Brushed and Buried: Us Undone Book 1

Us Undone

by Ariella Thorne

Adrian
I'm supposed to be shaking it for drunk bridesmaids in tiaras, rocking my stripper cop uniform at a bachelorette party. Instead, when the door swings open, I'm face-to-face with pure testosterone and confusion, with four men staring at me like I just dropped in from another dimension.
Then I see him. Vince. My high school flame turned NFL golden boy. The guy who ghosted the second scandal hit and life got complicated. Now he's right here, bigger and broader, watching me like I'm still his favorite mistake.

Vince
I've spent ten years building the perfect the good guy, the clean-cut athlete, the man who never makes waves. Then Adrian walks into my best friend's bachelor party as the entertainment, all attitude and temptation, and my carefully constructed control shatters. He's still a wildfire. Untamed and unapologetic, he is the kind of man who doesn't care what he burns. I told myself I buried those feelings a decade ago. But one look at him proves that was a lie.

A second-chance romance that rekindles with the wrong door and the right reckoning.

Brushed and Buried, Book 1 of Us Undone series, is a bold, steamy MM contemporary romance perfect for readers who love second chances, complicated reunions, and characters who burn hot enough to set the page on fire.

Genres: M M Romance, Football

407 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 29, 2025

Reviews

[camms.bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s rare I read a debut novel that wows me. I am IMPRESSED! This book took off in action and kept me in the pages. The MMC’s were dynamic and kept me going “ah” often. Yup! It was spicey. Perfectly so. Well done!

[Lily Vasquez · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a debut work, I really love it. I couldn't put this book down.

I enjoyed the side characters most especially Lance and Trevor. I love it when a story gives importance not only to the main couple but also to the friends around them, and it is done beautifully here.

And Vince with Adrian…their relationship becomes something. At first they have many doubts and strange moments, but later they grow together in a way that warms my heart.

I really enjoyed the sharing scenes because it is written with care and desire, and it feels very true for these characters.

In total, this book gives me a very good experience. Emotional, spicy, funny and light. I recommend it a lot.

[ReadingWithShadow · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW
Title: Brushed Buried
Author:Ariella Thorne

Tropes (optional):
Second Chance
Stripper/Athlete
Found Family
Emotionally Monogamous
Sharing Kink

⭐ Rating:5
🌶️ Rating:3.5

📝 Quick Summary:
Adrian shows up to perform at a bachelor party expecting tipsy bridesmaids, only to come face-to-face with Vince his ex high school flame turned NFL star who vanished when life got messy. Seeing Vince again, bigger, better, and staring like Adrian is still the one that got away, ignites everything Adrian thought he'd buried. Vince has spent ten years crafting the perfect image, but one look at Adrian shatters his control and proves his feelings never died.

💭 My Thoughts:
Wow, this book came in hot right from the start 🤯🥵! The chemistry between these two is unreal. And seriously can you legally murder a fictional character? Because Vince’s dad had me ready to throw hands. Vince and Adrian together are perfection, and yes… there is sharing 👀. Some scenes were so spicy I was literally sweating. When Vince finally accepted it all the sweetest things happen!

📣 Would I Recommend It? HELL YEAH

#BookReview #Bookstagram #Bookish

[Brandy Donato · Rating 4 out of 5]

OK first of all.... This is a debut book.. I am like WOW REALLY!!

I am just sitting here trying to wrap my head around this book. This book pulled all kinds of emotions for me. I was laughing one minute, getting tears the next. AND WE CANT FORGET THE SPICE!!! HOLY COW THE SPICE!!!! I absolutely LOVE this book.

Adrian is everything, absolute perfection. I love him from the very start of the book. He made my heart so happy. UGH what he does for the people he cares about!!!

Vince is precious and once his eyes opened up to what all really went down you could just fell the love he had for Adrian.

Man this book just really got to me. I just really enjoyed it and look forward to seeing what this author has in store for us.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was requested to read an Advanced Reader's Copy of Brushed & Buried. This is my honest feedback.

This is a debut romance novel by the author. I definitely applaud the effort. I was hooked and intrigued from the beginning. I mean come on? We had one of my favorite tropes, opposites attract. The artist and the NFL player. The artist turned stripper showing up to the wrong room? A room full of guys secure enough in their masculinity 😉😉 to have said stripper stay and perform? I was all for it. Not to mention that one of the guys, is someone that Adrian knows from his past. I couldn't wait to see what would go down! The spice did not disappoint, either 🔥

The misunderstandings between mc's led to 10 years of dislike, heartache, and pain for Adrian & Vince. Each not knowing if they could trust the other now that they were back in each other's lives. Hell, these mc's fought themselves and weren't sure if they could trust themselves with each other! Between the miscommunication and outside forces meddling in these mc's lives, it was a little bit of a hard-fought HEA. The emotions were there. The art metaphors were a heartfelt addition. I also really enjoyed seeing the guys in the friend group open their minds throughout this story and realize that sexuality is fluid. I’m looking at Lance & George...I'd love to see a story about these two 😁 The group dynamic was hotttt 🔥

The plot was there. Although, I would have liked some things fleshed out a little more and other things reeled in. Pacing was alright. I did find a few issues that I want to point out constructively & honestly. However, these things are not abnormal for debut authors. There were too many descriptors throughout. Because of this, the overdescribing impacted some of the flow. I found a few contradictions, some repetitive dialogue/descriptions but they weren't big enough to impact the full story for me. This is where a team (alpha, beta readers, etc), and developmental editors come in, along with growth as a writer. I also came across a couple of sensitivity "things." I will make mention of these to the author if need be. There is definitely potential here moving forward. Overall, I enjoyed Vince & Adrian's story and their happy ending! They were meant for each other! 🎨🏈

“𝓢𝓽𝓪𝔂,” 𝓱𝓮 𝓼𝓪𝔂𝓼, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓲𝓽’𝓼 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓪 𝓺𝓾𝓮𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 𝓪𝓷𝔂𝓶𝓸𝓻𝓮. “𝓐𝓵𝔀𝓪𝔂𝓼,” 𝓘 𝓪𝓷𝓼𝔀𝓮𝓻, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝓽𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓘’𝓿𝓮 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓯𝓮𝓵𝓽 𝓯𝓸𝓻 𝓱𝓲𝓶 𝓵𝓲𝓿𝓮𝓼 𝓲𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓼𝓲𝓷𝓰𝓵𝓮 𝔀𝓸𝓻𝓭."

[gab_e_reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells the story of Adrian and Vince and how they find each other again after a long detour! Their brief shared past influences both of them in who they are and what they have become. Together, they try to figure out what life has in store for them when they tackle it together. The story is very spicy, sharing is part of it, and I liked it—since the supporting characters were portrayed as so relatable and human to me, it also fit very well into the story. It takes a little time, but as I read, the story captivated me more and more and drew me into its own little world. The open and honest way this group of friends interacted with each other really appealed to me, and I enjoyed this pre-wedding week with them ❤️!

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was one of my top reads of '25. I have read over 400 books this year and this one just stands out. Beautifully written, the emotion top tear. The spice absolutely delicious.

[briannasbooked · Rating 1 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book but ended up DNFing it.

[Siân PJsAndBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Arielle, for my copy of Brushed & Buried (#1 Us Undone). This MM second chance romance is a debut novel. Vince, the NFL Golden Boy and Adrian the Artist/Stripper are reunited under unusual accidental circumstances. To be totally honest I wasn't invested in these characters until a specific event & then I was obsessed with them finding their HEA. Ariella slowly dripped in information about Vince & Adrian's past which helped build the story.

✏️ MM Romance
🏈 NFL Golden Boy
✏️ Artist
🏈 Wrong Door
✏️ Stripper
🏈 Found Family
✏️ Sharing
🏈 Second Chance
✏️ Voyeurism
🏈 Exhibitionism
✏️ Dual POV
🏈 Epilogue

This book does including sharing so definitely isn't for everyone.

[Jessica Swan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just read this book in one sitting because it was so freaking entertaining. Like I physically could not put this down. 5 stars simply for that fact. Also the fact that this is a debut? Wild. I can't wait to see what Ariella Thorne writes next!

[Jkirstyj · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adrian a stripper in a cop uniform ends up at the bachelor party door instead of the bachelorette party and when he enters the room he sees Vince his high school flame who ghosted him and is now in the NFL.
This story is hot 🥵 right from the start, the spice is on point!
the sexual tension between Vince and Adrian is something else. I don’t usually like sharing in the books I read but this was just so hot! Vince’s friends are brilliant I hope we get their story’s next
As a debut book I don’t see how it could have been better! Would totally recommend!!
I received an arc of the book and this is my honest review

[ReadingRed125]

This one was just not for me. The premise sounded good but from the opening scene it was just a little too over the top for my taste.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good storytelling. Just enough angst but not too much angst. Interesting ensemble characters.


Look forward to seeing something about George and Lance in the future.

[Ashley | adhdandread · Rating 1 out of 5]

Brushed & Buried by Ariella Thorne
Us Undone #1
Length: 326 pages
Source: Author-direct eARC
Publication date: November 29, 2025

1 ⭐

WHAT TO EXPECT
🏈 Second-chance romance
🏈 Hurt/comfort
🏈 Found family
🏈 Stripper/artist x professional athlete
🏈 Kink exploration
🏈 Sharing (emotionally monogamous couple)

AUTHOR’S BLURB
Adrian
I'm supposed to be shaking it for drunk bridesmaids in tiaras, rocking my stripper cop uniform at a bachelorette party. Instead, when the door swings open, I'm face-to-face with pure testosterone and confusion, with four men staring at me like I just dropped in from another dimension.

Then I see him. Vince. My high school flame turned NFL golden boy. The guy who ghosted the second scandal hit and life got complicated. Now he's right here, bigger and broader, watching me like I'm still his favorite mistake.

Vince
I've spent ten years building the perfect image: the good guy, the clean-cut athlete, the man who never makes waves. Then Adrian walks into my best friend's bachelor party as the entertainment, all attitude and temptation, and my carefully constructed control shatters. He's still a wildfire. Untamed and unapologetic, he is the kind of man who doesn't care what he burns. I told myself I buried those feelings a decade ago. But one look at him proves that was a lie.

MY THOUGHTS
This book is... not it. I wanted to like it so much, because it ticks off a lot of boxes for me: found family, second chance, kinks. There are glimpses of a great couple finding their way back to each other. But the writing is so problematic–overly dramatic most of the time, nonsensical a lot of the time, and fetishizing queer men all of the time. There are multiple instances of word salad and using a $.25 word when a $.05 word would have been better for flow and comprehension. Brushed & Buried leans 100% into the miscommunication trope for the sake of hurting the MCs to keep them apart, generating unnecessary angst that's extremely stereotypical (i.e. make the gay guys suffer to earn that HEA). The character growth also feels generic, with Vince having convenient, sudden "I should have fought harder" realizations once he's around Adrian again.

Further, I cannot get over how the out MC somehow is so charismatic and has such a tempting body that he makes a group of conventionally straight men not only immediately start to question their own orientations but also decide they want to experiment with group sex. It sounds like porn written by a straight woman to satisfy a queer-love fantasy. The author would have benefitted from a sensitivity reader or, in fact, any queer man reading for her. Instead, you get a book that's written for women who want to fetishize queer men for their own benefit.

–A
Thanks to the author for an eARC of this book. All opinions are mine. Reviews posted regularly on StoryGraph, Instagram, BlueSky, BookBub, Fable, Amazon, and Goodreads.

[Gale MR · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found my absolute favorite for 2025 in this book and actually one of my all time favourites, the shining star on the darkest sky when I thought a book could never touch me so profoundly deep.
Just like its name, the reading starts with the gentlest of brushes on the door leading to your heart and then, when you delve deeper in the reading experience, it buries inside the brightest kernel of light.
There are these special kinds of books that hit emotionally like a tidal wave, that break carefully built mental barriers, that sneak behind even what's considered impenetrable.
There are these kinds of stories that come in quietly to stay long after the last page is already closed, bringing in colors, emotions, longing, dreams so vivid, so tangible - their taste lingers like a bittersweet cocktail. They carve behind a trail of What if-s. What if it wasn't just a story? These stories hug the soul like a pair of loving hands, giving the warmth of your favourite blanket a comfort before they snatch all you thought was a safety net and hurtle you straight into an abyss of unknown...
Brushed and buried by Ariella Thorne is NOT just a book, it's the call of quiet heartbreak, carried through the years that has irrevocably changed souls and hearts. It's the signal of a Lighthouse just before the ship sinks. It's the invisible pull of the fire that burns the moth. And all of this is special because the book is so masterfully written, it stops being a fictional story about fictional characters, the magic of the words breathing real life for the readers.
Adrian and Vince are one of these unconventional couples that couldn't be forgotten

[Kata · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ll be honest: I always approach books with sharing scenes with some reservations. I try not to look at other readers’ reviews beforehand, but this time I made the mistake of reading other people’s opinions, and it influenced me more than I would have liked. It took me quite a while to detach myself from what I had read before, but I eventually managed.

This book is a prime example of miscommunication—or a complete lack of communication—and manipulation. These two boys wasted ten years of their lives because they didn’t talk to each other and because they allowed others to manipulate them. It’s heartbreaking to think about.

But once we see their individual perspectives—their reasons, their memories—it becomes clear how things went wrong and how differently they experienced the same events. When the real reason behind their distance finally comes to light, everything falls into place.

The side characters are incredibly lovable—who am I kidding, they were absolutely adorable (except for Vince’s father). I also found myself rooting really hard for Lance and George, and I genuinely hope something eventually blossoms between them, because I think they’d make an amazing couple.

Overall, the book isn’t bad at all. The story is solid, the pacing is pleasant, the characters are easy to care for, and it was a smooth, enjoyable read for me. I know many readers didn’t like it, but for a debut novel, I truly don’t think this is a bad one. I’ve read works from far more experienced authors that turned out much worse—and this book definitely doesn’t belong in that category.

I received an ARC copy of this book, and this is my honest review.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The writing is beautiful, if a bit disjointed. I really enjoyed the story, even as over the top as it was at moments. It had a lot of the things you want in an angsty, second-chance romance. It just needed some polish. Although the writing was beautiful and flowy, it was a tad over-descriptive for me, but that's just me. Also, one of the biggest things my brain always snags on that I can't let go of is when the author doesn't use contractions and everyone talks without them. I've seen this before with other authors, so I know it happens when writing, it's just one of those things my brain won't let go of - it wasn't the entirety of the book, but enough that I noticed it. Again- this is just a me thing. And those are both things that can be helped with some editing.
I enjoyed getting to know Adrian and Vince, their story was sad and hopeful and I did root for them. Overall, a lot of potential here, especially since it's a debut. Like I said, for me just overly descriptive, and there were some continuity issues, but from the other reviews, maybe nobody else caught them. I did enjoy this one and hope the author writes more. :)

[Averee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Personally I loved this book. I was very surprised to learn that this was a debut novel. The friendships, spice, emotion, and humor were all perfectly balanced. This book started out with a bang (literally). I don't always like the miscommunication and second-chance romance tropes but I think this book did it very well. The thing that stood out to me the most was how well the book did to focus on the side characters just as much as the main characters. I really hope to see a future book with some of the other friends in the group. The spice was hot, it was done very well and the group scenes especially had me heated🥵
Adrian and Vince's relationship was super cute and I'm so glad they go their happy ending, they deserve eachother. I hate that Vince's dad came between them and wanted to go into the book so I could punch him. The only issue I had with this book was how much things were described. I don't think it was necessary to add so many descriptors but that's definitely an easy fix the author could work on for future books.
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
Spice: 4/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Danni Crass · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an Advanced Reader Copy.

I really enjoyed reading this. I enjoyed the build up and the fact, despite what happened between them, that they still gravitated to one another without meaning too. There was no hostility, not really. It was just a tragic example of not communicating and misunderstandings. My heart went out to them especially learning what happened to Adrian. I am glad they got there and the fact that Vince took every thing in stride. He gave the middle finger to the world and followed his heart. I hope one day the world will stop worrying about things that don't concern them.

[Riri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was actually expecting this book to be spicy regular like you know those romance novel with cute male lead and hunk top BUT FUCKING NO THE EMOTIONAL ROLERCOASTER THIS BOOK GAVE ME MADE ME FUCKING STAY 😭😭😭😭I WAS ABLE TO READ THIS LONG BOOK FOR A DAY WITH NO STOP LIKE WHAT IS SLEEP ???? WHAT IS FOOD ??? I DONT KNOW THEM 🥲😩 the usage of words, the longing and the emotion that the author wanted the characters to feel I FUCKING FELT IT ALL 😭 this is not just second chances its a journey and the spice is a fucking cherry on top freebie 🌶️ 🔥 THIS GEM NEEDS TO BE READ AND GIVEN ALL THE LOVE IT DESERVES GO READDDDD ✨

[Kayla · Rating 1 out of 5]

Man I really hate rating books this low but this was a struggle. I just really can not get over the fact that a group a straight men can all see one guy and that immediately. has them all questioning how straight they are and not only that but to just jump right into have sexual encounters with the guy all at the same time?!

I struggles to get through this book there was sometimes I was reading but my brain just went offline.

[Niña Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I jumped into this book without reading much into the blurb. Was pleasantly surprised about the sharing kink, because i don't usually read these kinds of books. It sucked me right into it.
The book overall I felt it was a bit short. But I love the character development, especially Vince.
I enjoyed Adrian from start to finish. I think the book is well-paced and I found the flashbacks are written well.
Would recommend it for anyone into second chances and sharing.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

such a beautiful moving story of forever love

This is a beautiful story of two souls who belong together no matter how much time and fate tried to keep them apart. It’s a slow burn as we learn about Vince and Adrian knowing each other since high school and then meet by pure coincidence 10 years later. I loved how it unraveled, slowly revealing pieces of their teenage innocence. So beautifully told.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG love!

Read the trigger warnings of sharing is not your thing. Don’t read this book however, if sharing is your thing so hot! The happily ever after is perfect can’t wait for book 2

[Julia Toth]

RTC

[Ana Silva · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first book is always the hardest because there’s so much to learn but I think the author is on the right track. I believe with some polishing and better structure it can be an amazing series.

[hazel zaborsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

very spicy and very sweet!

[MISS D · Rating 5 out of 5]

A debut novel?? this was beautifully written, I finished and just wanted more! congratulations on this piece of art