POVs showing what exactly them finally having sex did to their dynamic and ending the chapter before we see that was not a good decision imo.
Also, ew. Riley's sister was way too excited when she found out her brother was doing porn. I'm not shaming, but I feel like being so hyped that your sibling filmed a sex scene might be a bit too sex-positive imo.
I gave up when Luke and Riley just started texting each other and acting like they were the best thing to ever happen in their lives. Luke already feeling like Riley was safe when he told him about his time in foster care was the cherry on top.
The blurb is highly misleading because this isn't a slow burn, this is basically instalove with how quickly Luke and Riley start off acting like their attraction to one another was more than physical. If they'd only commented on their physical attraction to each other without bringing in the sentimental emotions, then maybe this would've been fine (insta-lust isn't as bad as instalove), but as it is, they're essentially all but falling for one another and they'd only had like two real conversations. Nty.
2 stars.
Notes I wrote as I was reading:
Blegh, the story does the "There's just something special about him (even though we've seen literally no evidence of that)" when Luke first meets Riley irl 😒. So this experienced porn actor has apparently never encountered a boy-next-door type guy in all of his years making porn? AND he's the one who's nervous about filming? Yeah, ok.
Ending the chapter right after the scene cut was understandable, if you think about it in terms of pacing where cutting right as the action ends ups the entertainment value, BUT it did not make sense in context of a romance, considering how much Luke and Riley had been building up their excitement for the scene. We needed to see at least one of their POVs showing what exactly them finally having sex did to their dynamic and ending the chapter before we see that was not a good decision imo.
Also, ew. Riley's sister was way too excited when she found out her brother was doing porn. I'm not shaming, but I feel like being so hyped that your sibling filmed a sex scene might be a bit too sex-positive imo.
I gave up when Luke and Riley just started texting each other and acting like they were the best thing to ever happen in their lives. Luke already feeling like Riley was safe when he told him about his time in foster care was the cherry on top.
The blurb is highly misleading because this isn't a slow burn, this is basically instalove with how quickly Luke and Riley start off acting like their attraction to one another was more than physical. If they'd only commented on their physical attraction to each other without bringing in the sentimental emotions, then maybe this would've been fine (insta-lust isn't as bad as instalove), but as it is, they're essentially all but falling for one another and they'd only had like two real conversations. Nty.
2 stars.
March 22, 2026
Well, I knew this was going to be a special novel, but I was completely blown away by this book. It captivated me in mind, body, and soul. For a debut novel, it is extremely well done. The story is expertly crafted, the characters fully realized, and the story though simple, is highly effective. The spicy scenes in this book are some of the best I have ever read. I don’t know how Xara achieved to make Luke and Riley’s connection jump off the pages, it was so palpable that it went straight into my pole and hole. My Divas, I cannot recommend this book enough!
:: mild spoiler::
One of my least favorite tropes is the dreaded Third Act Breakup. I can name on one hand the books that have pulled this off, it’s very hard to do. Xara completely pulled this off, and did it effortlessly. It was essential in making the story successful. The characters could not have ended up together without it. I’m in awe of you and your magical story telling Xara! 🥹💖✨
I am instantly a fan of Xara Kenley’s, and will gladly read any future projects she releases.
This is one of my top reads of 2026!
5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✨⭐️🌴📹🌴⭐️✨⭐️🌴📹🌴⭐️✨
Thank you to the author and their team for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
:: mild spoiler::
One of my least favorite tropes is the dreaded Third Act Breakup. I can name on one hand the books that have pulled this off, it’s very hard to do. Xara completely pulled this off, and did it effortlessly. It was essential in making the story successful. The characters could not have ended up together without it. I’m in awe of you and your magical story telling Xara! 🥹💖✨
I am instantly a fan of Xara Kenley’s, and will gladly read any future projects she releases.
This is one of my top reads of 2026!
5/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
✨⭐️🌴📹🌴⭐️✨⭐️🌴📹🌴⭐️✨
Thank you to the author and their team for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy
Standalone ● Debut ● Release: March 30th ● Luke + Riley
The best way I can describe this experience is "a slice of life" story. It reads like every day life amongst normal people. Navigating meeting new people, exploring life, building friendship, and eventually more - without feeling rushed. You really get to settle into the friendship before it builds. I loved and appreciated that Luke & Riley are sex workers that are actually working on-page. It's not just mentioned as a catchy trope, it is very much a part of the story. This was pretty low angst, until it wasn't 😉. We get a very emotional struggle and amazing character growth.
I adore Luke and Riley 🥹
The best way I can describe this experience is "a slice of life" story. It reads like every day life amongst normal people. Navigating meeting new people, exploring life, building friendship, and eventually more - without feeling rushed. You really get to settle into the friendship before it builds. I loved and appreciated that Luke & Riley are sex workers that are actually working on-page. It's not just mentioned as a catchy trope, it is very much a part of the story. This was pretty low angst, until it wasn't 😉. We get a very emotional struggle and amazing character growth.
I adore Luke and Riley 🥹
August 1, 2026
Ebook rating: ⭐⭐⭐¾ (3.75/5)
Audiobook rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (10/10—absolutely phenomenal!)
In the beginning, I really, really liked this book. Even though I’m usually more into slow-burn romances, this one completely worked for me. I fell in love with Riley right away. I both listened to the audiobook and read the ebook, and I have to say, the audiobook is incredible!
I was enjoying it so much until about the 60% mark. At that point, it started to feel like it was mostly sex, with not much happening in the actual storyline, and I honestly thought it was going to end up being a 3-star read.
Then the breakup happened, and I was completely hooked again. I couldn’t put it down. The letters were a great part of the book, they genuinely touched me, and I could really feel Luke’s love for Riley through them. Luke frustrated me during the fight because of his lack of communication, even though I understood it came from his past. Seeing his growth through those beautiful letters made all the difference, and I absolutely loved that part of the story.
Their reunion was lovely too. I really enjoyed their conversation and Riley finally reading the letters. But then… boom. Instead of getting a sweet hotel room reunion, I loved that Riley ran over in the middle of the night, I was hoping they’d spend a little more time talking, comforting each other, and soaking in the moment before jumping into bed. I have no problem with the spice, but in that particular scene I think I would have preferred something a little more emotional, tender, and intimate first.
Overall, it was a good book, just not an all-time favorite for me.
Audiobook rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (10/10—absolutely phenomenal!)
In the beginning, I really, really liked this book. Even though I’m usually more into slow-burn romances, this one completely worked for me. I fell in love with Riley right away. I both listened to the audiobook and read the ebook, and I have to say, the audiobook is incredible!
I was enjoying it so much until about the 60% mark. At that point, it started to feel like it was mostly sex, with not much happening in the actual storyline, and I honestly thought it was going to end up being a 3-star read.
Then the breakup happened, and I was completely hooked again. I couldn’t put it down. The letters were a great part of the book, they genuinely touched me, and I could really feel Luke’s love for Riley through them. Luke frustrated me during the fight because of his lack of communication, even though I understood it came from his past. Seeing his growth through those beautiful letters made all the difference, and I absolutely loved that part of the story.
Their reunion was lovely too. I really enjoyed their conversation and Riley finally reading the letters. But then… boom. Instead of getting a sweet hotel room reunion, I loved that Riley ran over in the middle of the night, I was hoping they’d spend a little more time talking, comforting each other, and soaking in the moment before jumping into bed. I have no problem with the spice, but in that particular scene I think I would have preferred something a little more emotional, tender, and intimate first.
Overall, it was a good book, just not an all-time favorite for me.
September 2, 2026
I really loved the first half of this book, but unfortunately, the second half didn’t work for me as much. I enjoyed the ending, but some of the choices the characters made—especially continuing to collaborate with other people after becoming exclusive—really took me out of the story. I know they’re porn stars, so maybe porn stars just aren’t my gem 😭
Still, I’m glad I finished it, and there were definitely things I loved about it. Just not quite the book for me in the end.
Still, I’m glad I finished it, and there were definitely things I loved about it. Just not quite the book for me in the end.
April 3, 2026
This book gave me all the best feelings in the best way. I absolutely love Riley & Luke and I want more. I cannot wait for the audio to come out.
August 18, 2026
Oh god, finally it is done. Not for me! I can’t take seriously full grown ass men in their 40s not knowing to communicate.
August 12, 2026
It’s Okay.
Waaaayyyy too much sex, talking about sex, thinking about sex. I know it’s about camming but it was still too much, and at the expense of plot and genuine chemistry building. Also, there’s crazy insecurity from a guy who’s been in the business for a long time. The miscommunication is real. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it, so 3 stars it is.
Waaaayyyy too much sex, talking about sex, thinking about sex. I know it’s about camming but it was still too much, and at the expense of plot and genuine chemistry building. Also, there’s crazy insecurity from a guy who’s been in the business for a long time. The miscommunication is real. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it, so 3 stars it is.
August 2, 2026
This is pretty much the definition of porn with plot, both literally and figuratively, considering it’s about two porn creators. If you’re looking for a romance where the story mainly exists to get you from one very explicit scene to the next, this absolutely delivers.
I enjoyed it well enough and it’s impressive for a debut. It’s a sweet love story, and I liked watching Luke grow throughout the book. His character arc was the strongest part for me, and seeing him become more confident and emotionally open gave the romance some weight.
That said, I never quite bought the relationship as the all-consuming, once-in-a-lifetime love the third-act breakup seemed to require. They were devastated, but I wasn’t. I needed a little more time together and emotional groundwork to feel that same level of heartbreak.
The sex scenes themselves are well written, but there are so many of them that even I started to feel a little oversaturated. At a certain point I found myself wishing we’d spend a bit more time outside the bedroom.
I also split this one between the ebook and the audiobook. The audiobook was solid; I don’t think it elevated the material in any particular way, but that’s probably more about me than the performance. I almost always prefer reading unless an audiobook is truly exceptional. If you’re an audiobook person, though, this is a perfectly good one.
And one final public service announcement: if you are someone who gets turned off by lovingly detailed, purple prose descriptions of an anus…this book may not be your jam. There is an impressive amount of time devoted to fluttering pink puckers. I’m just saying.
I enjoyed it well enough and it’s impressive for a debut. It’s a sweet love story, and I liked watching Luke grow throughout the book. His character arc was the strongest part for me, and seeing him become more confident and emotionally open gave the romance some weight.
That said, I never quite bought the relationship as the all-consuming, once-in-a-lifetime love the third-act breakup seemed to require. They were devastated, but I wasn’t. I needed a little more time together and emotional groundwork to feel that same level of heartbreak.
The sex scenes themselves are well written, but there are so many of them that even I started to feel a little oversaturated. At a certain point I found myself wishing we’d spend a bit more time outside the bedroom.
I also split this one between the ebook and the audiobook. The audiobook was solid; I don’t think it elevated the material in any particular way, but that’s probably more about me than the performance. I almost always prefer reading unless an audiobook is truly exceptional. If you’re an audiobook person, though, this is a perfectly good one.
And one final public service announcement: if you are someone who gets turned off by lovingly detailed, purple prose descriptions of an anus…this book may not be your jam. There is an impressive amount of time devoted to fluttering pink puckers. I’m just saying.
April 16, 2026
"Hey, did I tell you about that time I met Luke Larson?"
Oh, my... this book. The story of Riley and Luke is a rollercoaster of emotions. It's sweet, tender, full of sunshine, impulsive decisions and... heartache. It broke me and put me back together. Oh, after chapter 30 I was tearing up like crazy and my heart ached for both of them. But worry not... there's a HEA in the end.
Their story starts with a fast burn spice but there's a slow burn love. It's a journey of self discovery, family, found family, good friends, a cactus, a toe curing age gap, an adorable puppy and healing, lots of healing.
“If I’m the sun, then you’re the stars.” He frowns at that. “How do you figure?” “Well, stars only appear at night, right?” I start. “They’re surrounded by darkness, but they still show up and bring light every night without fail. They’re constant and steady and resilient, no matter what. Like you.” Luke contemplates that for a moment. “The sun is a star too, you know.” “Then I guess we’re two of a kind,” I say softly.
If you want to lose yourself for a while and feel all the feelings, then this book is for you. I absolutely loved it! Luke and Riley are proof that even a guarded heart can bloom...
“Baby,” he rasps desperately, his voice breaking a little, “I need you. Please, baby.” “You have me,” I tell him, pulling back to look him in the eyes. “You’ve had me for a long time already.”
Oh, my... this book. The story of Riley and Luke is a rollercoaster of emotions. It's sweet, tender, full of sunshine, impulsive decisions and... heartache. It broke me and put me back together. Oh, after chapter 30 I was tearing up like crazy and my heart ached for both of them. But worry not... there's a HEA in the end.
Their story starts with a fast burn spice but there's a slow burn love. It's a journey of self discovery, family, found family, good friends, a cactus, a toe curing age gap, an adorable puppy and healing, lots of healing.
“If I’m the sun, then you’re the stars.” He frowns at that. “How do you figure?” “Well, stars only appear at night, right?” I start. “They’re surrounded by darkness, but they still show up and bring light every night without fail. They’re constant and steady and resilient, no matter what. Like you.” Luke contemplates that for a moment. “The sun is a star too, you know.” “Then I guess we’re two of a kind,” I say softly.
If you want to lose yourself for a while and feel all the feelings, then this book is for you. I absolutely loved it! Luke and Riley are proof that even a guarded heart can bloom...
“Baby,” he rasps desperately, his voice breaking a little, “I need you. Please, baby.” “You have me,” I tell him, pulling back to look him in the eyes. “You’ve had me for a long time already.”
September 22, 2026
Had The Resilience of Stars been the work of a seasoned romance author, it still would have been one of my standout reads of the year. The fact that this is a debut novel is astounding. On the surface, this is mostly what it says on the tin: fast burn, extremely high spice, two adult entertainers falling for each other while trying to work out what that means for their careers.
What I was not expecting was for the overriding emotion I felt while reading it to be dread.
Luke is one of the most profoundly lonely protagonists I have encountered in romance for a while. He grew up in state care after losing his parents, moved through foster placements without ever forming the kind of permanent attachment most people build their lives around, and then entered the adult entertainment industry at eighteen. By the time we meet him, on the eve of forty, he has constructed something that looks like a successful life from the outside while having almost nothing underneath it.
He has money. He has a career. He has a house. He has a genuinely wonderful best friend in Jess, although she is also his personal assistant. He has people he has worked with and likes, but they seem to drift in and out of his life rather than forming anything resembling a stable social circle. He has recently purchased a puppy largely because he is desperately lonely. Even his career, the one thing that has provided him with identity and security for two decades, is beginning to frighten him as he watches younger performers arrive and starts wondering how much longer people will want to watch him.
Then Riley turns up.
Xara Kenley seems to have written Riley almost purpose-built to be exactly what Luke needs, but also, exactly what will destroy him. He is twenty-four, brand new to the industry, fresh out of Oklahoma, sunny, emotionally articulate and so thoroughly loved by his family that the contrast with Luke is almost painful. He has the kind of secure attachment Luke has never experienced, and he gives affection with ease.
This is where Kenley occasionally gets ahead of herself. Both Luke and Riley are smitten almost immediately. Like genuinely, after a single meeting. I can believe that more from Riley, who grew up as a queer teenager watching Luke’s content, than Luke, who simply did a bit of Instagram stalking - but either way, after a bit of making out on a couch, both men seem to have an unusually intense bond developing.
I listened to the audiobook, which had one of the best narrator performances I’ve heard in a while. Both Harley Chase (Luke) and Mac Rae (Riley) were excellent - bringing a devastating vulnerability to their individual characters. The novel includes many, many scenes of raw emotional outpouring, and both performers here are able to capture the sort of wavering and breaking voices that truly sell someone on the verge of breakdown.
I really enjoyed Kenley’s smart inversion of Luke and Riley’s sexual dynamic - which answered a fear I had very early on about the obvious power imbalance in the premise. Luke is fifteen years older, has been in the industry for two decades, is an experienced top, and Riley arrives for literally his first ever collaboration as a bottom. That setup could have become uncomfortable very quickly. Instead, Riley almost immediately takes control in ways Luke is surprisingly willing to surrender to. I think my favourite part of this is that it felt less like kink, and more like something very grounded in Luke’s characterisation.
This is a man who has been on his own for almost his entire life. He has had to make every decision, protect himself, direct himself and expect very little from anybody else. Then Riley comes along, gives him instructions, tells him what he wants, takes control and, perhaps most importantly, praises him. There is something almost painfully perfect about Luke discovering that surrender can feel safe.
The sex is very, very good, although strangely I did not find the book particularly erotic. There is so much emotional tension underneath what they are doing that it became increasingly difficult for me to enjoy purely as spice. I found this even more difficult in the scenes with other performers. Not because I objected to them having professional sex with other people, but because it becomes obvious that Luke is repeatedly agreeing to boundaries he can no longer emotionally tolerate because acknowledging what he needs would require a degree of vulnerability he has never learned.
This is why the eventual rupture works for me despite my general hatred of third-act breakups. It does not feel like the author manufacturing conflict because the book needs another fifty pages. It feels inevitable. How exactly is a man who has never had an intimate relationship, never learned to trust another person and never had anybody to confide in supposed to suddenly know how to sustain a healthy partnership with someone as emotionally attuned as Riley?
Where I feel the book does stumble is Luke’s alcohol use. Once drinking becomes part of the central conflict and his eventual collapse, I did not feel Kenley had seeded it sufficiently as an established coping mechanism. Luke already had more than enough credible ways to destroy this relationship, the reliance on alcohol felt unnecessary when the existing machinery was already doing the job perfectly well.
This. Book. Got. To. Me.
It is messy in places. Luke and Riley’s infatuation with each other arrives before I felt it was fully earned. The alcohol storyline needed more groundwork. I wanted significantly more of both men after their reconciliation.
Still, I love that Kenley has written something with such nuance and complexity as her first book. It’s no mean feat to pull off a romance where the central thesis is: love is not enough to fix someone who never learned how to receive it - and yet, she does. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
What I was not expecting was for the overriding emotion I felt while reading it to be dread.
Luke is one of the most profoundly lonely protagonists I have encountered in romance for a while. He grew up in state care after losing his parents, moved through foster placements without ever forming the kind of permanent attachment most people build their lives around, and then entered the adult entertainment industry at eighteen. By the time we meet him, on the eve of forty, he has constructed something that looks like a successful life from the outside while having almost nothing underneath it.
He has money. He has a career. He has a house. He has a genuinely wonderful best friend in Jess, although she is also his personal assistant. He has people he has worked with and likes, but they seem to drift in and out of his life rather than forming anything resembling a stable social circle. He has recently purchased a puppy largely because he is desperately lonely. Even his career, the one thing that has provided him with identity and security for two decades, is beginning to frighten him as he watches younger performers arrive and starts wondering how much longer people will want to watch him.
Then Riley turns up.
Xara Kenley seems to have written Riley almost purpose-built to be exactly what Luke needs, but also, exactly what will destroy him. He is twenty-four, brand new to the industry, fresh out of Oklahoma, sunny, emotionally articulate and so thoroughly loved by his family that the contrast with Luke is almost painful. He has the kind of secure attachment Luke has never experienced, and he gives affection with ease.
This is where Kenley occasionally gets ahead of herself. Both Luke and Riley are smitten almost immediately. Like genuinely, after a single meeting. I can believe that more from Riley, who grew up as a queer teenager watching Luke’s content, than Luke, who simply did a bit of Instagram stalking - but either way, after a bit of making out on a couch, both men seem to have an unusually intense bond developing.
I listened to the audiobook, which had one of the best narrator performances I’ve heard in a while. Both Harley Chase (Luke) and Mac Rae (Riley) were excellent - bringing a devastating vulnerability to their individual characters. The novel includes many, many scenes of raw emotional outpouring, and both performers here are able to capture the sort of wavering and breaking voices that truly sell someone on the verge of breakdown.
I really enjoyed Kenley’s smart inversion of Luke and Riley’s sexual dynamic - which answered a fear I had very early on about the obvious power imbalance in the premise. Luke is fifteen years older, has been in the industry for two decades, is an experienced top, and Riley arrives for literally his first ever collaboration as a bottom. That setup could have become uncomfortable very quickly. Instead, Riley almost immediately takes control in ways Luke is surprisingly willing to surrender to. I think my favourite part of this is that it felt less like kink, and more like something very grounded in Luke’s characterisation.
This is a man who has been on his own for almost his entire life. He has had to make every decision, protect himself, direct himself and expect very little from anybody else. Then Riley comes along, gives him instructions, tells him what he wants, takes control and, perhaps most importantly, praises him. There is something almost painfully perfect about Luke discovering that surrender can feel safe.
The sex is very, very good, although strangely I did not find the book particularly erotic. There is so much emotional tension underneath what they are doing that it became increasingly difficult for me to enjoy purely as spice. I found this even more difficult in the scenes with other performers. Not because I objected to them having professional sex with other people, but because it becomes obvious that Luke is repeatedly agreeing to boundaries he can no longer emotionally tolerate because acknowledging what he needs would require a degree of vulnerability he has never learned.
This is why the eventual rupture works for me despite my general hatred of third-act breakups. It does not feel like the author manufacturing conflict because the book needs another fifty pages. It feels inevitable. How exactly is a man who has never had an intimate relationship, never learned to trust another person and never had anybody to confide in supposed to suddenly know how to sustain a healthy partnership with someone as emotionally attuned as Riley?
Where I feel the book does stumble is Luke’s alcohol use. Once drinking becomes part of the central conflict and his eventual collapse, I did not feel Kenley had seeded it sufficiently as an established coping mechanism. Luke already had more than enough credible ways to destroy this relationship, the reliance on alcohol felt unnecessary when the existing machinery was already doing the job perfectly well.
This. Book. Got. To. Me.
It is messy in places. Luke and Riley’s infatuation with each other arrives before I felt it was fully earned. The alcohol storyline needed more groundwork. I wanted significantly more of both men after their reconciliation.
Still, I love that Kenley has written something with such nuance and complexity as her first book. It’s no mean feat to pull off a romance where the central thesis is: love is not enough to fix someone who never learned how to receive it - and yet, she does. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
August 11, 2026
Ahhh……I was NOT expecting to have Neurovance levels of bawling from chapter 31 on wards.
This is a beautiful story of a small town boy moving to the big smoke to finally embrace his true self and live his life.
What’s unexpected is the meeting of the centre of his universe.
The moment these two meet it’s instant chemistry and the way it just oozes of the pages is absolutely insane.
That is not to say that the same doesn’t go for the raw, visceral emotions of heartbreak that also just jump off the page and slap you right in between the eyes.
This is a beautiful story of a small town boy moving to the big smoke to finally embrace his true self and live his life.
What’s unexpected is the meeting of the centre of his universe.
The moment these two meet it’s instant chemistry and the way it just oozes of the pages is absolutely insane.
That is not to say that the same doesn’t go for the raw, visceral emotions of heartbreak that also just jump off the page and slap you right in between the eyes.
April 29, 2026
I LOVED THIS BOOK AHHHHHH
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