Secrets & Lies

Silvercrest U #5

by Willow Dixon

Anthony

Three years ago, I hooked up with one of my frat brothers during a house challenge, and between the darkness and the masks we were wearing, I had no idea it was West until after it was over. And what was supposed to be nothing more than a chance to have a little fun and indulge in some of my darker desires ends up being so much more.

I don’t understand the pull between us, but West feels like mine, and even though he does his best to hide it, I know he wants me too.

After accidentally catching his fiancée cheating on him, I send West an anonymous text asking if he wants to know the truth. That text sparks a conversation, then another, and before I know it, West is telling me his deepest, darkest secrets, even though he has no idea who I am.

Then he issues me a challenge I can’t resist, and my prize is I get to do whatever I want to him. I already know West is into the same things I am, but I had no idea just how compatible we really are. Or how much we both like it when I wear a mask.

At the same time all of this is going on, West and I are paired up to work on a project together, and it’s then I realize that what I feel for him goes beyond anything I ever thought possible. I don’t just want him, I need him. And now that I’ve claimed him, I’m never letting him go.

West is mine until I decide he isn’t, and I dare anyone to try and come between us because I promise it won’t end well for them.

Genres: M M Romance, Dark Romance, Found Family, College, Friends To Lovers, Dark, College Romance

ebook

Published June 18, 2026

About the author

What can I say about myself? It’s kind of like being the new kid in school and being asked to tell everyone a bit about yourself. Anyone else forget everything they’ve ever liked, thought of, and even their name in those moments?

A few facts about me; I’m a veteran, I’m Canadian, and I love books! I’ve been writing my own stories since I was eight and wrote my first novel at sixteen. I’m the first to admit those attempts weren’t my best work, but they started me on a journey of creating stories that has led me to fulfilling my dream of becoming an author. I’ve written and published in several genres under different names, but MM is by far my favorite, and I’m so happy to be able to share my stories with people today.

I currently live on Canada’s east coast with my kiddo and my cats. I have a shoe collecting addiction, and I enjoy taking long walks, discussions with friends, and reading anything and everything I can get my hands on.

Reviews

[Monikat · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars 🤗

I really, REALLY, wanted to love this more. It has all the elements I love in this series plus anonymous texting/hooking up. But my main problem was timing and ott obliviousness.
Timing because things dragged out and lost steam and obliviousness because realization came literally in the last pages. Plus, the forgetfulness of important things and not fully talking things over while allowing serious discussions to wander off the path. Things like that ruined it for me. Still, this is one of my favorite series so no real harm done since we see all our beloved characters.

[Nk3m · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh wow, we're improving we added an extra star compared to the last book...Yay🙁
I was so desperate, I wished desperately to like this book but alas here we fucking are. This shit almost put me in a reading slump😭😭

I don't have as much complaints I did with...what's the name again? THE Xave and Damon book.
Here goes.
Firstly, i think we need to let these kids graduate, Im so done with the school and how more houses keep getting added. Like bruther.
Secondly, can we stop with the twins? I thought we was done with Jax and Jace or wtv his name is and now we have new twins? and ofc guess how they're described? CRAZYYYYY. OH WOW NEVER HEARD THAT ONE BEFORE, twins who are crazy and have strong abilities in Silvercrest? OMG, isn't that a new one.
Thirdly, oh the insta lust & the insta love. WE WERE GETTING DOWN IN THE PROLOGUE! can i at least be introduced to chapter one before im introduced to your naked ass?
Also something that made me wanna yeet myself off a cliff was the mention of "aura" EWWWWWWWW. And it wasn't just the mention of aura it's the "whoever did that has some major aura" DOUBLE EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.
This is me being picky but they were wearing a whole lotta hoodies, "he pulls me by the string of my hoodie", "he wears my hoodie", "he pulls off his hoodie"
Also the kinks are so similar, it's starting to confuse the fuck outta me. Also this book was sooo fucking boringggg, but at least West and Anthony were having conversations and not just getting their freak on, even though those conversations were basically west rambling about his life and how he's having problems and Anthony comforting him, rinse & repeat.
ALSO THE "WE TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN" SHIT AGAIN LIKE GIVE ME A BREAKKK. The stories are so confusing i'm starting to confuse who from who. It was good for the first 3 books, they were new and it was exciting but then we kept dragging it out and im sooo doneeee.
well the one good thing about this is that Anthony wasn't considered a "pyscho" YAYYY we have a different character blow the trumpets, sound the alarm!!
(also i might have lied cuz i am going to be reading the next book...cuz wdym it involves a nerd....heeheee count me in...hopefully we'll be adding an extra one or two stars from that one)
Bye :)
I DON'T LIKE TO JUDGE BUT YALL RATING THIS BOOK 5 STARS I NEED TO SEE YOUR 1 STAR RATINGS 😭😭😭

🧸Pre-read🧸
Did i absolutely hate the last book? Yes yes. Am i still gonna be sat for this one because the synopsis eats? YESSS!!! I lied saying i wouldn't be reading anymore of her books cuz im so excited for this!!😭

[Gems · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this book.

Ohhhh, how I love West. He’s genuinely a well-thought out character, naive but beautifully vulnerable. I love how he’s chaotic in both his verbal and internal thoughts and I enjoyed reading his never ending questions and ideas. Contrasting this, Anthony acts as an anchor for West. He’s calm and he’s intelligent and articulate in regard to grounding West. It’s what made their dynamic for me so refreshing to read.

The introduction of the other characters, Hazen, Connor & Rath was also much enjoyed. I’d have to say my favourite of them is Rath, but I’m a sucker for a calm character.

I didn’t have much problems with this book, other than I’ve realised that I don’t particularly like mask play. Which is fine, because there is other aspects of the book that smooth it over for me.

Can’t wait for Hazen and Liam’s book!

[Kyra · Rating 5 out of 5]

It took me an embarrassingly long time to realize West was Damon’s best friend West, even with Damon being mentioned🤣 I love all the books in this series but I think this one is officially my favorite. Ant and his pining over West for years, West finally exploring his bisexuality, Ant being absolutely everything West needs without hardly trying. These two were absolute perfection. I couldn’t have asked for a better story for West. I had hoped when we met him in X Marks the Spot that we might get a book for him because something just seemed off with his relationship, I’m so so glad Willow gave us his story. Absolutely amazing.

[haletostilinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to dive into this 5th installment as I love this series. West has a fiance but he's going to fall for Anthony? Sign me the fuck up!

And overall, it was quite enjoyable. West and Anthony were my favorite part of this and they were so good together - their chemistry was off the charts good and I couldn't get enough of them. I absolutely adored the focus mainly being on them for most of this story as well, I was giddy whenever we got scenes with them - which, soon enough, was many.

The problem with this book, really, wasn't our main couple, but a few things adding to be the reason for my star off.

First off, the first 23% of this dragged. We barely got any interaction between these two and it focused on a whole lot of nothing that I gave a shit about. It seemed like set up for more, but none of that really pays off - maybe just sprinkling for future plot, I guess? - I didn't really see the point of wasting 20% of this story on the nothingburger plot.

I didn't care about the inner workings of the frats - I've already learned enough about them and I get that some people might read this without having read others, but as someone who has read all 4 before this, being reprised on all the frat rules and regulations is *snore* boringgg. And Anthony trying to figure out who is sneaking into their frat only for it to be Xave sneaking into see Damon from the last book so it wasn't even a plot point about Anthony or West, really, so we didn't need so much focus on it at first before Anthony discovered Xave was just there to be with Damon.

And as for West, he discovers this hard drive from these two guys doing an exchange and one of them drops it, so he just takes it and puts in his room and there's one scene where he checks out what's on it, but otherwise it's forgotten until the end where it just has to do with this overarching blackmail plot from the first few books and that has *nothing* to do with West or Anthony. Literally they meet with our Rebels guys to discuss the hard drive and Anthony and his 3 buddies all contemplate if it even has anything to do with them...SO LIKE....what was the point of that plot point? A connection should have been made to the Keepers quartet so at least there was some point to this barely touched upon plot.

I think there was a vague "we could potentially be connected, maybe not, we'll see" vibe to it and that was it. It was a waste of a plot point and honestly boring.

The best of this book is when it came to Anthony and West, although even then I wish more time had been spent with them. I don't know why this author felt the need to have all these guys' romances interconnected, happening around the same time/year with somewhat of an overarching plot, because it kind of backed her into a bit of a corner.

Not too bad of a one, but enough that Anthony and West's romance really starts after spring break, and that's only about 2 months before school is out so we spend a LOT of time with them for just about 1 week, and then it kind of moves forward a bit more, but not much before we get to the culmination of everything and them declaring love for each other - after about 6 weeks of being together, and not even officially at that. I think it would have been okay for the other couples to have moved on and graduated by now and this having started in a whole new year to get them months together so this didn't feel a bit rushed by the end.

Like West goes from being engaged - although yes, their relationship is clearly falling apart - one day to getting fucked by Anthony later that night after they break up. Very quickly West forgot her - not that she deserved remembering, but it was still quite rushed.

Also Anthony thought to himself that he was a bad guy, and he messed with West a *bit* but not to the extent an actual bad person would, he actually felt like a pretty good guy overall - even if he would go far for anyone he loves, yes, he didn't actually come across as dark all that much. Jax and Jace still hold the title of actually fucked up guys with an exception to their men.

Also I will admit at this point the kinks are getting a bit repetitive. I still absolutely loved and enjoyed their sex scenes and as long as I love the couple and enjoy the sex scenes, I don't mind if they're a bit repetitive, but I will admit this series could use a change of pace, something a bit different. We've done the masked mystery man bit already. It would be nice for an actual change up in their kinks - and the narrative actually committing to what it promises. Like yeah there was somnophilia, for all of 2 seconds before West wakes up, and it's the only scene of that kink in the whole book. Like...boooo, give me more!

So yeah, all these niggles frustrated me and I had to give this a star off, as much as I loved Anthony and West together.

I also loved the epilogue, it made me so so happy - and yay for actually focusing on the couple of this book and not the next one! - and seeing these two happy and in love by the end was great.

But yeah, some frustrations with it being a bit slow at first, focusing on other things except these two, and some niggles here and there added up to a star off of this.

But it was still, overall, very enjoyable and these two definitely carried this story. If their chemistry hadn't been so on point and I hadn't enjoyed them so much, this would have gotten a lower rating, I have to say. Thankfully after 23% the focus on these two ramped up like crazy and it was all systems go until the end. These two are definitely one of my more favorite couples of this series, although I will say the first two couples - Killian/Felix and Jax/Myles - still hold the top 2 spots for me. But these two are definitely my 3rd favorite of this series, no doubt about it.

I'll be excited to see Hazen and Liam's story next, and hopefully we'll change things up a bit, kink wise as well to have it be new and exciting.

Can't wait! 😘

My Ratings for the Silvercrest U Series:

⭐️ Wicked Games: 5 stars (my review)
⭐️ Hide and Seek: 5 stars (my review)
⭐️ Fight or Flight: 3.5 stars (my review)
⭐️ X Marks the Spot: 4.5 stars (my review)
⭐️ Secrets & Lies: 4 stars

[Kelsey’s Kindle · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️

[Swoony and Spicy · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars ⭐️
4 Spice 🌶️

Tropes and Tags:
- 1st Person, Dual POV
- Dark Romance
- Masks
- Anonymous Texting
- D/s Vibes
- A Protective MC
- Frat Brothers to Lovers

I’m Absolutely in love with this series! I love a dark romance where the MC’s are actually just so soft and squishy for each other, while also being ridiculously kinky. This was probably the “lightest” of this series so far, Anthony is still arguably morally grey, but he’s also just the biggest softie for his man.

As with this whole series, there is plenty of debauchery, and we dived back into some hidden identity between the characters, and masks *wink wink* which was such a delicious treat!🔥

I’m so invested in the overarching plot, and I’ve really enjoyed the way it keeps building and involving all the new characters introduced, while also bringing back past couples as well.

Super excited for what’s coming next, I just know the next book is going to be a hit as well!👏

[Queenbeereads_sugarandspice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I did love this one! Ant and West had me glued to the page.

I adooooooored West. He’s got this rather chaotic charm to him, and I related to him in many ways – the constant apologising, the oversharing, the nervous babbling, the overthinking(!). Bless him, how oblivious he is to how serious his and Ant’s relationship is as he tries to convince himself not to get too attached. It upset me so much how he’s treated as lesser than his brothers in his family *sob* when I thought he was so incredibly endearing. I loved those little sassy moments of his!

And Ant, he bided his time with West for three years, ‘casually stalking’ him, but in that time, he noticed so much about the other man, and he shows this in the little things he does to look after West. To me, Ant’s not as intimidating as the Rebels, but he still holds that vibe of being able to protect himself and those he loves. I absolutely loved who Ant is with West – his caretaking, especially – and how he appreciates West for being who he is. He’s my favourite kind of possessive.

Oooo, how I loved the anticipation built up by the text messages to show what we can expect in the spicy scenes – it was soooo gooooooood! I was practically panting for the scenes to play out. And boy, were they great when we got them! West submits so beautifully, giving himself completely and obediently to Ant, and he’s so darn responsive, while Ant gives him exactly the right amount of encouragement and praise. I really appreciated his gentle handling and assurance when it was needed to ease West’s self-doubts, both outside the bedroom and in.

And my gawd, that epilogue! I LOVED that so much for these two, and especially for West because it’s exactly what he deserves. I was so excited for him to have finally found his person!

I’d say this one wasn’t as dark as the other books in the series and there was less of the ongoing plot than there has been in the others, but I didn’t mind this one bit because I was too busy enjoying everything about West and Ant. 

This series continues to keep me gripped and I only crave more with every book I finish. I’m excited for our next couple and how the plot unfolds from here. 

-----

Some of my favourite quotes

Yeah, there’s no maybe about it. I’m definitely into guys. Maybe not a lot of guys, but I like dick. And I apparently really like it when that dick is attached to a dominating predator in a mask who talks dirty and rubs off on me in the woods.
 
Ant looks gorgeous any day of the week, but the black leather motorcycle jacket and boots he’s wearing with a pair of dark wash jeans and a black tee elevate him from hot to god tier, 

“You need to stop putting yourself down. You’re not a moron or dumb or any of the other things you call yourself.” “I feel like all of those things,” “You’re not. There’s nothing wrong with you.” 

I didn’t expect this, and I didn’t predict it, but there’s no denying that West feels like mine. 

“It wasn’t casual. I showed you more of myself while I was wearing a mask than I’ve ever shown anyone in my entire life. I dropped defenses for you that I’ve never even considered dropping before. It might have been anonymous, and it was definitely kinky, but make no mistake, West. It wasn’t casual. Not for me, and not for you, either.” 

“Just be yourself and don’t worry about all the bullshit you worry about when you’re with other people.” 

“I loved you before I even understood what love was.”

“I didn’t think romantic love existed. I thought love was just friendship with good sex, but it’s so much more than that. It’s the most real thing I’ve ever felt, and you’ve been mine since that first night I snuck into your room.” 

He belongs with us, but more than that, he belongs with me.

West is mine, but I’m also his, and now that I have him, I’m never letting him go. And I know he’ll never let me go either.

“I’ve loved you since that first night back at school, and I’ve loved you a little bit more every day. You didn’t just show me that love is real, you taught me that it’s the most precious and incredible thing you can experience.” 

[Han · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I had issues with the timeline and spacing in this book but I’ve noticed that in this series (book 3🫩 yes I’m still bitter about that one sue me) still couldn’t put it down though!

Safety
They hooked up 3 years ago. both with others after, one H1 has ex fiancé and his only experience with a guy was H2
Neither came off as man whores H2 was with men before too and I like that he still had some firsts to give to H1

[Sammi Faye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so good!! Like omg this whole series has been so amazing! It’s honestly one of the best series I’ve read I have loved every single book so much. This book is no different it was so funny, spicy, sweet everything wrapped up in one!

[gab_e_reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book in this series! I just really love it, and I’ve enjoyed every single one of these stories so far. This one is something truly special!

Anthony catches West's fiancée cheating on him and sends West an anonymous text message. And so, things take their course…
The way Anthony takes care of West from the very beginning is enough to make you melt. He accepts West just as he is, unconditionally! And West, with all the thoughts swirling around in his head that sometimes drive him absolutely crazy, is just so incredibly lovable ❤️! You just want to give him a big hug.

But of course, it's not all sunshine and roses; alongside the love story, there are still all those secrets and shady dealings within the fraternities that gradually come to light.
The book also comes with a good dose of super-hot (sometimes kinky) spice! I absolutely love that 🔥🌶️!

If you've enjoyed the series so far, you're going to love this episode too! I highly recommend it.

[Julia Toth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've missed Silvercrest U! It was great to be back and I really enjoyed Anthony and West's story!
This series does need to be read in order, because there is an overarching plot and there are things that build on scenes in other books. We saw less of the Rebels, but we got to know the Keepers better. On the surface there were less nefarious things happening, but I feel like things were in motion behind closed doors.
I loved how over the top Anthony and the crew are. I really enjoyed Anthony being so attentive with West! As a neurodivergent person myself, I felt like a lot of West's struggles were things that I struggled with. Safe to say that I really emphasized with West. I loved that Anthony payed attention to him and never saw him as a burden. I really enjoyed their dynamic, their banter and how they went from tentative friends to lovers. I loved seeing Anthony help West calm down and feel safe enough to be his rambling self. I loved that West helped Anthony see that love did exist. West also brought out a playful and open side of Anthony that no one else got to see.

I loved the new characters we got to know and I'm excited to eventually read their stories as well. I lived the banter between Anthony and his friends a lot.

If you're in the mood for over the top characters, not so secret secret societies, hurt/comfort, anonymous texting and frat brothers/friends to lovers, then this is the book for you.

[Madam Ra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wished I liked this more, but the pacing was so off… and maybe it was a bit longer than it should. Nothing all that happens, so many inner monologues for both of them. The little action is in the final 15-20 percent which is just odd, nothing is resolved with that enigmatic flash drive. The entire book felt like a spin off of this series.
I relate liked West, but daamn that boy is clueless, I was so happy when Damon told him “Oh, honey”, because I was “oh, honeying” him the entire book. Ant was okay, but I didn’t like that he uses the same phrases repeatedly, it was kinda annoying. So not terrible, but not that great either.

[Sasha [latenightswithabook] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yet another really solid addition to this series. We’re focusing on another house now, having paired everyone from the original group of Rebels, and I’m super excited to explore the new characters.

I really enjoyed Ant and West’s relationship. West is a bit of an oblivious golden retriever and I loved that Ant had enough patience to just wait for him to figure everything out. This series has a lot of twists and turns, but for a book that had one of the mc’s in a long term relationship (and engaged) at the start, this was wonderfully low-angst.

I’d highly recommend this entire series.

⭐ 4/5

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some stories start years before you are actually aware of them starting. West and Ant’s story is one of those. Once you start this book you won’t want to put it down. And I love the on going mystery running thought the books.

[Viki · Rating 3 out of 5]

My faith in this series is restored, please continue.

I liked the first book of the series, something went... somewhere at some point but this book reminded me while I came here and what is it we're here for: a touch crazy, influential, hot, smart, capable male characters. And I guess the sweet guy who gets him into bed (with insecurities and flaws so any regular person can see themselves in him).

The love interests in this series (though they have their own POV so I guess both should be considered MCs), are a bit copy-paste in terms of what to expect, kinks included, but the original mold is, as I said, a good one so I am not complaining. I still remember this bit complaining about romance love interests that are treated as feral puppies - absolutely devoted to their human but make a mess and react with violence to any perceived threat. It's been so long since I've seen such a type and I couldn't be more happy about it - yes, a lot of the dark romance types cross lines, ignore social rules or do terrible things but it's not because they are too wild to know any better. A proper hot guy will invade his lover's privacy, break into their house then murmur sweet nothings into their ears, feed them their favourite food and eff up anyone who dares to do anything bad, not because they erupt in random acts of violence but as a deliberate choice. That's the kind of dark we (I) want to see.

We are moving to a new house, which is cool, the side characters that will soon turn into MCs also feel similar but are changed just enough (and the pause between reading them is long enough) I don't mind. The newest couple is Damon's best friend and we don't actually see a lot of Damon and we see a bit too much of the girlfriend/fiancée we already know we don't like, but it's over quickly enough. Anthony is... he stalks and teases West but even my sensitive eyes don't think it went anywhere near bullying, so it feels more like foreplay before their first real encounter. The 3-year gap... eh. All couples need to get together at a certain time so I know why that happened but that just means it makes little sense in the story. Like, yes, let me wait to claim my future husband until the rebels all get boyfriends and his best friend is taken. There's the matter of (minor spoiler? not really?) the girl cheating on him but this is a story, she cheated when the author made her so it still feels more like "a timely excuse" than "properly thought-out plot point" but is that why we're here? No? Thought so.

I wasn't always sure about this series but ya know what, I am looking forward to the next one, I am developing a fondness for series that don't really blow my mind but provide a familiar bit of entertainment with characters I can mostly remember with a trope I already enjoyed.

Recommend.

[Mirjam · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Intense chemistry, emotional depth, delicious tension, and characters who felt impossible not to root for.”

Anthony and West's relationship was absolutely captivating. What starts as secrets, anonymous messages, and hidden desires slowly evolves into something much deeper, creating a romance that felt both incredibly passionate and surprisingly heartfelt. The connection between them was undeniable from the very first page, and I loved watching their trust grow as they revealed pieces of themselves they had never shared with anyone else.







Anthony completely stole the show for me, from the very beginning, he is intense, protective, and unapologetically devoted, but what makes him truly unforgettable is the depth beneath that possessive exterior. His connection with West is magnetic, and watching him navigate the line between desire, vulnerability, and genuine love was incredibly compelling.
What I loved most about Anthony was how fiercely he cared. Whether he was protecting West, supporting him through difficult moments, or challenging him to embrace who he really is, Anthony's actions always came from a place of deep affection and loyalty.
He isn't a perfect hero and that's exactly what makes him so captivating. His flaws, moral ambiguity, and relentless determination make him feel authentic and layered.







Secrets and Lies gave me a nice induction into the Keepers' world. While the romance and character relationships took center stage, the story also did a fantastic job of expanding the larger series arc. Seeing familiar events through the Keepers' eyes added valuable context and revealed details that had previously been hidden, making the overall storyline feel even richer. Even with some answers finally coming to light, the bigger puzzle is far from solved, and I'm more invested than ever in discovering what comes next.







Willow Dixon did an amazing job balancing the darker elements with moments of tenderness, humor, and genuine emotional connection. The found family dynamics, hurt/comfort moments, and unwavering support between the characters added so much heart to the story and made me even more invested in their happiness.
I loved meeting the rest of the Keeper team, aka the characters of the future books in the series. Their camaraderie, loyalty, and distinct personalities made every scene they shared enjoyable. Hazen, Connor, and Rathe immediately sparked my curiosity, and I can't wait to see each of them take center stage in future books, I'm especially excited that Carter's story is coming soon.




Part of the Silvercrest U dark romance series, set at an elite, invite-only college. While not necessary to read in order, doing so will most likely enhance your reading enjoyment.




ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.

[Abigail Beckwith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's the latest from Willow Dixon: "Secrets and Lies." It's the fifth novel in her new series, Silvercrest U.

["Anthony

Three years ago, I hooked up with one of my frat brothers during a house challenge, and between the darkness and the masks we were wearing, I had no idea it was West until after it was over. And what was supposed to be nothing more than a chance to have a little fun and indulge in some of my darker desires ends up being so much more.

I don’t understand the pull between us, but West feels like mine, and even though he does his best to hide it, I know he wants me too.

After accidentally catching his fiancée cheating on him, I send West an anonymous text asking if he wants to know the truth. That text sparks a conversation, then another, and before I know it, West is telling me his deepest, darkest secrets, even though he has no idea who I am.

Then he issues me a challenge I can’t resist, and my prize is I get to do whatever I want to him. I already know West is into the same things I am, but I had no idea just how compatible we really are. Or how much we both like it when I wear a mask.

At the same time all of this is going on, West and I are paired up to work on a project together, and it’s then I realize that what I feel for him goes beyond anything I ever thought possible. I don’t just want him, I need him. And now that I’ve claimed him, I’m never letting him go.

West is mine until I decide he isn’t, and I dare anyone to try and come between us because I promise it won’t end well for them."]

YES. All of the yes. Always all of the yes. I love this series, and I'm obsessed that we've not fully gone to another house to get more unhinged HEAs. All the while trying to still solve one of those original problems.

West and Ant were perfect for each other. Utterly perfect in so many ways.

We didn't get nearly as much crazy from Ant's brothers/friends as I would have liked, but we have HEAs for them coming quickly.

Trigger Warnings: mind games, cheating (not by or between MCs), dubcon, blackmail, threats, mentions of potential mild homophobia, toxic parents, and more.

#arc #arcteammember #forewordpr
#wickedgames #hideandseek #fightorflight #secretsandlies #xmarksthespot #silvercrestu #silvercrestuseries #willowdixon #books #queerbooks #queererotica #bodicerippers #bookstagram #bookphotography #ilovebooks

[Rebecca Morin · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded to 4 for good reads

For the most part, I have really loved this series, but unfortunately, even though I liked this book, it ended up being my lowest-rated one so far. It pains me to say that because the kinks were absolutely chef’s kiss and exactly what I wanted.

My biggest issue was that the beginning didn’t always feel cohesive. There were moments that felt like we read a scene from one point of view and then went backward in time to read the same events from the other point of view. I think it would have flowed much better if those scenes had been arranged in chronological order.

It had also been a little while since I read the last book, so it took me way too long to realize that West was Damon’s friend. I know it was mentioned early on, but it just didn’t fully connect for me. We didn’t hear enough about Damon for me to immediately remember him from the previous book, and I really wish we had gotten more interactions between the two groups, or at least more of Damon and West together. The book kept reminding us that they were best friends, but we rarely got to actually see that friendship on page until a little bit toward the end.

I’m also still confused about what happened with West’s family. It felt like 90% of the reason he struggled to admit he was bisexual was because of how his family would react. Yet once he agrees to go public with the relationship, we never get any resolution there. I was genuinely surprised when the book just ended then I assumed we’d revisit that in the epilogue. Instead, we just hear that West has become closer with Anthony’s family.

I was really waiting to see his family’s reaction. How were they going to treat him? Would they still look down on him even though Anthony came from a prominent family, or would his parents still think him being bisexual was wrong because it wasn’t normal to them. The story spent so much time building up that conflict that it felt strange not to get any payoff. By the end, I honestly felt like I was missing a chapter or an epilogue scene because it seemed like such an important part of West’s journey that never got fully addressed. Either way I’m excited to see what happens next with this new Alliance and all the new friends coming together

[Ay · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!

Gotcha.

I was sitting on my rating for a bit, because I had only one 5-star read so far this year and while I have so much love for this, this does not compare to the other 5-star read. BUT it is not a competition so why make it one? This deserves the 5 stars!

I loved this soo much! This was everything I wanted from this series and more. I honestly did not have many expectations from it. It's the fifth book in the series, and the previous MMCs, mainly the Hawthrone cousins were pretty similar to eachother. And while I love my men possessive and obsessed, I was missing something. I was honestly also missing how I felt reading the first two books in this series, those two were my favorites and I reread them a couple times and now this book is going to join them.

As someone who is an overthinker, someone who back in the days would apologize for everything (I would say I'm a lot better now!) and someone who self doubts herself, I saw myself a little bit in West. I am definetly adding him to "my babies" list, because he deserves so much love and more. I just love how well West and Ant fit together. And Anthony... OMG Anthony! I thought Killian and Jax are the best Willow Dixon men, and don't get me wrong they still are, but WOW. Anthony is definetly now at the top three with them. The was he was flirting? The way he would bring food, because he knew West wasn't taking care of himself? The way he would ask for cuddles? The way he just took care of West in general? I could not handle it, I was fangirling so hard for him. So yes, I love him.

My only complaint is going to be a usual one for me: I wanted more. I wish we got more towards the end once we established some things... I just wanted more of them, more of their sweet moments and also more of them with family and friends.

We know the next book is going to be Hazen and Liam, and after that Carter but I kinda want one of Connor and Rath? I don't know if I am the only one who sees potential in that relationship, but I want it, please.

*I received an ARC, but this is my honest review on it.*

[Bailey Oswald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 4/5⭐️
✨
Review: The queen writes again!!!! This series just keep getting better and better honestly. I really liked that this one didn't have a third act break up and the breakup that was involved wasn't made into a big deal. The angst between West and Ant was strong and i loved the secret identity behind the mask. The series doesn't stop here either. One thing after another happens and it keeps you on your toes through the whole book. I think we will get more answers in the upcoming books. I do believe this is one of my favorite books in the series. I think i say that every time but they do they are just so good. Willow Dixon will always be a they write it I will read it type author.
✨
Summary: Anthony

Three years ago, I hooked up with one of my frat brothers during a house challenge, and between the darkness and the masks we were wearing, I had no idea it was West until after it was over. And what was supposed to be nothing more than a chance to have a little fun and indulge in some of my darker desires ends up being so much more.

I don’t understand the pull between us, but West feels like mine, and even though he does his best to hide it, I know he wants me too.

After accidentally catching his fiancée cheating on him, I send West an anonymous text asking if he wants to know the truth. That text sparks a conversation, then another, and before I know it, West is telling me his deepest, darkest secrets, even though he has no idea who I am.

Then he issues me a challenge I can’t resist, and my prize is I get to do whatever I want to him. I already know West is into the same things I am, but I had no idea just how compatible we really are. Or how much we both like it when I wear a mask.

At the same time all of this is going on, West and I are paired up to work on a project together, and it’s then I realize that what I feel for him goes beyond anything I ever thought possible. I don’t just want him, I need him. And now that I’ve claimed him, I’m never letting him go.

West is mine until I decide he isn’t, and I dare anyone to try and come between us because I promise it won’t end well for them.

[J.J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

🌟 3.25 stars 🌟

Mmmh, this one is tricky to rate.

I absolutely loved Anthony and West's dynamic. West is a chaotic golden retriever with low self-esteem and Anthony is more quiet but confident and commanding. They fit so well together, and I liked how much of a caretaker Anthony was with West. It was obvious that it wasn't something he did with others.

It was hard for West to believe Anthony truly wanted him because he had such a low opinion of himself. It's a bit frustrating that it went on literally until the end. Every time they fucked, a part of me was screaming "Instead of getting laid, go get a therapist". West kept ignoring his feelings for Anthony. His denial was so strong that even I wondered if he was even in love with him at some point. Anthony's POV was also quite secretive. He rarely monologued about his feelings, only his actions, which fits his personality, I suppose.

The reason why I wanted to rate this 3 stars was because it felt like nothing was happening in this story. There was no action, no real plot aside from them fucking and getting closer. It wasn't bad, per se, but it felt a bit bland. Slightly disappointing since I really enjoy this series. Maybe my expectations were too high because I LOVE the hidden identity trope.

Some parts of the story, like the first 30%, were so slow. A lot of moments were dragged on, and they could have been used for exploring more important topics like West's shitty family. I wished there had been some development there or regarding West's self-esteem. His ADHD was even swept under the rug in the end. We don't even know if he ends up getting diagnosed or even accept that his brain is different. It's a shame that he didn't grow as a character when there could have been opportunities for it.

It's also a shame that we don't know much about Anthony's upbringing or feelings. We know some stuff, obviously, but the book focused on West's issues and him and Ant's relationship.

I'm still looking forward to the next book, though!

[Laura Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Secrets & Lies is book five in the Silvercrest U series. This MM dark romance story is about Anthony and West.

So with this being the fifth book in the series, I thought we would get more of the same Rebels frat guys that we loved from the previous four books. Instead we got new characters from the Keepers, which is a rival frat. The Keepers also have a group of royalty that includes a set of twin brothers. Anthony is a part of this group and he is on his way to become a future house leader.

Anthony and West are frat brothers but aren’t very close. They hooked up a couple years ago at a house challenge, but they didn’t know each other’s identity because they were wearing masks. Three years later, Anthony catches West’s fiancée cheating on him, so he sends West an anonymous text. These two find themselves continuing to text each other, and soon West starts to confess his deepest secrets. At the same time, Anthony and West have a class together and are paired to work on a project. As they spend more time together, we got to see how things changed between these two.

I think Anthony and West were sweet together. Anthony was patient and understanding towards West, especially with his insecurities. West had undiagnosed ADHD, and I wish we would have been given more of a resolution about it. It was sad that West felt like a disappointment to his family. They didn’t know about his sexuality, and I would have liked to see their reaction to West’s relationship with Anthony.

This book didn’t seem as dark or dangerous as the previous books in this series. It was interesting getting to know the members of the Keepers, but I have to say I did miss the Rebels gang. We only got one scene with them, and I do hope we will get more of them as this series continues.

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

[michaela · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW!🩵

“i’ve loved you since that first night back at school, and i’ve loved you a little bit more every day. you didn’t just show me that love is real, you taught me that it’s the most precious and incredible thing you can experience. i’m proud to be with you, west, and i want to fully be yours for the rest of our lives.”

dare i say this just became my favorite of the silvercrest books??🫣

secrets and lies is the fifth book in willow dixon’s silvercrest u series and it follows anthony medici and west parker who are part of the keepers, one of the four frats on campus.

anthony and west met their freshman year at silvercrest and what started as an anonymous hookup turned into an obsession, on both sides but only anthony knew it was west he had hooked up with and west had no idea. three years later after a failed engagement, anonymous texts, and being paired up as partners for a project west & anthony found themselves falling for each other in such a sweet (and definitely kinky) way.

anthony was absolutely INCREDIBLE with west. as someone who didn’t feel accepted in his own family, west often found himself trying to make himself smaller for those around him and anthony never allowed that and allowed west to be fully himself and never made west feel like he was too much.

the love these two shared was absolutely everything. it felt so real and it never felt rushed and they were able to fall into each other so effortlessly.

i loved being able to meet the guys in anthony’s friend group & i loved getting small glimpses of some of the other couples we met in previous books. i’m also SO looking forward to hazen & connor’s books at later dates- i just KNOW they’re going to be good!🫶🏻

[lmreadsromance · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

I received an arc of Secrets and Lies from Willow and Foreward PR and I was so excited to get back into the Silvercrest University world! I highly recommend reading these books in order because there is an overarching plot line that is gradually unfolding and each book in the series reveals more clues.

The first four books were centred around the Hawthorne cousins and whilst I loved them, the ending of book four left me with so many questions and was ready to have more of the story from the Keepers perspective.

This story features West, who was Damon’s best friend who we got to know in Book four. West was such a sweet puppy that I just wanted to wrap up and protect, he was constantly overthinking, apologising for everything and liked to hide away when thinking got too much. Luckily for West, he had someone secretly obsessed with him!

After a chance, masked encounter during a hunting game in their first year, Anthony, who is Keeper royalty, kept more than a close eye on our West (despite West never knowing who his mystery man was!).

He made his presence known when West needed him the most (even if he didn’t realise it), providing caretaking, friendship, comfort, touch and acceptance. The casual flirting, safe exploration and patience shown was so gorgeous to read, as was West working out what was really happening.

This book was a great introduction to the Keepers, it was quite relationship focused. We had some crossover timelines with the previous book and we were able to fill in some gaps from the Keepers perspective, however we still have a lot more of the mystery to uncover.

I loved the introduction of the Keeper’s crew and I’m looking forward to getting stories from Hazen, Connor and Rathe (I have some hopeful predictions for these) and I’m excited we will also get Carter’s story this year!

[Sunshine · Rating 5 out of 5]

SECRETS & LIES - WILLOW DIXON

This is book five in the Silvercrest U series.

While we met West in the last book, it was nice to get to know more about him and the fraternity house he lives in. A chance encounter freshman year with a masked figure, left him with fantasy material for years, and a realization that he may not be as straight as he thought.

Anthony has been watching over West from afar since their chance encounter freshman year, and definitely has a secret crush on him.

When West and Ant get paired up for a class project, they start spending more time together, and after West gets a text from an unknown number (that actually belonged to him at one point in his life), he is told his fiancé is cheating on him. Since West was pressured into getting engaged by his family, his heart isn’t truly heartbroken when he sees the video proof of McKenna’s infidelity. But Ant and his friends make sure the gossip about the breakup is shut down fast when he sees how upset West is.

Ant learns there are secret passageways in their fraternity house, he decides to make a visit to West as the masked man who shared their hot encounter freshman year. This leads to several more texts and visits until West eventually figures out his project partner from class and his mystery man are the same person.

There are wonderful side characters throughout the story, including those from previous books that continue to entertain the reader with their banter and boyfriends. There is also an ongoing mystery connecting the stories, and it is intriguing to see the way each fraternity researches the clues they find.

Willow is fantastic at engaging us and I can’t wait to see who the other Keepers meet and fall in love with.

[V · Rating 5 out of 5]

And we are back 🥳 I am so happy that we delved deeper into the Keeper’s characters.

I love books that don’t have unnecessary drama between the main characters. And even though the name of the book is ‘Secrets and Lies’, there was zero drama between West and Anthony, which I greatly appreciated and enjoyed.

West’s overthinking and over-explaining character was very relatable, and his babbling and infinitely long list of animal facts were so endearing 🥹 His heart was kind, genuine, and pure. I just love him dearly!

And Anthony, oh Anthony. His character was incredible. I loved that he didn’t let West talk badly about himself, and how he was always interrupting every “I’m sorry” that West attempted to say. The “no apologies strikes jar” was very much needed 🤭 Ant was just extremely protective of West’s feelings, and no one, even West himself, was allowed to hurt him.

Even though it took them a bit longer for both to realize their relationship, their chemistry and connection felt incredibly strong.

There was one aspect of this book that I missed, and that was the mystery. The mystery has been a huge part of the series, but it was absent in ‘Secrets and Lies’. I also wished we had seen more of West and his family’s relationship, as well as more information about Ant’s family.

Overall, I truly enjoyed the book. Loved the dynamics between the main characters, as well as the interactions between all the characters. One thing I, once again, enjoyed from this series was the found family aspect. I just love how the family is growing up. And I hope we get more interactions between the Rebels and the Keepers, and perhaps even more friendships will blossom🤭

As always, I am excited for the next book in the series. But also for the next after the next one 😅

[Kerri Rutana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of SECRETS & LIES
Book 5, in the Silvercrest U Series

I absolutely adored this book! The prologue was hott! In this book we get to meet West and Anthony. We met West in the last book, as Damon's best friend and learned that he got engaged because he thought that he had to and wanted to make his girlfriend happy. This book starts with West still engaged, but also fantasizing about that one night he had an anonymous hook up or so he thinks. West was so quirky, I absolutely loved him. I love his brain, it matches mine so I can relate. I hated his family, and how they treated him causing all these insecurities.
Andrew I am obsessed with. I loved that he never forgot about that night and watched West from afar for years. I loved how he had West’s back without West knowing, because lets be honest West could be obviously sometimes but I loved that about him. I love how he let West come to his own conclusions, and never made him feel bad about himself. The way he told West that he would be punished for talking bad about himself, or apologize unnecessarily. I loved how Bratty West would come out and provoke Anthony to earn these punishments. Overall I just loved these boys. And the 5 years later chapter was perfect! This book has some mystery, angst, yearning, and love. I also like seeing all the side characters and what they are up to, and learning about all the frats on campus. Overall I just really loved watching West come into his own, and Andrew being there by his side. I cannot wait for the next in the series!! Thanks Willow for writing such complex and amazing characters, and thank you for picking me to Arc read this!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

**********Contains Spoilers**********

I really enjoyed this book and thought that it was another good addition to the Silvercrest U Series, and one of my favourites of the series so far. I thought that Anthony and West were great together, yes their dynamic is completely f*cked up but it works for them so why not? They hooked up three years ago during a house challenge, due to the darkness and the masks they had no idea who the other was. Anthony knew afterwards because he marked the coin the West gave him since he caught him and checked who the coin belonged too using the gps data. After Anthony catches West’s fiancée cheating him on video he decides to have a little fun and starts an the anonymous texting West asking if he wants to know the truth, what started as a little fun eventually turns into exactly what the other needs.

I would’ve loved a bit more danger during this book as I would’ve loved seeing Anthony, his best friends/found family Connor, Hazen (the twins) & Rath be all protective if someone f*cked with West as it would be a sight to behold. We got to see snippets of Anthony being all protective of West when one of their frat brothers was trying to get details out of West about his breakup, all because he wanted to up his odds in the betting pool that their frat brothers were placing on whether or not West would get back with his ex or not. The twins & Rath intrigued me even with the little we got of them during this book I’m still interested in learning more about them during their books. I’m really looking forward to reading Hazen’s book, Like a Villain when it’s released in November, as well as more books by Willow Dixon in the future. I’d recommend this book, series and author to others.

[Stephen Rutana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Must read

I absolutely adored this book! The prologue was hott! In this book we get to meet West and Anthony. We met West in the last book, as Damon's best friend and learned that he got engaged because he thought that he had to and wanted to make his girlfriend happy. This book starts with West still engaged, but also fantasizing about that one night he had an anonymous hook up or so he thinks. West was so quirky, I absolutely loved him. I love his brain, it matches mine so I can relate. I hated his family, and how they treated him causing all these insecurities.
Andrew I am obsessed with. I loved that he never forgot about that night and watched West from afar for years. I loved how he had West’s back without West knowing, because lets be honest West could be obviously sometimes but I loved that about him. I love how he let West come to his own conclusions, and never made him feel bad about himself. The way he told West that he would be punished for talking bad about himself, or apologize unnecessarily. I loved how Bratty West would come out and provoke Anthony to earn these punishments. Overall I just loved these boys. And the 5 years later chapter was perfect! This book has some mystery, angst, yearning, and love. I also like seeing all the side characters and what they are up to, and learning about all the frats on campus. Overall I just really loved watching West come into his own, and Andrew being there by his side. I cannot wait for the next in the series!! Thanks Willow for writing such complex and amazing characters, and thank you for picking me to Arc read this!