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Wicked Stepbrother: A MM Enemies to Lovers Stepbrother Romance
BULLY. STEPBROTHER. STRAIGHT.
Kent was the monster under my bed. Cruel. Violent. And completely off-limits. Five years later, he’s banging on my door in the rain, homeless and desperate. I should have left the chain on. Instead, I let him in.
Big mistake.
Now, my apartment feels like a cage. Kent watches me with eyes that don't look like a brother's. He looks through my phone. He scares off my dates. He invades every inch of my space, claiming he’s just "looking out for me."
He says he hates who I am. He says he’s straight. But when I bring another man home, Kent doesn’t just get angry. He gets possessive.
He was my tormentor once. Now, he’s about to become my ruin.
WICKED STEPBROTHER is a dark, high-angst MM romance featuring a possessive straight-to-gay awakening, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a hero who crosses every line to keep what’s his. Happy Ever After guaranteed.
Kent was the monster under my bed. Cruel. Violent. And completely off-limits. Five years later, he’s banging on my door in the rain, homeless and desperate. I should have left the chain on. Instead, I let him in.
Big mistake.
Now, my apartment feels like a cage. Kent watches me with eyes that don't look like a brother's. He looks through my phone. He scares off my dates. He invades every inch of my space, claiming he’s just "looking out for me."
He says he hates who I am. He says he’s straight. But when I bring another man home, Kent doesn’t just get angry. He gets possessive.
He was my tormentor once. Now, he’s about to become my ruin.
WICKED STEPBROTHER is a dark, high-angst MM romance featuring a possessive straight-to-gay awakening, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a hero who crosses every line to keep what’s his. Happy Ever After guaranteed.
266 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 1, 2026
186 people are currently reading
86 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Did Not Finish
April 16, 2026DNF @ 44%.
March 4, 2026
Delilah Drew's debut has real instincts for the genre and real problems in the execution.
The setup is solid: Kent, freshly evicted by his girlfriend, crashes on the couch of his stepbrother James, the same man he spent years bullying for being gay. The enemies-to-lovers tension in the early chapters genuinely crackles. Drew writes cramped-apartment cohabitation well, and she's more honest than most authors in this space about the moral weight of the premise. Kent's homophobia isn't treated as a quirky obstacle it's depicted as something that did real damage, and that earns the story some credibility.
The problems accumulate in the second half. James, meanwhile, is underwritten, self-aware about his passivity but never quite escaping it. And the two narrators, despite alternating POVs, sound nearly identical on the sentence level.
The prose has moments of genuine quality. The opening image alone shows a writer with a real ear. But it's undercut by repetition and an explanatory habit that over-glosses images that would land harder unassisted.
A debut worth watching. Not yet the book it's trying to be.
The setup is solid: Kent, freshly evicted by his girlfriend, crashes on the couch of his stepbrother James, the same man he spent years bullying for being gay. The enemies-to-lovers tension in the early chapters genuinely crackles. Drew writes cramped-apartment cohabitation well, and she's more honest than most authors in this space about the moral weight of the premise. Kent's homophobia isn't treated as a quirky obstacle it's depicted as something that did real damage, and that earns the story some credibility.
The problems accumulate in the second half. James, meanwhile, is underwritten, self-aware about his passivity but never quite escaping it. And the two narrators, despite alternating POVs, sound nearly identical on the sentence level.
The prose has moments of genuine quality. The opening image alone shows a writer with a real ear. But it's undercut by repetition and an explanatory habit that over-glosses images that would land harder unassisted.
A debut worth watching. Not yet the book it's trying to be.
March 4, 2026
3.8 Stars This is a book full of emotions for a Bi awakening romance. I disliked Kent’s character along the way but he finally wakes up to himself. I'm intrigued to what the next book will be. My Full Blog Review Link
March 31, 2026
4.5/5 stars because I wasn’t crazy about MC2’s choices in the last 20% of the book!. I’m all for realism and I know fear and internalized homophobia are a thing but .. I was disappointed by him and felt like MC1 maybe shouldn’t have forgiven him tbh?
Other than that, this was one impressive debut. The heat and build up in the first 40% was top notch. The spice was more than decent.
Other than that, this was one impressive debut. The heat and build up in the first 40% was top notch. The spice was more than decent.
April 25, 2026
This needed much better editing than it had. There were missing words, too many words, awkward sentences, and inconsistent plot details. The novel would have been greatly improved with a professional edit.
I think the author has promise as a writer, but this book was not very compelling. The characters were fairly well conceived and showed some emotional development as the story progressed, but the plot was nothing new or novel and it read like every other self-published M/M stepbrother romance.
Stepbrothers as a taboo trope doesn't really work when the characters are fully grown, independent adults. It's a much more compelling when there's actually a taboo, or seemingly taboo, aspect to it. Two guys who are in their mid-20s, who didn't meet until they were in their teens, and who never had a sibling relationship do not effectively sell the stepbrother trope.
The more interesting plotline was around the bullying, as it had more of an influence on the interactions between the two main characters. Unfortunately, the bullying plotline is underdeveloped and poorly executed. We are very briefly and very vaguely told what happened between the two instead of being shown some of their interactions. It was really hard to buy the characters' story because there just wasn't enough substance to create that connection between the reader and the story.
One final point -- I hated the Trevor plotline. His actions in the second half were so inconsistent with what readers were shown in the first half. It was completely unnecessary for his character to flip from good guy to bad guy in the way it was done. Even if he was just jealous and disappointed, a good guy wouldn't have acted in the way he did and said the things that he did. So don't tell us he's a good guy while showing us the opposite.
Edit: I changed my star rating from 2 to 1 after another commenter, @Ashley, reminded me of a scene where James sexual assaults Kent by initiating penetrative sex while Kent is asleep. At that point in the story, they had never had penetrative sex and Kent was still unsure about taking that step. Even though Kent ends up enjoying himself, it doesn't excuse the initial non-consensual act and it shouldn't have been portrayed as a sexy, intimate scene. It was unnecessary and only serves to reinforce harmful stereotypes of gay men as predators.
I think the author has promise as a writer, but this book was not very compelling. The characters were fairly well conceived and showed some emotional development as the story progressed, but the plot was nothing new or novel and it read like every other self-published M/M stepbrother romance.
Stepbrothers as a taboo trope doesn't really work when the characters are fully grown, independent adults. It's a much more compelling when there's actually a taboo, or seemingly taboo, aspect to it. Two guys who are in their mid-20s, who didn't meet until they were in their teens, and who never had a sibling relationship do not effectively sell the stepbrother trope.
The more interesting plotline was around the bullying, as it had more of an influence on the interactions between the two main characters. Unfortunately, the bullying plotline is underdeveloped and poorly executed. We are very briefly and very vaguely told what happened between the two instead of being shown some of their interactions. It was really hard to buy the characters' story because there just wasn't enough substance to create that connection between the reader and the story.
One final point -- I hated the Trevor plotline. His actions in the second half were so inconsistent with what readers were shown in the first half. It was completely unnecessary for his character to flip from good guy to bad guy in the way it was done. Even if he was just jealous and disappointed, a good guy wouldn't have acted in the way he did and said the things that he did. So don't tell us he's a good guy while showing us the opposite.
Edit: I changed my star rating from 2 to 1 after another commenter, @Ashley, reminded me of a scene where James sexual assaults Kent by initiating penetrative sex while Kent is asleep. At that point in the story, they had never had penetrative sex and Kent was still unsure about taking that step. Even though Kent ends up enjoying himself, it doesn't excuse the initial non-consensual act and it shouldn't have been portrayed as a sexy, intimate scene. It was unnecessary and only serves to reinforce harmful stereotypes of gay men as predators.
April 30, 2026
🚨🚨🚨 SPOILERS 🚨 🚨 🚨
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Good story in theory, bad execution. It seems like Kent changed his outlook on James's sexuality overnight. From chapter 1 he was saying that his step brother was gross for being gay and yada yada and then moves in with him and instantly doesn't think that anymore and is instantly jealous of him being with other guys (which he does not act on his jealousy, that was one of the selling points of this story - Kent's jealousy - and all he did was huff and puff about it and eventually was asking James "so how was your date? Oh y'all broke up? What why, I thought y'all really hit it off". Jealousy where???) and standing up for him to his Dad which that dialogue was a bit 🧀.... Then they have this "we need to talk, I can't stop thinking about you" conversation and, like, y'all haven't even had a decent conversation between one another! They move in circles around each other, they don't speak, they have NOTHING in common, they don't like each other, there's ZERO pining, NO sexual tension. Angst?? What angst?? And they both, separately, thought to themselves "man, that hug we shared, can't stop thinking about it" 🙃 what are we talking about?!?? That's the tension. That's the angst. That's the I-cant-get-you-out-of-my-head-i-have-to-have-you moment. A short "thanks for fixing the laptop YOU broke" hug. Wow.
.
.
.
.
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Good story in theory, bad execution. It seems like Kent changed his outlook on James's sexuality overnight. From chapter 1 he was saying that his step brother was gross for being gay and yada yada and then moves in with him and instantly doesn't think that anymore and is instantly jealous of him being with other guys (which he does not act on his jealousy, that was one of the selling points of this story - Kent's jealousy - and all he did was huff and puff about it and eventually was asking James "so how was your date? Oh y'all broke up? What why, I thought y'all really hit it off". Jealousy where???) and standing up for him to his Dad which that dialogue was a bit 🧀.... Then they have this "we need to talk, I can't stop thinking about you" conversation and, like, y'all haven't even had a decent conversation between one another! They move in circles around each other, they don't speak, they have NOTHING in common, they don't like each other, there's ZERO pining, NO sexual tension. Angst?? What angst?? And they both, separately, thought to themselves "man, that hug we shared, can't stop thinking about it" 🙃 what are we talking about?!?? That's the tension. That's the angst. That's the I-cant-get-you-out-of-my-head-i-have-to-have-you moment. A short "thanks for fixing the laptop YOU broke" hug. Wow.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 6, 2026
loved this story.
it follows kent and James who are stepbrothers, kent was james' bully as teens because he was gay, thinking he needed to be that way because of his dad.
after not seeing each other for a few years kent turned up on james' doorstep needing a place to crash, james being big hearted let him stay.
what followed was kent realising who he really was and started falling for james. this story has you following kent through coming to terms with it but also the struggles of inner turmoil of how people will react and treat him.
james said he would wait and go at kents pace but things turn badly and kent breaks james' heart, once he realises he can't go back to his old life without james he knows what he has to do and does everything to mend and win james' heart back.
it follows kent and James who are stepbrothers, kent was james' bully as teens because he was gay, thinking he needed to be that way because of his dad.
after not seeing each other for a few years kent turned up on james' doorstep needing a place to crash, james being big hearted let him stay.
what followed was kent realising who he really was and started falling for james. this story has you following kent through coming to terms with it but also the struggles of inner turmoil of how people will react and treat him.
james said he would wait and go at kents pace but things turn badly and kent breaks james' heart, once he realises he can't go back to his old life without james he knows what he has to do and does everything to mend and win james' heart back.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2026
This is not my favorite genre at all, but I found myself enjoying it a little bit.
The bullying aspect was not strong... mostly in vague flashbacks... which was exactly why I enjoyed this book. there was homophobic talk and family member who is awful... the whole angsty part at the end was pretty lame and made Kent look very weak... it felt more like being railroaded by women instead of fear of not being his father's son.
There are many errors that should have been caught in editing and beta testing. That's just sloppy.
The bullying aspect was not strong... mostly in vague flashbacks... which was exactly why I enjoyed this book. there was homophobic talk and family member who is awful... the whole angsty part at the end was pretty lame and made Kent look very weak... it felt more like being railroaded by women instead of fear of not being his father's son.
There are many errors that should have been caught in editing and beta testing. That's just sloppy.
April 24, 2026
A debut book!?
I just love finding new authors and such. This story was a 3.5 Star read that I gave it a 4. I find unfortunately for me new authors the read almost always crashes for me. I was pleased with this one that while it did not have a plot it had a good flow. I didn't find it boring. It was cute. I hate that I'm a very aweful reviewer (hints why I don't write a review a lot) but for starting out this one deserves a little praise.
I just love finding new authors and such. This story was a 3.5 Star read that I gave it a 4. I find unfortunately for me new authors the read almost always crashes for me. I was pleased with this one that while it did not have a plot it had a good flow. I didn't find it boring. It was cute. I hate that I'm a very aweful reviewer (hints why I don't write a review a lot) but for starting out this one deserves a little praise.
April 29, 2026
great read!!
This book was a hit from page one! Some books include so much filler but this one keep the necessary details which made to book hard to put down. It flows beautifully. The build up starts on page one and continues throughout the entire book, it wasn’t rushed. Kent and James were 🥵 together. It was everything the author said it would be and more! Great read! A must read! Can’t wait to read more from Delilah Drew!
This book was a hit from page one! Some books include so much filler but this one keep the necessary details which made to book hard to put down. It flows beautifully. The build up starts on page one and continues throughout the entire book, it wasn’t rushed. Kent and James were 🥵 together. It was everything the author said it would be and more! Great read! A must read! Can’t wait to read more from Delilah Drew!
Want to Read
March 5, 2026So I checked it out as stepbros 🤷♀️. I kept reading as Kent was an ass & James was being a doormat so I wanted K to stop & J to grow a backbone. I did stop reading when it happened & I'm glad to see actual communication 😳. They seem to be on right track, maybe I'd read this full sometimes!
Other review says there's angst at end? Makes sense as I'm not even halfway through 😅.
Other review says there's angst at end? Makes sense as I'm not even halfway through 😅.
April 15, 2026
Ok, the editing in this book is nonexistent. The apartment changes from a studio to having rooms, the food changes from one sentence to the next.
The biggest ick for me was James knowing Kent wasnt ready to do more sexually and you still had sex with him when he was sleeping? This isnt a dark romance, that part was gross.
The biggest ick for me was James knowing Kent wasnt ready to do more sexually and you still had sex with him when he was sleeping? This isnt a dark romance, that part was gross.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
May 1, 2026I… don’t understand what happened here. At first I thought it was just going to be a silly read to get through but then there was so much actual potential from maybe 20-40% until it just completely fell apart and even made me a bit uncomfortable. I didn’t make it all the way to the very end but I still felt so entirely invested and don’t know if it’s even fair to conjure up a rating :(
March 11, 2026
this is a good book. I like it a lot. I loved the characters and how they bounced off each other and worked well with others. the plot was good and the characters were adorable. the spice was so good if you know what I mean 😜
April 25, 2026
Stepbrother romance at its best
Loved this book. Stepbrother tropes are one of my favorites and this is one of the best. A few clerical errors but it's easy to overlook. Worth a read for anyone interested
Loved this book. Stepbrother tropes are one of my favorites and this is one of the best. A few clerical errors but it's easy to overlook. Worth a read for anyone interested
May 6, 2026
Solid 3.5⭐️
A little sappy and predictable. A new author for me and it was a solid start. The spice us a 3🌶. There were some twists and turns but everything was rushed at the end to come together.
A little sappy and predictable. A new author for me and it was a solid start. The spice us a 3🌶. There were some twists and turns but everything was rushed at the end to come together.
March 10, 2026
I liked this more than I thought. Were they toxic? Yes. But it was a redemption story. MMC were very flawed overall. Good, quick read overall
March 13, 2026
Incredibly dull.
Read
March 17, 2026dnf 51%
March 19, 2026
Has potential! A few issues with the story line that others have already pointed out.
March 27, 2026
totally enjoyed this book
I was actually very surprised how well written this book was. I will read more from this author. The sex scenes were awesome
I was actually very surprised how well written this book was. I will read more from this author. The sex scenes were awesome
Did Not Finish
April 10, 2026I feel like Kent’s change of heart happens overnight. And James just didn’t stand up for himself nearly enough.
April 12, 2026
absolutely loved it!
I am in love with these two! The way they came together in the end absolutely threw me for a loop! These two deserve the happy ever after!!!
I am in love with these two! The way they came together in the end absolutely threw me for a loop! These two deserve the happy ever after!!!
April 20, 2026
No personality whatsoever, only lust
Did Not Finish
April 28, 2026I can’t vibe with either character. I never DNF but I can’t go on. @21%
April 30, 2026
I’m torn with my review. It was a solid 4 stars for me up until the 80% mark then Kent went and really, really messed up. I mean really messed up. The ending, in my opinion, was not enough.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews