Rising

by Sean Ashcroft

Ballet dancer. Mechanic. Temporary fling. True love?

Ballet dancer Felix—injured, dumped, and at a loose end—doesn't expect much from the sleepy town of Otter Bay, where an old friend runs a ballet studio. Still clinging to his old life, the last thing he wants right now is a new relationship. Except, maybe, for a no-strings-attached fling with the sexy mechanic he just spilled hot coffee on.

Cooper—of Big Dick's Lube and Service—doesn't have time to look for romance. He's got a six-year-old nephew—Benji—to take care of, and that's more than enough for one person to juggle in the wake of losing his long-term boyfriend and having to move back home. Except that the most beautiful man he's ever seen just spilled hot coffee all over him...

... and happens to be Benji's new ballet teacher.

Felix isn't going to stay in Otter Bay forever and Cooper knows no one wants to be saddled with a six-year-old that isn't theirs—but maybe a no-strings fling is just what they both need. It doesn't have to be anything more than a little fun, does it?

Rising is a full-length, standalone MM romance comfort read. It ends with a very sweet HEA, and hot coffee (with or without almond milk), ballet classes, incredible pastries, the world’s cutest six-year-old, late night ice cream, steamy scenes, emergency traffic law violations, starting over, and true love, ultimately, conquering all.

Genres: M M Romance

313 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 20, 2026

About the author

Sean Ashcroft likes rainy days, white hot chocolates (don't knock it 'til you've tried it!) and boys kissing in books. He currently resides in Australia, all the way down at the bottom of the mainland in a sleepy little seaside town.

He writes sweet, hot books about sweet, hot boys who absolutely deserve each other.

Reviews

[CB · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute & sweet. Enjoyable.

I got slightly bored in the middle bc it was just very clear how everything was going to work out- not just their relationship, which was basically fine from the beginning, but also every plot point that might have kept them apart. Still, nice representation of grief re; disability and loss of function. But mostly, it was just so cute/sweet/low angst I got a little bored. But the characters were super cute!

[isthisakink · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5. Fucking adorable and practically perfect. I have been drowning in my own grief and feeling lost, so I loved the healing in this book. I loved the love, and I loved that there was a great balance between all the different elements. I have loved this series, and I feel like I’ve waited forever for it to continue. The wait wasn’t in vain or a letdown. Love that for me. I am annoyed that my inner Petty Patty didn’t get to see Piotr get some comeuppance, and it needed a bit more editing and proofing, but otherwise I’m a happy camper. I think I’m most excited that there wasn’t a dog in this one, though, I won’t lie. I cry enough lately, I can’t help being relieved that I could read without extra reason for the sobbing.

[Fabigail Cohen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a sweet story, pretty much a comfort read. So why only two stars?

1. Even though this book just came out, I feel like I've read it before. Ballet dancer with career-ending injury finds love and a new career teaching dance to adorable children in a twee small town. It's a thing.

2. The word is principal. Felix was the PRINCIPAL dancer in his ballet company before he got injured. Throughout the book, the author always, ALWAYS spells it "principle" which suggests both a lack of editing by actual humans (spellcheck wouldn't catch this), and, possibly, that they don't know what "principal" means. I'm embarrassed on their behalf.

But I don't know how to write a romance novel. So there's that.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

Felix is a ballet dancer who was injured so he teaches, and Cooper is a mechanic. They initially bond because Cooper's son Benji is also a dancer and Felix's prize student, but the attraction grows. They begin to date - they dine together and they have sex, lots of it. They even exchange flowers. At a restaurant, one of Cooper's friends tells Felix he's a huge fan. Cooper can and does pick Felix up. Felix rehearses his students for a performance, and they win. Toward the end of the book, they get married and move themselves and Benji into a cottage they just bought.

[Mom Needs Coffee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cooper is everyone's type, read it

I love big, bashful, sweet men so Cooper made my heart flutter constantly. Seriously, it was nonstop. I should be embarrassed but I'm not, because I'm convinced Cooper is everyone's type whether they want to admit it or not. He's a walking green flag and that's sexy AF.

Of course, Coop was the best thing that could've happened to Felix (along with Otter Bay). Felix was sweet, wounded physically and emotionally, and dealing with his loss of identity so his stress and worry made a lot of sense. I only wish he'd had more time to learn to love himself between Piotr and Cooper because Piotr sounded like an absolute mindfck and that kind of thing takes a lot of time to bounce back from. Outside of that, no complaints. I would have read this in one sitting if I'd had the time.

[Misc · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah this writer just ain't for me. The story could've worked even with the simple premise and setting, but it required a very skilled writer to elevate it and infuse it with intrigue from the prose. Unfortunately that didn't happen here. Not gonna stick around to finish this.

[Alex Macedo · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐️

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/4 stars

[Jimbo · Rating 5 out of 5]

SWEET!!!
Adorable!
Romantic!
Ashcroft pulls off a very wonderful love story that just clicks right off the bat. From beginning to their HEA.