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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
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
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May 24, 2026
This was on my TBR until I saw it on Audible virtual voice. I recently watched a thing about Audible pricing and how much it screws over authors but last year they made it even worse. Authors have to share their earnings with every other audiobook on there and what they receive relies on a variety of factors but now they also have to compete against virtual voice books. So just think about that for a moment. An “author” can use AI to write a book then use an AI voiceover and still get a payout comparable to real authors who are doing the work by writing the book and hiring real narrators. So no thanks Delilah Drew, I pass. The worst part about this? It’s in the top 20 best selling gay books on Amazon. 🙄
If you are interested in learning more, I subscribe to a woman on YouTube and I’ll post her link about Audible below.
https://youtu.be/U4AdDVT5OAw
If you are interested in learning more, I subscribe to a woman on YouTube and I’ll post her link about Audible below.
https://youtu.be/U4AdDVT5OAw
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.
June 28, 2026
To be reviewed... So emotional, so good. A wide representation of the types of people that react to the news the characters share, wow! I want more erotic MM stories like this...
Did Not Finish
April 16, 2026DNF @ 44%.
May 19, 2026
2.75 ⭐️
There was no real enemies to lovers at all. I didn’t truly feel a connection with the guys at all.
There was no real enemies to lovers at all. I didn’t truly feel a connection with the guys at all.
June 8, 2026
I want to support new authors but man…. There was just so much lacking. I love a forbidden romance but nothing stood out. It was virtual voice. There was def no angst and the storyline with the awakening and boss were absolutely lacking. 2.5 stars
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.
June 23, 2026
i wanted to love this
This book had lots of potential & it honestly wasnt bad. Just wasnt my fave MM of all time. I skimmed everything after Brittany came back and Kent left with her. I was so mad after that. And all the threats to their relationship and none of them actually happened. It just didnt connect with me like I had hoped.
This book had lots of potential & it honestly wasnt bad. Just wasnt my fave MM of all time. I skimmed everything after Brittany came back and Kent left with her. I was so mad after that. And all the threats to their relationship and none of them actually happened. It just didnt connect with me like I had hoped.
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.
May 19, 2026
While this was supposed to a bully romance, it really wasn't. There wasn't any bullying other than slight mentions of it from the past. It was basically a slow burn gay awakening.
The story had SO much potential though and I look forward to reading more from the author. However, editing needs to be updated. There were many, many errors in this book, continuity errors.
Examples:
Page 12 states "The building was one of those old brick walk-ups, the kind with a buzzer system that probably didn't work." "The front door was propped open with a rock, and I climbed the stairs two at a time."
Then on page 201: "As we stepped onto the elevator...."
It was also mentioned later too they either punched in the door code, or use a key, I don't remember.
Page 187: "We ate pizza on the couch..."
Page 188: ""So," he said around a mouthful of lo mein."
There was mention in the beginning of the book that he didn't have a coffee maker, just a pour over one, but later on states that the coffee maker started.
As well as describing the apartment as one room, with a small kitchenette in the same space, then later on there was "standing in the kitchen door frame".
Page 236, speaking of a duffle bag: "Realized I'd never even bothered to unzip it."
Page 236: "I zipped up my bag"
The story had SO much potential though and I look forward to reading more from the author. However, editing needs to be updated. There were many, many errors in this book, continuity errors.
Examples:
Page 12 states "The building was one of those old brick walk-ups, the kind with a buzzer system that probably didn't work." "The front door was propped open with a rock, and I climbed the stairs two at a time."
Then on page 201: "As we stepped onto the elevator...."
It was also mentioned later too they either punched in the door code, or use a key, I don't remember.
Page 187: "We ate pizza on the couch..."
Page 188: ""So," he said around a mouthful of lo mein."
There was mention in the beginning of the book that he didn't have a coffee maker, just a pour over one, but later on states that the coffee maker started.
As well as describing the apartment as one room, with a small kitchenette in the same space, then later on there was "standing in the kitchen door frame".
Page 236, speaking of a duffle bag: "Realized I'd never even bothered to unzip it."
Page 236: "I zipped up my bag"
May 30, 2026
The blurb is very intriguing and sounds like a banger setup but I kind of felt I got catfished when I read the actual story, that is not the vibe at all. It was somehow so many things and absolutely nothing at the same time. Both characters were so boring and there was so much miscommunication it was uncomfortable to read. There is a lot of telling and no showing, Stacey is an awful mom/stepmom. There's random giant bombs dropped throughout the story like Stacey's husband (wtf is his name who cares) wanted her to kick James out for being gay when they were teenagers but she was just like nah and then stayed married to him with a gay son knowing he's a giant homophobe? And then she brings this up later and everyone is like that tracks, but this seems.....pretty heavy??? I have no clue what James' personality is supposed to be. Kent is a dumbass. His ex (forget her name already) seemed like a smart woman for dumping him in the beginning and then comes back later as weirdly obsessive and borderline abusive. Idk there were sooo many random plot directions and none were explored properly. The sex was dumb and boring. Trevor was the only nice person in this whole book and then was turned into a plot device. It was just so frustrating all around.
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.
June 5, 2026
I liked the story. I liked the characters. My issue with this book was the inconsistencies. Too many times throughout the story there were bits that made no sense or contradicted what had previously been said. For example James’ place was a studio apartment. The bed, couch and kitchen area were all in one room. But several times the author mentioned them in doorways, going to separate bedrooms or into the bedroom or kitchen. Other times things would happen like Kent sitting inside to make a phone call, no mention of him going outside and then once he was done he walked back inside? Or he zipped up his bag…that he hadn’t even opened. Silly little things really but it was throughout the whole story and for me, it really distracted from a sweet love story.
June 13, 2026
This is my first book by the author and I knew after reading the first few pages that I WOULD LOVE this book!
The bully to love trope is right up my street, the "straight" man (Kent) whose life turned on his axis when he falls in love with another man (James), who just happens to be his step brother.
Kent's arc development was the most impressive; I hated him to to start with, he was rude, entitled and selfish.
He guilted James into letting him move in with him temporarily after his girlfriend Brittany dumped and chucked him out.
Why followed was a sweet slow burn ...
I'll read more from Delilah!
The bully to love trope is right up my street, the "straight" man (Kent) whose life turned on his axis when he falls in love with another man (James), who just happens to be his step brother.
Kent's arc development was the most impressive; I hated him to to start with, he was rude, entitled and selfish.
He guilted James into letting him move in with him temporarily after his girlfriend Brittany dumped and chucked him out.
Why followed was a sweet slow burn ...
I'll read more from Delilah!
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.
May 26, 2026
This book was a lot sweeter than I thought it would be. Kent really went through the work to fight for James and their successful relationship. Although they had issues, you could really see the love and even at the beginning Kent was considering him in a way he hadn't before. James is so cute and sweet. I get why he was so angry. Being asked to be a side piece and essentially go back to being in the closet is heartbreaking. And before, Kent was a bully. They both did a lot of self-exploring and I loved the ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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 😅.
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 :(
May 14, 2026
Kept Me Reading
I really wanted to like all of this but certain elements left me unsatisfied and off-putting. The homophobia either seemed out-of-date or thrown in as part of the story but used haphazardly. The developing relationship of Kent and James felt authentic at times but the climax struck a weird nerve. First read for me with this author.
I really wanted to like all of this but certain elements left me unsatisfied and off-putting. The homophobia either seemed out-of-date or thrown in as part of the story but used haphazardly. The developing relationship of Kent and James felt authentic at times but the climax struck a weird nerve. First read for me with this author.
June 2, 2026
Great Debut book for Delilah. Loved the Bully to Lovers trope. The forgiveness that James extends to Kent is what we all strive for. Great realistic story. Really enjoyed that Kent put in the work to earn his place with James instead of expecting it. Also loved that James' Mother found her way to healthy as well.
June 5, 2026
Great First Book!
This book could have benefited from a bit more editing, and there were a few spots where the consistency felt a bit off. It also could have leaned into a darker tone a bit more. BUT! It was incredibly sweet, incredibly real, incredibly relatable, and again, amazing for a first book!!!!
This book could have benefited from a bit more editing, and there were a few spots where the consistency felt a bit off. It also could have leaned into a darker tone a bit more. BUT! It was incredibly sweet, incredibly real, incredibly relatable, and again, amazing for a first book!!!!
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.
May 11, 2026
MM
🌶️🌶️
Bi awakening
Step brothers
Kent got kicked out by his girlfriend. The only place he can think of to stay is with his stepbrother, James. Except he bullied James in high school for being gay.
🌶️🌶️
Bi awakening
Step brothers
Kent got kicked out by his girlfriend. The only place he can think of to stay is with his stepbrother, James. Except he bullied James in high school for being gay.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews