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Thornwood Brothers #1
Deviant
The line between love and hate has always been thin.
Rhett Thornwood has always known exactly who he is. He knows how to work hard, be the son his parents are proud of, and be the golden child the town of Cedarbrook knows him to be. He knows exactly what to do.
Except when it comes to Colton Dawson.
Colt came back to Cedarbrook with three simple goals: work hard, keep his head down, and leave before anything—or anyone—can make him cross the line into trouble again.
But Rhett Thornwood has always been his favorite line to cross.
The problem is, Rhett has secrets, and Colt has never been good at pretending not to see them. What starts as a regular summer turns heated fast, and into something neither one of them can walk away from.
Deviant is a MM dark cowboy romance with a gay awakening and dark themes. Please read triggers before saddling up.
Rhett Thornwood has always known exactly who he is. He knows how to work hard, be the son his parents are proud of, and be the golden child the town of Cedarbrook knows him to be. He knows exactly what to do.
Except when it comes to Colton Dawson.
Colt came back to Cedarbrook with three simple goals: work hard, keep his head down, and leave before anything—or anyone—can make him cross the line into trouble again.
But Rhett Thornwood has always been his favorite line to cross.
The problem is, Rhett has secrets, and Colt has never been good at pretending not to see them. What starts as a regular summer turns heated fast, and into something neither one of them can walk away from.
Deviant is a MM dark cowboy romance with a gay awakening and dark themes. Please read triggers before saddling up.
213 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 19, 2026
About the author
K.T. Maddan
17 books369 followersKatie has always possessed a talent for crafting captivating stories. She loves crafting characters with profound depth and is passionate about narrating their stories. When she's not busy creating your next literary delight, she enjoys indulging in PC gaming sessions with her partner or showering affection on her beloved fur babies.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 317 reviews
June 16, 2026
*2.5 - these dudes fell in love quicker than I get through free bread at a restaurant.
Pre-read:
MM, dark cowboy romance?! Saddle up babyyy 🤠
Pre-read:
MM, dark cowboy romance?! Saddle up babyyy 🤠
June 22, 2026
2.5⭐️
Ну шо сказати…. Не моя книга, це точно. Я ше напевно це на початку зрозуміла. І слава Богу шо вона маленька бо на більшу б мене не вистачило.
Не дуже я люблю оце бі-пробудження, але це ше залежить як написано. Але тут він 90% книги не міг зрозуміти шо він гей, йому вже чуть шарік з написом «ти гей» в небо не запускали. Ну як таким тупим бути🤦🏿♀️
От Колтон мені зайшов, чоловік знаєте шо він хоче, і кого. Він добивався Ретта як міг, не зважаючи навіть на те шо в нього дівчина тоді була. Не знаю як кому але це мені дуже сподобалось.
Сімʼя хлопців класна, мені всі сподобались, це однозначно плюс.
Класні були підколи, словечка, фразочки, та шуточки оце дуже сподобалось. Сцени 🔞 мені не дуже, я більше очі закочувала ніж читала.
Ну таке, на один раз піде
Ну шо сказати…. Не моя книга, це точно. Я ше напевно це на початку зрозуміла. І слава Богу шо вона маленька бо на більшу б мене не вистачило.
Не дуже я люблю оце бі-пробудження, але це ше залежить як написано. Але тут він 90% книги не міг зрозуміти шо він гей, йому вже чуть шарік з написом «ти гей» в небо не запускали. Ну як таким тупим бути🤦🏿♀️
От Колтон мені зайшов, чоловік знаєте шо він хоче, і кого. Він добивався Ретта як міг, не зважаючи навіть на те шо в нього дівчина тоді була. Не знаю як кому але це мені дуже сподобалось.
Сімʼя хлопців класна, мені всі сподобались, це однозначно плюс.
Класні були підколи, словечка, фразочки, та шуточки оце дуже сподобалось. Сцени 🔞 мені не дуже, я більше очі закочувала ніж читала.
Ну таке, на один раз піде
June 11, 2026
The cover looked interesting, the description looked interesting. It had all the promise of a good, deliciously hot and passionate romance.
Instead it fell wayyyy short of the mark.
Even though I skimmed quite a bit of this here and there - to be honest, I don't think the parts I skimmed was me missing much. I feel my rating is entirely fair.
Rhett and Colton had good sexual chemistry, their sex scenes were well written overall, and that's about all this book had going for it. Which is why I didn't outright give this 1 star.
But by 13% I was already considering DNF'ing. Rhett and Colton's interactions were interesting enough to keep me going, which was the only positive this book had going for it. It's a quick read, only slightly over 200 pages, so it wasn't too difficult to finish it - with skimming here and there.
But something was off with the writing from the get go for me. It just wasn't all that good. We were given hints of things that happened in the past but weren't told - it wasn't all that imperative that these "secrets" be kept to reader either. Like what happened when they were in high school? Why did we have to wait until the end to find out?
And why the hell was everyone, even Colton, acting so nonchalant when we find out exactly what happened? Also I was skimming so I might have missed it - but I doubt it - but why did nothing come of learning that ***spoiler*** Rhett outed Colton in high school to the whole school and then town basically ***spoiler***?????
Rhett seemed to have no remorse - in fact, he seemed to hate Colton more than Colton ever hated Rhett. Because Colton is gay. And Rhett is severely internally homophobic and repressed. Where did Rhett get off after having outed Colton all those years ago? WAS it him? We learn of this information and then as far as I know, nothing is done about it. No one talks about it in present day at ALL.
What the fuck?
Colton has a crush on Rhett since high school for reasons unknown, and he declares Rhett The One in present day for reasons unknown other than Rhett turned out to be a hot, attractive guy.
Rhett is annoyingly resistant and an asshole for most of this. If this was better written, with a better resolution and getting Rhett to that place where he's ready to come out in a better way - than just having his mom, who said nothing for years and let him suffer thinking his family wouldn't love him if he admitted he was gay, all the sudden saying something and saying she still loved him, which got him to that place finally.
What about his family other than his mom kind of pushing Rhett to date this woman, Molly, in the beginning, screamed homophobic? We aren't really given a demonstration of that, which would have helped. And also his mother knowing deep down her son is gay and yet pushing him to be with a woman anyway but then being sweet and supportive about him being gay was contradictory. Her explanation was barely an explanation.
The Molly thing was stupid as fuck. She should have been brought up on criminal charges that Rhett filed against her, but because he said stop and that he'd tell the town what she did, that just worked? With someone so unhinged as to send creepy, threatening texts to him and stalking him relentlessly for months?
Even so far as peeping on him (and Colton) without their consent during intimate moments? And threatening to out Rhett and their relationship?
Right, someone willing to go that far is just gonna...go away quietly. Sure. Which, by the way, was OTT for the Molly character. We were given NO indication that she was this unhinged, but then she just...is. It was absolutely ridiculous.
This whole book was essentially ridiculous. I didn't care for scenes outside of Rhett and Colton either, so I skimmed almost all of those scenes like man were they boring. Even parts of Rhett and Colton's scenes sometimes when even they were being boring. Like I don't need to read about them working around the farm *snore*
This just didn't work for me, I was put off from the get go and I was not all that into it, except for when they were doing sexy stuff. Although even near the end I skimmed a sex scene or two because I was ready to be done with this stupid ass story.
No depth, no heart, nothing.
This was definitely not for me and I definitely won't be reading these authors in the future 😕
Instead it fell wayyyy short of the mark.
Even though I skimmed quite a bit of this here and there - to be honest, I don't think the parts I skimmed was me missing much. I feel my rating is entirely fair.
Rhett and Colton had good sexual chemistry, their sex scenes were well written overall, and that's about all this book had going for it. Which is why I didn't outright give this 1 star.
But by 13% I was already considering DNF'ing. Rhett and Colton's interactions were interesting enough to keep me going, which was the only positive this book had going for it. It's a quick read, only slightly over 200 pages, so it wasn't too difficult to finish it - with skimming here and there.
But something was off with the writing from the get go for me. It just wasn't all that good. We were given hints of things that happened in the past but weren't told - it wasn't all that imperative that these "secrets" be kept to reader either. Like what happened when they were in high school? Why did we have to wait until the end to find out?
And why the hell was everyone, even Colton, acting so nonchalant when we find out exactly what happened? Also I was skimming so I might have missed it - but I doubt it - but why did nothing come of learning that ***spoiler*** Rhett outed Colton in high school to the whole school and then town basically ***spoiler***?????
Rhett seemed to have no remorse - in fact, he seemed to hate Colton more than Colton ever hated Rhett. Because Colton is gay. And Rhett is severely internally homophobic and repressed. Where did Rhett get off after having outed Colton all those years ago? WAS it him? We learn of this information and then as far as I know, nothing is done about it. No one talks about it in present day at ALL.
What the fuck?
Colton has a crush on Rhett since high school for reasons unknown, and he declares Rhett The One in present day for reasons unknown other than Rhett turned out to be a hot, attractive guy.
Rhett is annoyingly resistant and an asshole for most of this. If this was better written, with a better resolution and getting Rhett to that place where he's ready to come out in a better way - than just having his mom, who said nothing for years and let him suffer thinking his family wouldn't love him if he admitted he was gay, all the sudden saying something and saying she still loved him, which got him to that place finally.
What about his family other than his mom kind of pushing Rhett to date this woman, Molly, in the beginning, screamed homophobic? We aren't really given a demonstration of that, which would have helped. And also his mother knowing deep down her son is gay and yet pushing him to be with a woman anyway but then being sweet and supportive about him being gay was contradictory. Her explanation was barely an explanation.
The Molly thing was stupid as fuck. She should have been brought up on criminal charges that Rhett filed against her, but because he said stop and that he'd tell the town what she did, that just worked? With someone so unhinged as to send creepy, threatening texts to him and stalking him relentlessly for months?
Even so far as peeping on him (and Colton) without their consent during intimate moments? And threatening to out Rhett and their relationship?
Right, someone willing to go that far is just gonna...go away quietly. Sure. Which, by the way, was OTT for the Molly character. We were given NO indication that she was this unhinged, but then she just...is. It was absolutely ridiculous.
This whole book was essentially ridiculous. I didn't care for scenes outside of Rhett and Colton either, so I skimmed almost all of those scenes like man were they boring. Even parts of Rhett and Colton's scenes sometimes when even they were being boring. Like I don't need to read about them working around the farm *snore*
This just didn't work for me, I was put off from the get go and I was not all that into it, except for when they were doing sexy stuff. Although even near the end I skimmed a sex scene or two because I was ready to be done with this stupid ass story.
No depth, no heart, nothing.
This was definitely not for me and I definitely won't be reading these authors in the future 😕
May 27, 2026
Another anticipated read, another disappointment🙁
So this is the story of Colt and Rhett. Rhett is "straight" and have a girlfriend cus he thinks that's what supposed to be. Colt is gay and coming back to work on Rhett's family ranch for vet practice. Colt and Rhett have a history and supposedly dislike each other. Colt wants Rhett and Rhett is in denial. There is also a stalker situation going on.
I was looking forward to this book, especially after the characters art that the authors posted on their page. But unfortunately, the book fell flat.
My issues are:
1) The story feels disjointed in some ways like it is missing something.
2) It is not dark. There is just a stalker situation, which is another issue for me cause it felt childish in a way. And don't let me get started on who the stalker is or their ability to literally know everything Colt and Rhett did🙄
3) The back and forth between Colt and Rhett, with Rhett insisting he is not gay while at same time hooking up for Colt and Colt going "Rhett is mine, he should want me," and pushing Rhett, got annoying.
4) Why did these two end up together? I didn't feel any emotional connection. I didn't see how their relationship developed; they hooked up few times with denial from Rhett then went straight to " I love yous." But why did they love each other? I'll never know I guess.
5) What's up with Rhett 180 personality change?!! The guy went from I'm not gay I don't want anything from Colt and shy/reserved to becoming dominant and ordering Colt to run so he can hunt him and fuck him?!!!🤯
6) Colt telling his sister and I quote "when I cornered him in the hallway, not only was he rock fucking hard, but I felt the outline of his dick.... Did you miss the part where I felt his very hard erection." I'm sorry but who tells his older sister such descriptive details🙄
7) I didn't understand the dislike part a lot. Why did Rhett dislike Colt? because he is gay? he liked them since high school. Colt is supposed to hate Rhett because according to Colt, Rhett outed him to the entire school and world. This is mentioned once and not dived into. But also one of Rhett's POV is and I quote "He came out during freshman year of high school. It's a small town--didn't take much for the news to spread quickly." So Rhett doesn't know or realize he is the one who outed Colt? I'm just so confused🤔
8) I need more detailed description of the main characters. Judging by the cover, some of their physical attributes aren't mentioned thoroughly.
In conclusion, this book had potentials but unfortunately, many things didn't work out for me. The relationship needed more development, more tension, more depth, and more emotional connection.
So this is the story of Colt and Rhett. Rhett is "straight" and have a girlfriend cus he thinks that's what supposed to be. Colt is gay and coming back to work on Rhett's family ranch for vet practice. Colt and Rhett have a history and supposedly dislike each other. Colt wants Rhett and Rhett is in denial. There is also a stalker situation going on.
I was looking forward to this book, especially after the characters art that the authors posted on their page. But unfortunately, the book fell flat.
My issues are:
1) The story feels disjointed in some ways like it is missing something.
2) It is not dark. There is just a stalker situation, which is another issue for me cause it felt childish in a way. And don't let me get started on who the stalker is or their ability to literally know everything Colt and Rhett did🙄
3) The back and forth between Colt and Rhett, with Rhett insisting he is not gay while at same time hooking up for Colt and Colt going "Rhett is mine, he should want me," and pushing Rhett, got annoying.
4) Why did these two end up together? I didn't feel any emotional connection. I didn't see how their relationship developed; they hooked up few times with denial from Rhett then went straight to " I love yous." But why did they love each other? I'll never know I guess.
5) What's up with Rhett 180 personality change?!! The guy went from I'm not gay I don't want anything from Colt and shy/reserved to becoming dominant and ordering Colt to run so he can hunt him and fuck him?!!!🤯
6) Colt telling his sister and I quote "when I cornered him in the hallway, not only was he rock fucking hard, but I felt the outline of his dick.... Did you miss the part where I felt his very hard erection." I'm sorry but who tells his older sister such descriptive details🙄
7) I didn't understand the dislike part a lot. Why did Rhett dislike Colt? because he is gay? he liked them since high school. Colt is supposed to hate Rhett because according to Colt, Rhett outed him to the entire school and world. This is mentioned once and not dived into. But also one of Rhett's POV is and I quote "He came out during freshman year of high school. It's a small town--didn't take much for the news to spread quickly." So Rhett doesn't know or realize he is the one who outed Colt? I'm just so confused🤔
8) I need more detailed description of the main characters. Judging by the cover, some of their physical attributes aren't mentioned thoroughly.
In conclusion, this book had potentials but unfortunately, many things didn't work out for me. The relationship needed more development, more tension, more depth, and more emotional connection.
Did Not Finish
June 13, 2026Dnf’d
I personally was so excited for this book and I was so happy but then it’s Advertised as dark mm cowboy romance however the elements of the dark romance part weren’t there it’s more enemies to lovers tension type and idk it just felt flat to me.
The beginning was hard to get though might’ve been a me issue but it really didn’t grab my attention and I only made it to 21% and barely anything happened and idk there’s no instant oh I wanna continue reading to see what’s next I was pushing myself to even get where I was
Idkk love the cover though but this wasn’t it for me and it might be for you but I’m just not having it. Really disappointed.
I personally was so excited for this book and I was so happy but then it’s Advertised as dark mm cowboy romance however the elements of the dark romance part weren’t there it’s more enemies to lovers tension type and idk it just felt flat to me.
The beginning was hard to get though might’ve been a me issue but it really didn’t grab my attention and I only made it to 21% and barely anything happened and idk there’s no instant oh I wanna continue reading to see what’s next I was pushing myself to even get where I was
Idkk love the cover though but this wasn’t it for me and it might be for you but I’m just not having it. Really disappointed.
May 26, 2026
4.5 ⭐️
GOD I love cowboys and I love me some cowboy gay romance.
Definitely yee’d my haw 🥰🥰🥰
First off, this is NOT dark at all. I’m not sure why the title says so, but trust me it’s not. There’s “blackmail” and the MCs are getting stalkery messages from an unknown number, but that’s it.
I wouldn’t label the book as dark because of it…? 🙄
I’d actually say this was very cute with a bit of angst!
The story is simple: the MCs start off as enemies because of their past and then slowly become something more. Ofc.
Because long-buried feelings never actually fade away. Tsk tsk… when will these guys finally learn? 🤭🤭🤭
Add some SPICY ASS dirty talk and sexual tension that is TENSIONING OMFG and voila, this book comes to life.
Lowering my rating by 0.5 stars because of the “dark” mislabel and because the coming out part fell kinda flat for Rhett.
But rounding up because everything else was perfect and I DEVOURED THIS sooo fast 💗💗
GOD I love cowboys and I love me some cowboy gay romance.
Definitely yee’d my haw 🥰🥰🥰
First off, this is NOT dark at all. I’m not sure why the title says so, but trust me it’s not. There’s “blackmail” and the MCs are getting stalkery messages from an unknown number, but that’s it.
I wouldn’t label the book as dark because of it…? 🙄
I’d actually say this was very cute with a bit of angst!
The story is simple: the MCs start off as enemies because of their past and then slowly become something more. Ofc.
Because long-buried feelings never actually fade away. Tsk tsk… when will these guys finally learn? 🤭🤭🤭
Add some SPICY ASS dirty talk and sexual tension that is TENSIONING OMFG and voila, this book comes to life.
Lowering my rating by 0.5 stars because of the “dark” mislabel and because the coming out part fell kinda flat for Rhett.
But rounding up because everything else was perfect and I DEVOURED THIS sooo fast 💗💗
May 11, 2026
Review “Deviant” 🐎
Rating: 3.5✨
Firstly, I want to thank the authors for giving me the chance to read this book as an ARC. When I heard about “a dark cowboy mm romance” without no doubt I said “sign me up”. But sadly for me it isn’t dark. 🫣 Yes, it’s a good small town cowboy romance between two cocky boys, but it didn’t feel dark at all. Just because it appeared some mysterious messages? Well, no…
Besides that, I loved how Rhett and Colton became closer with each other, how the teasing of Colton infuriated Rhett and the love between them formed. Colton is the teasing guy and the confident to the world, but behind this mask he hides a lot of past scars and insecure thoughts.
I loved how Rhett is fighting with his skeletons in the closet and with Colt’s help he release himself to his family and embrace his true nature, leaving behind his “standard and perfect” principles about a perfect life on the ranch.
Their love story felt rushed and short to me, I really loved the community and the characters from this book, but the evolution of their relationship felt really rushed and, in my opinion, not developed more.
The final thoughts: I really recommend this book, it was my first time reading a MM cowboy romance and it didn’t disappoint. 🤠❤️
Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DYMT3mRDP...
Rating: 3.5✨
Firstly, I want to thank the authors for giving me the chance to read this book as an ARC. When I heard about “a dark cowboy mm romance” without no doubt I said “sign me up”. But sadly for me it isn’t dark. 🫣 Yes, it’s a good small town cowboy romance between two cocky boys, but it didn’t feel dark at all. Just because it appeared some mysterious messages? Well, no…
Besides that, I loved how Rhett and Colton became closer with each other, how the teasing of Colton infuriated Rhett and the love between them formed. Colton is the teasing guy and the confident to the world, but behind this mask he hides a lot of past scars and insecure thoughts.
I loved how Rhett is fighting with his skeletons in the closet and with Colt’s help he release himself to his family and embrace his true nature, leaving behind his “standard and perfect” principles about a perfect life on the ranch.
Their love story felt rushed and short to me, I really loved the community and the characters from this book, but the evolution of their relationship felt really rushed and, in my opinion, not developed more.
The final thoughts: I really recommend this book, it was my first time reading a MM cowboy romance and it didn’t disappoint. 🤠❤️
Bookstagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/DYMT3mRDP...
June 9, 2026
This book had me giggling aloud 🤭
June 12, 2026
I had an overall great time with Deviant.
I was a little surprised because it was marketed as a dark romance, but it felt much more like a cute romance to me. Not a bad thing at all, I really enjoyed it.
I just wish there had been a stronger emotional connection between the MMCs.
The spice, though? 🔥🤭
I was a little surprised because it was marketed as a dark romance, but it felt much more like a cute romance to me. Not a bad thing at all, I really enjoyed it.
I just wish there had been a stronger emotional connection between the MMCs.
The spice, though? 🔥🤭
May 18, 2026
Thank you to the authors for an early copy of this book!
I was really looking forward to this ARC but I really struggled to get into the story, it felt like I was missing part of their history, or just missing something in general.
I didn’t connect with the characters, or understand why Colt was so adamant on pursuing Rhett as it felt quite superficial, rather than a deeper ‘coming to terms with accepting who you are’ feel.
I wouldn’t consider this a dark romance, and it was fairly obvious for me who the stalker was, so that aspect fell flat.
Overall, just not for me 🥲
I was really looking forward to this ARC but I really struggled to get into the story, it felt like I was missing part of their history, or just missing something in general.
I didn’t connect with the characters, or understand why Colt was so adamant on pursuing Rhett as it felt quite superficial, rather than a deeper ‘coming to terms with accepting who you are’ feel.
I wouldn’t consider this a dark romance, and it was fairly obvious for me who the stalker was, so that aspect fell flat.
Overall, just not for me 🥲
June 4, 2026
I honestly couldn’t put this one down!
I will say, it’s definitely NOT a dark romance which is fine because I’ve not been into DR that much lately but it definitely needs a re-label on that part.
BUT this book really did have everything I love in an MM romance. The angst and tension were great. “Enemies” to lovers, great. Love a queer awakening. This book was so cute. Love me a small town gay romance.
This book was almost perfect. It would’ve hit the full 5 stars for me if it just had a little MORE. we had the yearning and tension for a while which was perfect. But the end felt a bit too sudden. Once Rhett accepted who he was it just ended. We didn’t get the “fallout” from the small town. We first get his families opinions (besides his mommas ofc) nor any fallout from the stalker. It was just over. Like none of the plot building in the book mattered after Rhett finally admitted to himself who he was everything else just was not important.
If we got all that closure it would’ve been a full 5 stars for me. Either way I enjoyed this book and could not put it down because I truly love Rhett and Colt.
I definitely do understand the people wanting a true dark romance since it was labeled as such and this book is not (which is fine, but adjust the labels maybe?) I don’t think having an anonymous stalker that doesn’t end up doing anything in the end should make this a dark romance when the two MMCs are not dark or morally grey. I love my boys down but it’s just not that category of book.
Hopefully we get a novella of the fallout of them accepting who they are, confronting Molly and strutting their stuff on this small judgmental town and seeing how their families truly react to them being together and owning it. I truly thought aunt Aria and tierney were obv setting them up but then it’s never touched on ever. So I just wanted a TINY bit more to close all that out which is hard to do in such a short book.
I will say, it’s definitely NOT a dark romance which is fine because I’ve not been into DR that much lately but it definitely needs a re-label on that part.
BUT this book really did have everything I love in an MM romance. The angst and tension were great. “Enemies” to lovers, great. Love a queer awakening. This book was so cute. Love me a small town gay romance.
This book was almost perfect. It would’ve hit the full 5 stars for me if it just had a little MORE. we had the yearning and tension for a while which was perfect. But the end felt a bit too sudden. Once Rhett accepted who he was it just ended. We didn’t get the “fallout” from the small town. We first get his families opinions (besides his mommas ofc) nor any fallout from the stalker. It was just over. Like none of the plot building in the book mattered after Rhett finally admitted to himself who he was everything else just was not important.
If we got all that closure it would’ve been a full 5 stars for me. Either way I enjoyed this book and could not put it down because I truly love Rhett and Colt.
I definitely do understand the people wanting a true dark romance since it was labeled as such and this book is not (which is fine, but adjust the labels maybe?) I don’t think having an anonymous stalker that doesn’t end up doing anything in the end should make this a dark romance when the two MMCs are not dark or morally grey. I love my boys down but it’s just not that category of book.
Hopefully we get a novella of the fallout of them accepting who they are, confronting Molly and strutting their stuff on this small judgmental town and seeing how their families truly react to them being together and owning it. I truly thought aunt Aria and tierney were obv setting them up but then it’s never touched on ever. So I just wanted a TINY bit more to close all that out which is hard to do in such a short book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2026
**4.5 stars**
I loved this book! I loved both main characters so much and the sexual tension throughout the story was 🔥🔥🔥. Also, I love a cowboy romance and MM, so combining the two was just *chef’s kiss*. HIGHLY recommend this one!! Honestly I loved everything about them and the story except the stalking and coming out plot points seemed to just go away and weren’t talked about as much as I would have liked toward the end.
I loved this book! I loved both main characters so much and the sexual tension throughout the story was 🔥🔥🔥. Also, I love a cowboy romance and MM, so combining the two was just *chef’s kiss*. HIGHLY recommend this one!! Honestly I loved everything about them and the story except the stalking and coming out plot points seemed to just go away and weren’t talked about as much as I would have liked toward the end.
May 30, 2026
This was cute! I wouldn’t say this is dark. It felt more like a contemporary romance. It was fast paced and I liked that about it, i was interested in the characters from the very beginning.
May 13, 2026
Okay so I was very excited about this book bc it was advertised as “dark MM cowboy” and sadly it wasn’t dark (for me personally) there could have been more dark elements in my opinion but overall it was a quick little book. Colt and Rhett were fine enough I just wish there was more of a dark element to it but overall I enjoyed it!
June 11, 2026
DNF @ 32%
The intro was a bit boring. Too many names with too quick scenes for each of them.
"I feel like a horse that's been broken so well it forgot it ever wanted to run" Huh? Rhett so suddenly voicing such self-awareness at his misery was way out of left field given how the intro was framed. The chapter starts with him only hinting at some underlying dissatisfaction but was generally still fine with things. He literally started off by saying he liked living in a small town, with the complaint that there's no privacy, but the general sentiment was a positive one (and that he was gaslighting himself into thinking he was happy). He was not yet at the moment where he was aware and acknowledging of his unhappiness which that line implied.
Colton's intro chapter was rife with weird sentences and poorly concealed expo dumping masquerading as overly awkward dialogue.
"Aunt A took tonight off to see you but is covering for me so I can also have a moment" (awkwardly worded)
"I find you not raising some hell to be difficult." (also awkward wording)
"You'll get hands-on vet tech experience for your resume, you just have to keep your hours logged. Your dad seems to think it'll keep you busy." (Two things: One, Colton already knows why he's working on the ranch, so Aunt A mentioning the vet tech thing would not be something she realistically needed to say unprompted. Two, why does "your dad seems to think it'll keep you busy" a line here? Colton was going to work on the ranch for vet experience, which presumably takes a lot of work, so "keeping busy" seems like it was redundant)
Colton so freely talking about how things ended with his boyfriend was weird. There were only two sentences to segue between "I don't want to work for the ranch" to "I can't believe Derek broke up with me". Super awkward sudden subject shift with not enough hesitation on Colton's part. You'd think he would've had to pause or needed to compose himself before being able to speak about something that supposedly bothered him.
Colton makes a big fuss over being forced to interact with Rhett, and even asks his aunt to talk to someone about helping him keep his distance, but then the very next chapter Colton is the one who actively approaches Rhett and starts talking shit. Why? Also, why did Cash ask Colton about whether he was staying for the summer? Didn't they literally just play pool earlier and shoot the shit? Wouldn't that have already been said?
What exactly was the dynamic supposed to be between Rhett and Cash? At the end of chapter one, Rhett and Cash were about ready to brawl because Cash continually antagonized Rhett over his lack of interest in his GF, but then Rhett's all "idk why I'm not into her, Cash" just two chapters later and they're acting all genuine towards each other. If the story wanted them to be this complicated "love-hate" sibling relationship, it did a poor job of that considering how strongly Cash pushed Rhett's buttons with zero good things between them to balance it before this moment.
I was so confused when Rhett and Colton were able to so easily act mature and work with each other on Colton's first day. It was seriously whiplash going from Colton saying he didn't want to interact with Rhett, then him actively being the one to instigate things, then to him apologizing for making Rhett uncomfortable... WHAT WAS THE DYNAMIC SUPPOSED TO BE? "I'm not here to fuck with you, Rhett. I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here, but I need this job--need the experience for my degree." So why exactly did you choose to stir shit up at the party?
Then they argue because Rhett's being cagey and Colton says he's going to do his own thing, but then Colton suddenly acts all worried about Rhett (when he gets those texts) as if they literally hadn't just argued just mere minutes before. They're buddy buddy again for the pool game too and I just couldn't get a grip on what they were supposed to be to each other. The story literally just makes Colton act contrary to how he was introduced by being the one to always start things with Rhett.
I gave up when Colton started feeling jealousy over the idea that Rhett and Molly were sleeping together (they'd only interacted for TWO and a half scenes) AND Colton was so convinced that Rhett was into him after he basically just sexually assaulted him by cornering him. I was already annoyed at how the story introduced the characters, but Colton just being so sure about Rhett's sexuality and attraction this early on and after what he did was too much.
TL;DR: Characterization needed a lot of work to make the characters actually feel consistent. Colton was annoying as hell and definitely crossed a line when he cornered Rhett and started feeling him up THEN used that as evidence for Rhett's supposed attraction. Rape-y much? 1.5 stars rounded down.
The intro was a bit boring. Too many names with too quick scenes for each of them.
"I feel like a horse that's been broken so well it forgot it ever wanted to run" Huh? Rhett so suddenly voicing such self-awareness at his misery was way out of left field given how the intro was framed. The chapter starts with him only hinting at some underlying dissatisfaction but was generally still fine with things. He literally started off by saying he liked living in a small town, with the complaint that there's no privacy, but the general sentiment was a positive one (and that he was gaslighting himself into thinking he was happy). He was not yet at the moment where he was aware and acknowledging of his unhappiness which that line implied.
Colton's intro chapter was rife with weird sentences and poorly concealed expo dumping masquerading as overly awkward dialogue.
"Aunt A took tonight off to see you but is covering for me so I can also have a moment" (awkwardly worded)
"I find you not raising some hell to be difficult." (also awkward wording)
"You'll get hands-on vet tech experience for your resume, you just have to keep your hours logged. Your dad seems to think it'll keep you busy." (Two things: One, Colton already knows why he's working on the ranch, so Aunt A mentioning the vet tech thing would not be something she realistically needed to say unprompted. Two, why does "your dad seems to think it'll keep you busy" a line here? Colton was going to work on the ranch for vet experience, which presumably takes a lot of work, so "keeping busy" seems like it was redundant)
Colton so freely talking about how things ended with his boyfriend was weird. There were only two sentences to segue between "I don't want to work for the ranch" to "I can't believe Derek broke up with me". Super awkward sudden subject shift with not enough hesitation on Colton's part. You'd think he would've had to pause or needed to compose himself before being able to speak about something that supposedly bothered him.
Colton makes a big fuss over being forced to interact with Rhett, and even asks his aunt to talk to someone about helping him keep his distance, but then the very next chapter Colton is the one who actively approaches Rhett and starts talking shit. Why? Also, why did Cash ask Colton about whether he was staying for the summer? Didn't they literally just play pool earlier and shoot the shit? Wouldn't that have already been said?
What exactly was the dynamic supposed to be between Rhett and Cash? At the end of chapter one, Rhett and Cash were about ready to brawl because Cash continually antagonized Rhett over his lack of interest in his GF, but then Rhett's all "idk why I'm not into her, Cash" just two chapters later and they're acting all genuine towards each other. If the story wanted them to be this complicated "love-hate" sibling relationship, it did a poor job of that considering how strongly Cash pushed Rhett's buttons with zero good things between them to balance it before this moment.
I was so confused when Rhett and Colton were able to so easily act mature and work with each other on Colton's first day. It was seriously whiplash going from Colton saying he didn't want to interact with Rhett, then him actively being the one to instigate things, then to him apologizing for making Rhett uncomfortable... WHAT WAS THE DYNAMIC SUPPOSED TO BE? "I'm not here to fuck with you, Rhett. I don't want to be here anymore than you want me here, but I need this job--need the experience for my degree." So why exactly did you choose to stir shit up at the party?
Then they argue because Rhett's being cagey and Colton says he's going to do his own thing, but then Colton suddenly acts all worried about Rhett (when he gets those texts) as if they literally hadn't just argued just mere minutes before. They're buddy buddy again for the pool game too and I just couldn't get a grip on what they were supposed to be to each other. The story literally just makes Colton act contrary to how he was introduced by being the one to always start things with Rhett.
I gave up when Colton started feeling jealousy over the idea that Rhett and Molly were sleeping together (they'd only interacted for TWO and a half scenes) AND Colton was so convinced that Rhett was into him after he basically just sexually assaulted him by cornering him. I was already annoyed at how the story introduced the characters, but Colton just being so sure about Rhett's sexuality and attraction this early on and after what he did was too much.
TL;DR: Characterization needed a lot of work to make the characters actually feel consistent. Colton was annoying as hell and definitely crossed a line when he cornered Rhett and started feeling him up THEN used that as evidence for Rhett's supposed attraction. Rape-y much? 1.5 stars rounded down.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC from the authors, for which I am grateful
I admit, this is my first time dabbling in the genre. While it wasn't for me, none of my review is based off that fact.
It was fine. I thought the ending was sweet, and it was honestly not as dark as I would have expected (which I did not mind at all).
As I was reading, I admit I rolled my eyes a few times because the dialogue just wasn't great, which is rather unfortunate for a dialogue heavy novel. It felt like the characters were reading a bland script for a generic story in the same setting rather than natural conversation between characters, which led to everyone feeling rather stiff. I also didn't understand Colton's eagerness at all - they had no history and no specific interactions that would make him so obsessed? It felt like he was that way because Rhett just happened to be there. The speed at which their relationship moved was also rather unconvincing considering the fact that they barely had any emotional development with each other.
As for the plot outside of the romance... it somewhat had potential, but it was mostly ignored for the entirety of the story, and the conclusion was very neat and easy once it finally did have a focus. I understand the romance is by far the main purpose of the novel, but it almost feels like it would have been better to remove any of the half-cooked drama to focus more on the development of their relationship or the characters themselves.
All that being said, I couldn't rate this too low since I did have enough fun with this to be able to finish this within a day. Besides that, I know that realistically, readers would be here for the romance and the more smutty aspects anyway (which I would then say that this book is for you).
If you're looking for strongly developed characters and plot, this might not be for you, but if you just want to have fun with a romance and witness hot cowboys get at it then you'll have a fun time.
I admit, this is my first time dabbling in the genre. While it wasn't for me, none of my review is based off that fact.
It was fine. I thought the ending was sweet, and it was honestly not as dark as I would have expected (which I did not mind at all).
As I was reading, I admit I rolled my eyes a few times because the dialogue just wasn't great, which is rather unfortunate for a dialogue heavy novel. It felt like the characters were reading a bland script for a generic story in the same setting rather than natural conversation between characters, which led to everyone feeling rather stiff. I also didn't understand Colton's eagerness at all - they had no history and no specific interactions that would make him so obsessed? It felt like he was that way because Rhett just happened to be there. The speed at which their relationship moved was also rather unconvincing considering the fact that they barely had any emotional development with each other.
As for the plot outside of the romance... it somewhat had potential, but it was mostly ignored for the entirety of the story, and the conclusion was very neat and easy once it finally did have a focus. I understand the romance is by far the main purpose of the novel, but it almost feels like it would have been better to remove any of the half-cooked drama to focus more on the development of their relationship or the characters themselves.
All that being said, I couldn't rate this too low since I did have enough fun with this to be able to finish this within a day. Besides that, I know that realistically, readers would be here for the romance and the more smutty aspects anyway (which I would then say that this book is for you).
If you're looking for strongly developed characters and plot, this might not be for you, but if you just want to have fun with a romance and witness hot cowboys get at it then you'll have a fun time.
June 23, 2026
Colton is back in town for the summer and looking for a place to work. His aunt finds him a job at the ranch, the only problem is his new coworker is Rhett Thornwood, the guy who has always hated him. Colton loves to get under Rhett’s skin, but things turn heated fast. Neither of them seems to be able to walk away from this.
This is touted as a dark romance, but I didn’t really see anything dark about it. I’m not sure why it was classified as such. This is a good cowboy romance, but it just wasn’t dark at all. Seeing Rhett begin to understand his sexuality was well done, and I loved the conversation he had with his mom. Colton had long come to terms with who he was and was unapologetically himself.
One thing I didn’t understand was why Rhett disliked Colton so much. It stems back to their childhood, and there was the moment where Rhett outed Colton, but the reason for Rhett’s hatred was never fully explained. This was a quick read with lots of tension and lust. These two moved from hating each other to lusting after each other quickly and with heated passion. If you are in the mood for a spicy, male/male, cowboy read, this one would be perfect for you.
This is touted as a dark romance, but I didn’t really see anything dark about it. I’m not sure why it was classified as such. This is a good cowboy romance, but it just wasn’t dark at all. Seeing Rhett begin to understand his sexuality was well done, and I loved the conversation he had with his mom. Colton had long come to terms with who he was and was unapologetically himself.
One thing I didn’t understand was why Rhett disliked Colton so much. It stems back to their childhood, and there was the moment where Rhett outed Colton, but the reason for Rhett’s hatred was never fully explained. This was a quick read with lots of tension and lust. These two moved from hating each other to lusting after each other quickly and with heated passion. If you are in the mood for a spicy, male/male, cowboy read, this one would be perfect for you.
May 19, 2026
First huge thank you to authors KT Maddan and Ainsley Vale for a copy oft the ebook.
Now, this was a really good read. It’s short and has all the elements of a good steamy romance. The MMCs are practically enemies but that stems from some interactions when they were younger that never really got resolved. They basically get a second chance almost when Colton comes back for the summer to work on their family’s ranch. They begrudgingly work together but some of that tension bleeds back into the present. There’s gay awakening, dub con, and it’s spicy. Plus they’re both hot cowboys so you can’t go wrong with that either. lol
Definitely a good read if you’re looking for something quick and steamy.
Now, this was a really good read. It’s short and has all the elements of a good steamy romance. The MMCs are practically enemies but that stems from some interactions when they were younger that never really got resolved. They basically get a second chance almost when Colton comes back for the summer to work on their family’s ranch. They begrudgingly work together but some of that tension bleeds back into the present. There’s gay awakening, dub con, and it’s spicy. Plus they’re both hot cowboys so you can’t go wrong with that either. lol
Definitely a good read if you’re looking for something quick and steamy.
May 13, 2026
I love getting my hands on a good Cowboy romance, but two Cowboys? Perfection lol
I really enjoyed this read, I loved the banter and chemistry between Colton and Rhett. Watching Rhett, finally learn to love and accept himself definitely pulls at the heart strings, he's such a cutie and I'm glad he finally realizes his life is his own and not what people expected of him just because he's from a small town <3 I am excited to see where this series goes and I'm looking forward to book 2 with Cash and Halle <3
If you love quick steamy MM reads, that you can devour in one sitting with main and side characters that you will fall in love with, then I would definitely recommend adding this to your TBR.
I really enjoyed this read, I loved the banter and chemistry between Colton and Rhett. Watching Rhett, finally learn to love and accept himself definitely pulls at the heart strings, he's such a cutie and I'm glad he finally realizes his life is his own and not what people expected of him just because he's from a small town <3 I am excited to see where this series goes and I'm looking forward to book 2 with Cash and Halle <3
If you love quick steamy MM reads, that you can devour in one sitting with main and side characters that you will fall in love with, then I would definitely recommend adding this to your TBR.
May 16, 2026
Thank you to much for letting me be apart of this beautiful ARC team! I love MM romance so getting an advance readers copy is such a treat.
Honestly, two cowboys was all I needed to know before picking this up. While this didn’t necessarily hit “dark” by my personal standards, I still really enjoyed the push and pull between the characters. The switch dynamic was an added bonus, and the pacing kept me engaged the entire time. The mystery element added just enough intrigue to elevate the story even more, and the ending tied everything together perfectly.
- Mystery stalker
- Gay awakening
- Forced proximity
- Pierced MMC
- Switch dynamics
Honestly, two cowboys was all I needed to know before picking this up. While this didn’t necessarily hit “dark” by my personal standards, I still really enjoyed the push and pull between the characters. The switch dynamic was an added bonus, and the pacing kept me engaged the entire time. The mystery element added just enough intrigue to elevate the story even more, and the ending tied everything together perfectly.
- Mystery stalker
- Gay awakening
- Forced proximity
- Pierced MMC
- Switch dynamics
May 18, 2026
4.5 stars!
This is my first book of either author and it DID NOT disappoint. When I saw arcs were open for a dark cowboy MM romance, I immediately said sign me up. To say this book ruined me in the best way possible is not an exaggeration. The early tension, angst, confusion, was just written to perfection. By the time spice started happening (it is a slow burn but again, you get all the tension and angst!), I was screaming for these two boys to finally get together. It is a wild ride of emotions along with some mystery and I loved every minute of it. I hope you also give it a read. This will go on the shelf of one of my favorite MM romances!
This is my first book of either author and it DID NOT disappoint. When I saw arcs were open for a dark cowboy MM romance, I immediately said sign me up. To say this book ruined me in the best way possible is not an exaggeration. The early tension, angst, confusion, was just written to perfection. By the time spice started happening (it is a slow burn but again, you get all the tension and angst!), I was screaming for these two boys to finally get together. It is a wild ride of emotions along with some mystery and I loved every minute of it. I hope you also give it a read. This will go on the shelf of one of my favorite MM romances!
June 8, 2026
soooo, devoured that in a few hours
i am an absolute slaaaaaag for an mm angsty cowboy romance and this did not disappoint one bit
the mouth on Colton MY GOD, poor sweet baby Rhett did not stand a fucking chance.
the plot freakin twist was not something i even picked up on i was having too much fun and was gobsmacked.
i’m giddy just thinking about Halle and Cash, i loved him the minute he appeared on the page. you’ll find me front and centre for the Cash fan club.
my only complaint is i wish it was longer
i am an absolute slaaaaaag for an mm angsty cowboy romance and this did not disappoint one bit
the mouth on Colton MY GOD, poor sweet baby Rhett did not stand a fucking chance.
the plot freakin twist was not something i even picked up on i was having too much fun and was gobsmacked.
i’m giddy just thinking about Halle and Cash, i loved him the minute he appeared on the page. you’ll find me front and centre for the Cash fan club.
my only complaint is i wish it was longer
June 9, 2026
It was ok, but it’s being advertised as a dark romance which meant it feel flat for me.
It’s definitely not dark romance - it’s barely even grey romance 😅
It’s a bit more enemy’s to lovers vibes so I kept waiting for the dark romance part.
I liked the second half of the book more and even got a bit teary around each of the guys coming out stories.
I think I would’ve like it a lot more if I didn’t go into it expecting more darkness.
It’s definitely not dark romance - it’s barely even grey romance 😅
It’s a bit more enemy’s to lovers vibes so I kept waiting for the dark romance part.
I liked the second half of the book more and even got a bit teary around each of the guys coming out stories.
I think I would’ve like it a lot more if I didn’t go into it expecting more darkness.
May 16, 2026
*ARC REVIEW*
I love a good hate to love trope and Deviant does it amazingly. Rhett and Colton have history. While Colton is the town black sheep, Rhett is the town’s golden boy. They might not like each other but their chemistry is off the charts. What’s that saying? “it’s a thin line between love and hate”. The more time they spend together the harder it is to stay away from one another, and Colton is not letting go any time soon. Rhett’s inner war with how his life is supposed to be may get in the way of how he truly feels. When a mysterious number starts to unravel his secrets all bets are off.
**Tropes**
🔥 MM Romance
🔥 Hate to Love
🔥 Dub-Con
🔥 Gay-awakening
🔥 Good Boy x Bad boy
I love a good hate to love trope and Deviant does it amazingly. Rhett and Colton have history. While Colton is the town black sheep, Rhett is the town’s golden boy. They might not like each other but their chemistry is off the charts. What’s that saying? “it’s a thin line between love and hate”. The more time they spend together the harder it is to stay away from one another, and Colton is not letting go any time soon. Rhett’s inner war with how his life is supposed to be may get in the way of how he truly feels. When a mysterious number starts to unravel his secrets all bets are off.
**Tropes**
🔥 MM Romance
🔥 Hate to Love
🔥 Dub-Con
🔥 Gay-awakening
🔥 Good Boy x Bad boy
May 19, 2026
This book shattered my heart and stitched it back together in the most beautiful way. KT and Ainsley captured the fear, pain, and courage that come with coming out and learning to accept yourself in a small town where everything feels suffocatingly close. Rhett and Colt’s chemistry burns off the page with a raw, emotional intensity that’s impossible to ignore. And Cash and Halle? They completely stole my attention, leaving me desperate for more of their story in the next book.
June 3, 2026
I was in the mood for some gay cowboy smut and this delivered on that 🥵 Too bad that the story was a bit bland for my taste.
June 5, 2026
2.5 rounds up.
They really like the word throb.
They really like the word throb.
May 24, 2026
I went into this book pretty much blind and honestly I’m so glad I did. I loved this book with every fiber of my being! The storyline had me hooked from the beginning and it was one of those books where once you start reading it’s hard to stop. It had so many raw and wholesome moments that just melted my heart and I couldn’t get enough of their relationship. I love that Colt was snarky and knew how to push Rhett’s buttons and I loved watching Rhett finally accepting who he is and realizing that it’s okay to have what you want even if it looks a little different than what everyone expects. I can’t wait to read the next book in this series and these authors killed it!!
May 18, 2026
I read this as an ARC
as a big cowboy romance reader I was super excited for a MM one. I loved the two MCs banter and tension, and all of the teasing. I had a great time and would recommend this to anyone that likes the cowboy genre.
HOWEVER this is marketed as a "dark romance" and it is most definitely not that. there is a bit of a "enemies to lovers" type vibe and there may be some darker 'themes' but i would never think this would be considered a dark romance.
as a big cowboy romance reader I was super excited for a MM one. I loved the two MCs banter and tension, and all of the teasing. I had a great time and would recommend this to anyone that likes the cowboy genre.
HOWEVER this is marketed as a "dark romance" and it is most definitely not that. there is a bit of a "enemies to lovers" type vibe and there may be some darker 'themes' but i would never think this would be considered a dark romance.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Review to come 🖤
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