What do you think?
Rate this book
My Responsibility: Dark MM Romance
Eighteen-year-old Liam Marsal arrives at Aspire Academy with a bag of weed in his shoe, a smart mouth, and absolutely no intention of behaving himself.
Ethan Farley has spent three years building a perfect record at the facility's correctional program. Perfect grades, perfect conduct, a carefully planned future. The last thing he needs is a reckless, blue-eyed troublemaker dismantling everything he's worked for.
As Liam's assigned student leader, Ethan is responsible for keeping him in line. The problem is that keeping Liam in line requires getting close to him. And getting close to him is the most dangerous thing Ethan has ever done.
Behind razor wire and locked doors, between punishment and forgiveness, between rules and the people who break them, something neither of them planned for begins to take shape. Something that looks a lot like home.
My Responsibility is a slow-burn MM dark romance set in a fictional residential correctional facility. It contains explicit content, power dynamics, and heavy themes including eating disorders, parental abuse, and institutional confinement, all handled within a story about two people learning to let someone in.
HEA guaranteed.
Tropes: Daddy Kink; Slow Burn; Hurt/Comfort; Found Family; MMA (sports); Bad Boy/Golden Boy; Touch him you die; No third act breakup; Strict Roles
My Responsibility is book 1 in Aspire Academy. It must be read in order. The books follow Ethan and Liam throughout.
Book 1: My Responsibility
Book 2: My Family
Book 3: My Choice
Book 4: After Aspire
More coming soon with other couples from the series!
Ethan Farley has spent three years building a perfect record at the facility's correctional program. Perfect grades, perfect conduct, a carefully planned future. The last thing he needs is a reckless, blue-eyed troublemaker dismantling everything he's worked for.
As Liam's assigned student leader, Ethan is responsible for keeping him in line. The problem is that keeping Liam in line requires getting close to him. And getting close to him is the most dangerous thing Ethan has ever done.
Behind razor wire and locked doors, between punishment and forgiveness, between rules and the people who break them, something neither of them planned for begins to take shape. Something that looks a lot like home.
My Responsibility is a slow-burn MM dark romance set in a fictional residential correctional facility. It contains explicit content, power dynamics, and heavy themes including eating disorders, parental abuse, and institutional confinement, all handled within a story about two people learning to let someone in.
HEA guaranteed.
Tropes: Daddy Kink; Slow Burn; Hurt/Comfort; Found Family; MMA (sports); Bad Boy/Golden Boy; Touch him you die; No third act breakup; Strict Roles
My Responsibility is book 1 in Aspire Academy. It must be read in order. The books follow Ethan and Liam throughout.
Book 1: My Responsibility
Book 2: My Family
Book 3: My Choice
Book 4: After Aspire
More coming soon with other couples from the series!
344 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 1, 2026
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
Did Not Finish
June 4, 2026Sadly DNF @ 50%.
I went into this expecting to love it but unfortunately it just did not work for me. The world that was built was super appealing and interesting to me - an academy setting for reforming troubled youth. At Aspire Academy, there is an enemies to lovers type set up where the “goody two shoes MMC” Ethan has to be responsible for the “troubled MMC” Liam and help him adhere to the rules and get his life back on track. It’s my fault, because I read through the TW and thought I’d be on board with them and the bully romance / power dynamics (MMC gets beat with a belt the first day there) just wasn’t the type of things I ultimately enjoy reading. I also personally did not connect with the author’s writing style and choice of character plot devices and had trouble sticking it out. If you’re into that plot set up and like more dark romance erotica then you will probably love it!
Thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the opportunity to read this ARC
I went into this expecting to love it but unfortunately it just did not work for me. The world that was built was super appealing and interesting to me - an academy setting for reforming troubled youth. At Aspire Academy, there is an enemies to lovers type set up where the “goody two shoes MMC” Ethan has to be responsible for the “troubled MMC” Liam and help him adhere to the rules and get his life back on track. It’s my fault, because I read through the TW and thought I’d be on board with them and the bully romance / power dynamics (MMC gets beat with a belt the first day there) just wasn’t the type of things I ultimately enjoy reading. I also personally did not connect with the author’s writing style and choice of character plot devices and had trouble sticking it out. If you’re into that plot set up and like more dark romance erotica then you will probably love it!
Thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the opportunity to read this ARC
Did Not Finish
May 11, 2026thank you to the author for the arc. all thoughts are my own.
dnf @23%
this was not a book problem, it was a me problem. I liked Ethan as a character but didn't like Liam. the setting was cool and different than anything I have read before. if this interests you, pick it up and give it a shot but make sure to read the trigger warnings
dnf @23%
this was not a book problem, it was a me problem. I liked Ethan as a character but didn't like Liam. the setting was cool and different than anything I have read before. if this interests you, pick it up and give it a shot but make sure to read the trigger warnings
June 6, 2026
This book absolutely did not need a sequel, nor did it need to be this long with so little plot. I applaud the author’s attempt but there was just too little dialogue, too little plot and odd jumps that defy reality. Not for me
August 15, 2026
okay because I have THOUGHTS.
First of all, Liam and Ethan??? I loved them. Like genuinely. Their relationship had me sat there like oh, so we're doing this to me now? Ethan looking out for Liam, constantly trying to understand him and be there for him even when Liam made it approximately one million times harder than it needed to be??? I ate that up.
I really loved the way their relationship developed because Ethan wasn't just there to “fix” Liam. He actually saw him. And Liam, for all his chaos and self-destructive tendencies, slowly letting Ethan get close to him was just... yeah. I was invested. Unfortunately.
BUT.
Why did I finish this book and become more interested in Miles than I was supposed to be??? 😭
Because Miles is just... Miles.
The broody, antisocial, barely-speaking-to-anyone, permanently-looking-like-he-has-something-better-to-do Miles. I don't know what it is about characters like that but apparently I am extremely susceptible to them. I'm officially on my Miles journey and there is no turning back.
I NEED HIS BOOK!!
And if that book is with Jack??? Oh, it's over for me.
Because Jack has the personality of a golden retriever that was somehow given human form. This man is sunshine, friendliness and probably the physical embodiment of “hey guys!!! ” meanwhile Miles looks like he would rather be buried alive than participate in a group conversation. PUT THEM TOGETHER.
I just know the dynamic would be ridiculous and I need to see it.
And while we're handing out books, REED AND MASON. Please. I am begging. Give them a story too because I refuse to believe we're going to introduce all these interesting characters and then expect me to simply move on with my life.
The side characters genuinely made this book so much more enjoyable for me because I kept finding myself thinking, wait... I need YOUR story too. That's how you know a series has got me. I'm no longer reading one book. I'm mentally preparing for the entire franchise.
Liam and Ethan were definitely the heart of this one for me, though. Their relationship had the right amount of tenderness, frustration, protectiveness and absolute emotional nonsense to keep me hooked. Ethan being so protective of Liam while Liam was basically doing everything in his power to make Ethan's life harder was honestly one of my favourite things.
And somehow, underneath all the chaos, there was something really sweet about them. I loved watching them figure each other out and become important to one another.
So yes, I enjoyed this book. A LOT.
But Ivory Sallow, I have a small list of demands now.
Miles needs a book.
Jack needs to be in it.
Reed and Mason need a book.
And I need everyone to stop introducing characters I become emotionally attached to.
Anyway, My Responsibility was messy, emotional, addictive and apparently the beginning of my unhealthy attachment to an entire cast of fictional men.
4.5⭐️
Would absolutely continue the series because unfortunately I now need to know what happens to everyone.
First of all, Liam and Ethan??? I loved them. Like genuinely. Their relationship had me sat there like oh, so we're doing this to me now? Ethan looking out for Liam, constantly trying to understand him and be there for him even when Liam made it approximately one million times harder than it needed to be??? I ate that up.
I really loved the way their relationship developed because Ethan wasn't just there to “fix” Liam. He actually saw him. And Liam, for all his chaos and self-destructive tendencies, slowly letting Ethan get close to him was just... yeah. I was invested. Unfortunately.
BUT.
Why did I finish this book and become more interested in Miles than I was supposed to be??? 😭
Because Miles is just... Miles.
The broody, antisocial, barely-speaking-to-anyone, permanently-looking-like-he-has-something-better-to-do Miles. I don't know what it is about characters like that but apparently I am extremely susceptible to them. I'm officially on my Miles journey and there is no turning back.
I NEED HIS BOOK!!
And if that book is with Jack??? Oh, it's over for me.
Because Jack has the personality of a golden retriever that was somehow given human form. This man is sunshine, friendliness and probably the physical embodiment of “hey guys!!! ” meanwhile Miles looks like he would rather be buried alive than participate in a group conversation. PUT THEM TOGETHER.
I just know the dynamic would be ridiculous and I need to see it.
And while we're handing out books, REED AND MASON. Please. I am begging. Give them a story too because I refuse to believe we're going to introduce all these interesting characters and then expect me to simply move on with my life.
The side characters genuinely made this book so much more enjoyable for me because I kept finding myself thinking, wait... I need YOUR story too. That's how you know a series has got me. I'm no longer reading one book. I'm mentally preparing for the entire franchise.
Liam and Ethan were definitely the heart of this one for me, though. Their relationship had the right amount of tenderness, frustration, protectiveness and absolute emotional nonsense to keep me hooked. Ethan being so protective of Liam while Liam was basically doing everything in his power to make Ethan's life harder was honestly one of my favourite things.
And somehow, underneath all the chaos, there was something really sweet about them. I loved watching them figure each other out and become important to one another.
So yes, I enjoyed this book. A LOT.
But Ivory Sallow, I have a small list of demands now.
Miles needs a book.
Jack needs to be in it.
Reed and Mason need a book.
And I need everyone to stop introducing characters I become emotionally attached to.
Anyway, My Responsibility was messy, emotional, addictive and apparently the beginning of my unhealthy attachment to an entire cast of fictional men.
4.5⭐️
Would absolutely continue the series because unfortunately I now need to know what happens to everyone.
June 4, 2026
Review for (Aspire Academy-1) My Responsibility: Dark by Ivory Sallow
Tropes-
Criminal System/Prison/ juvies
Eating disorder
The death by suicide of a parent
Physical sexual harassment
Suicide ideation
Drug use (Pot)
I have to say, I have loved that lately I have taken chances on new authors. It has expanded my reading style. This one is one for me. I have read some with these tropes, but not many, so I wasn't sure going in if this would be for me. I do have to say I felt this author did a good job on this storyline. It wasn't totally my thing, but in the end, I found out that I ended up liking it towards the end. I like that Ivory took the tropes but didn't belittle mental health while doing it. I liked Ethan more than I liked Liam. But those are my feelings, not really the story. I understand the suicide trope since I went through that for years. I felt Ivory did a good job depicting this. I also felt the physical/sexual harassment because I lived it. So this book hit a lot of hard things for me, but Ivory wrote it well for me to like this book, so kudos to this author. The way this author wrote about the eating disorder was hard for me because I lived through it for years and still fight it. Ivory covered this very well. So all in all I am quite happy I read this story. I look forward to reading more by Ivory Sallow.
Nicole Harvey
Tropes-
Criminal System/Prison/ juvies
Eating disorder
The death by suicide of a parent
Physical sexual harassment
Suicide ideation
Drug use (Pot)
I have to say, I have loved that lately I have taken chances on new authors. It has expanded my reading style. This one is one for me. I have read some with these tropes, but not many, so I wasn't sure going in if this would be for me. I do have to say I felt this author did a good job on this storyline. It wasn't totally my thing, but in the end, I found out that I ended up liking it towards the end. I like that Ivory took the tropes but didn't belittle mental health while doing it. I liked Ethan more than I liked Liam. But those are my feelings, not really the story. I understand the suicide trope since I went through that for years. I felt Ivory did a good job depicting this. I also felt the physical/sexual harassment because I lived it. So this book hit a lot of hard things for me, but Ivory wrote it well for me to like this book, so kudos to this author. The way this author wrote about the eating disorder was hard for me because I lived through it for years and still fight it. Ivory covered this very well. So all in all I am quite happy I read this story. I look forward to reading more by Ivory Sallow.
Nicole Harvey
June 5, 2026
Holy hot cannoli!
This dark MM academia romance hooked me from the first page. It was such a unique read. What a ride! The setting is a correctional college institution, and almost immediately, stuff starts to go down. The writing was so fun and easy to read. I devoured the pages. With characters like Liam and Ethan, their story was so fun and easy to get invested in.
Liam is a total ball of chaos, and Ethan is Mr. Responsibility. Their instant chemistry was off the charts hot, and though it was the slowest burn, it worked well for the development of their relationship. I really enjoyed their brat/Daddy dynamic.
The dark humor and self-deprecating jokes were entertaining AF. The heavy topics were handled well with care. The found family these guys at the school created were sweet and funny. Ends in an HFN as the series will continue, I'm excited for more.
Tropes:
MM Dark Academia
Bad boy + Golden boy
Slow-burn
Spicy
Found Family
No third act break-up
Hurt/Comfort
ADHD rep
Touch him and ☠️
Power dynamics
Kinks
D/s
Dual POV
Check TW
Thank you, GRR and Ivory Sallow, for the opportunity to read this book.
This dark MM academia romance hooked me from the first page. It was such a unique read. What a ride! The setting is a correctional college institution, and almost immediately, stuff starts to go down. The writing was so fun and easy to read. I devoured the pages. With characters like Liam and Ethan, their story was so fun and easy to get invested in.
Liam is a total ball of chaos, and Ethan is Mr. Responsibility. Their instant chemistry was off the charts hot, and though it was the slowest burn, it worked well for the development of their relationship. I really enjoyed their brat/Daddy dynamic.
The dark humor and self-deprecating jokes were entertaining AF. The heavy topics were handled well with care. The found family these guys at the school created were sweet and funny. Ends in an HFN as the series will continue, I'm excited for more.
Tropes:
MM Dark Academia
Bad boy + Golden boy
Slow-burn
Spicy
Found Family
No third act break-up
Hurt/Comfort
ADHD rep
Touch him and ☠️
Power dynamics
Kinks
D/s
Dual POV
Check TW
Thank you, GRR and Ivory Sallow, for the opportunity to read this book.
July 6, 2026
4 ⭐️ .75 🌶️
On boy..Ethan and Liam! Can I just say I fucked with the premise of this story. I mean two broken boys- one golden boy leader of the academic prison alternative and the other the new transfer, in a forced proximity situation riddled with misunderstanding and tension was AWESOME!!!
I loved their growth- the rigid leader softening and learning to allow himself space just to be himself away from his past and his fixed goals. And Liam who is so broken and alone never having anyone in his corner being able to rely on Daddy Ethan 😈 AYEEEEE! I think truly my favorite part was watching them begin to heal and grow together!
But along the way this journey was WOW! Tension filled, push and pull (which I’m personally down for) was wonderful to get to the end!!! 🩵 I’m definitely interested to see where book 2 goes!!!
On boy..Ethan and Liam! Can I just say I fucked with the premise of this story. I mean two broken boys- one golden boy leader of the academic prison alternative and the other the new transfer, in a forced proximity situation riddled with misunderstanding and tension was AWESOME!!!
I loved their growth- the rigid leader softening and learning to allow himself space just to be himself away from his past and his fixed goals. And Liam who is so broken and alone never having anyone in his corner being able to rely on Daddy Ethan 😈 AYEEEEE! I think truly my favorite part was watching them begin to heal and grow together!
But along the way this journey was WOW! Tension filled, push and pull (which I’m personally down for) was wonderful to get to the end!!! 🩵 I’m definitely interested to see where book 2 goes!!!
June 5, 2026
There are so many great aspects of this book. The fact that it's a dark romance set in a sort of private/military/reform kind of place or school. The D/S dynamic. Also that Liam and Ethan are so different and that Liam is definitely ready to give Ethan, who is assigned to him as a student leader, a run for his money because he isn't about to be good or proper for the model student and he definitely doesn't intend to take orders. Ethan has his work cut out for him but as the book goes on we start to see that maybe Ethan isn't all good or polished after all. Liam definitely dirties him up a bit and makes Liam feel that maybe the place isn't so bad after all. Not to mention this is only book one in a series of books that follows these two crazy men and I'm excited to go through it all with them.
June 5, 2026
Brilliant!!!!!
This is the 2nd book I've read of this author and if I thought I adored her first book (The art of becoming us) this one just blew me away even more!
It's set in a correctional facility and has at times made me internally scream at one the characters...Liam. This character is such a torn up brat, but jeez I loved him and was fighting for him all the way. The love interest...Ethan, such a control lover....we love it though lol.
I'm so glad this is a series because I'd hate to stop reading about these fantastically crazy characters.
Waiting on the next installment <3
Ivory....I adore your writing and mental health reps, you are beautiful xxx
This is the 2nd book I've read of this author and if I thought I adored her first book (The art of becoming us) this one just blew me away even more!
It's set in a correctional facility and has at times made me internally scream at one the characters...Liam. This character is such a torn up brat, but jeez I loved him and was fighting for him all the way. The love interest...Ethan, such a control lover....we love it though lol.
I'm so glad this is a series because I'd hate to stop reading about these fantastically crazy characters.
Waiting on the next installment <3
Ivory....I adore your writing and mental health reps, you are beautiful xxx
June 4, 2026
OMG I loved it! Don't know what I expected, but it was fantastic. I don't want to say to much, because you have to experience it for yourself, but I loved it!
Also I think there is gonna be a next book (at least I hope so), because they are still in the facility when the book ends, so I'm really hoping for a next book, where they get out of there and make their dreams come true. I really hope that for them.
P.S. I received an ARC, but this is my honest opinion. Thank you to GRR for the ARC!
Also I think there is gonna be a next book (at least I hope so), because they are still in the facility when the book ends, so I'm really hoping for a next book, where they get out of there and make their dreams come true. I really hope that for them.
P.S. I received an ARC, but this is my honest opinion. Thank you to GRR for the ARC!
June 4, 2026
First book for me from this author and I loved it. I hope I can read more by this author. First time reading a book like this. Definitely want more.
Did Not Finish
July 4, 2026It didn't take me long at all to figure this is most definitely not my thing. No disrespect to the author.
Did Not Finish
June 5, 2026*ARC Review*
Ever since his mom died, Liam has been on bender after bender. Stealing, going on joyrides, and taking different drugs. When he finally goes to far and drives his fathers car while under the influence, he is finally sent to Aspire Academy, where boys 18 or over are given a last chance to turn their lives around and get a degree.
Ethan has been at Aspire for a long time. He knows to follow orders and stay in line. What will happen when the new student is assigned to him?
I DNFed at 40%.
I could see the vision for the book, but I just can't get behind how both characters thought of themselves and acted. Yes, I do understand that there are some people who do think this way and are very childish and reckless, but it's downright annoying to read about in my opinion.
If the author wanted to have a sort of kinky aspect, I believe it should have been gradual. It was extremely cringy to have characters talk about how turned on they are for a person they just met who is physically assaulting them. I could see Liam maybe eventualling getting closer to Ethan and enjoying his company and eventual consensual d/s themes in their personal life, but the way it was in the story was just uncomfortable.
As well, the way that the book tried to go about "healing" Liam but felt disingenuous. The way he described his eating disorder almost felt childish, like it was just something he forced himself not to do and not a disease that effected his life in multiple ways. A good setting is great for people with mental health problems, but it doesn't just automatically fix them. They don't just go away, they usually need care and communication and changes to your daily life to make a long-lasting effect.
I know this book was probably just not for me, but I requested it anyway and got as far as I could, but it was hard to get through without being uncomfortable and just tired of reading.
Ever since his mom died, Liam has been on bender after bender. Stealing, going on joyrides, and taking different drugs. When he finally goes to far and drives his fathers car while under the influence, he is finally sent to Aspire Academy, where boys 18 or over are given a last chance to turn their lives around and get a degree.
Ethan has been at Aspire for a long time. He knows to follow orders and stay in line. What will happen when the new student is assigned to him?
I DNFed at 40%.
I could see the vision for the book, but I just can't get behind how both characters thought of themselves and acted. Yes, I do understand that there are some people who do think this way and are very childish and reckless, but it's downright annoying to read about in my opinion.
If the author wanted to have a sort of kinky aspect, I believe it should have been gradual. It was extremely cringy to have characters talk about how turned on they are for a person they just met who is physically assaulting them. I could see Liam maybe eventualling getting closer to Ethan and enjoying his company and eventual consensual d/s themes in their personal life, but the way it was in the story was just uncomfortable.
As well, the way that the book tried to go about "healing" Liam but felt disingenuous. The way he described his eating disorder almost felt childish, like it was just something he forced himself not to do and not a disease that effected his life in multiple ways. A good setting is great for people with mental health problems, but it doesn't just automatically fix them. They don't just go away, they usually need care and communication and changes to your daily life to make a long-lasting effect.
I know this book was probably just not for me, but I requested it anyway and got as far as I could, but it was hard to get through without being uncomfortable and just tired of reading.
Review of advance copy
I was skeptical about this one. Not only is this the author first book, I believe, but I also wasn't to sure about how well I would like the story itself.
Let me tell you I was blown away. Im not sure if it was because some of the themes of this book resonated with me personally or if it was the writing in general, but I was instantly hooked.
I've never read a romance in this type of setting before, and while I initially thought I would cringe, it was written in a way that doesn't degrade mental health or what one might consider "problem children" (the main characters are all very young adults). I also think it reflects the actual criminal justice system well. Rather than making the majority of the people locked up here evil or bad-intentioned overall, like is so common in main stream media, we see the bad eggs and also the good men who really deserve a second shot at life after ending up there for one reason or another. The ones who know they messed up and just want to do better.
The two MMCs definitely weren't my favorite characters ever, but they were real. Nothing seemed exaggerated, there was no over-romancing of problematic characteristics. They floundered together and called each other on their shit. They acknowledged the possible red flags and even a little on how it linked to their trauma. Then decided to love and accept each other through it.
Overall, I just loved this. No part of it screamed fake or hinted at the fairy tale love people try to sell you. It was just good story-telling.
Thank you to the author and Gay Romance Reviews for allowing me to read an ARC of this story.
Happy reading.
Let me tell you I was blown away. Im not sure if it was because some of the themes of this book resonated with me personally or if it was the writing in general, but I was instantly hooked.
I've never read a romance in this type of setting before, and while I initially thought I would cringe, it was written in a way that doesn't degrade mental health or what one might consider "problem children" (the main characters are all very young adults). I also think it reflects the actual criminal justice system well. Rather than making the majority of the people locked up here evil or bad-intentioned overall, like is so common in main stream media, we see the bad eggs and also the good men who really deserve a second shot at life after ending up there for one reason or another. The ones who know they messed up and just want to do better.
The two MMCs definitely weren't my favorite characters ever, but they were real. Nothing seemed exaggerated, there was no over-romancing of problematic characteristics. They floundered together and called each other on their shit. They acknowledged the possible red flags and even a little on how it linked to their trauma. Then decided to love and accept each other through it.
Overall, I just loved this. No part of it screamed fake or hinted at the fairy tale love people try to sell you. It was just good story-telling.
Thank you to the author and Gay Romance Reviews for allowing me to read an ARC of this story.
Happy reading.
June 14, 2026
This book completely hooked me from the first page. The correctional college setting felt fresh and unique, and once I started reading, I couldn't put it down.
Liam and Ethan were such an entertaining pair. Liam is pure chaos wrapped in sarcasm and bad decisions, while Ethan is determined to be the responsible one, even if Liam constantly tests his patience. Their chemistry was immediate, but I loved that the romance took its time to develop. The slow burn worked perfectly for their dynamic and made every step forward feel earned.
The dark humour, self-deprecating jokes, and found family elements balanced the heavier themes really well. I especially enjoyed watching Ethan slowly let go of some of his perfect image while Liam started to realise there might be people worth trusting after all.
Beyond the romance, the friendships and sense of community within the school were some of my favourite parts of the story. The characters felt messy, flawed, and real, which made it easy to become invested in their journeys.
This was a fantastic start to the series, and the HFN ending has me excited to see what comes next for Liam and Ethan.
🖤 Dark academia
🖤 Opposites attract
🖤 Golden boy x bad boy
🖤 Slow burn
🖤 Found family
🖤 Hurt/comfort
🖤 ADHD representation
🖤 Dark humor
🖤 D/s dynamics
🖤 No third-act breakup
🖤 HFN ending
Liam and Ethan were such an entertaining pair. Liam is pure chaos wrapped in sarcasm and bad decisions, while Ethan is determined to be the responsible one, even if Liam constantly tests his patience. Their chemistry was immediate, but I loved that the romance took its time to develop. The slow burn worked perfectly for their dynamic and made every step forward feel earned.
The dark humour, self-deprecating jokes, and found family elements balanced the heavier themes really well. I especially enjoyed watching Ethan slowly let go of some of his perfect image while Liam started to realise there might be people worth trusting after all.
Beyond the romance, the friendships and sense of community within the school were some of my favourite parts of the story. The characters felt messy, flawed, and real, which made it easy to become invested in their journeys.
This was a fantastic start to the series, and the HFN ending has me excited to see what comes next for Liam and Ethan.
🖤 Dark academia
🖤 Opposites attract
🖤 Golden boy x bad boy
🖤 Slow burn
🖤 Found family
🖤 Hurt/comfort
🖤 ADHD representation
🖤 Dark humor
🖤 D/s dynamics
🖤 No third-act breakup
🖤 HFN ending
Review of advance copy
I really enjoyed this, if you’re a fan on the Alabaster Pen series but want something way lighter My responsibility would be a good fit for you! It’s got the strict prison school atmosphere, the pining and slow burn and the unhinged youth criminal side characters. There’s definitely a lot to be explored here and a lot of romance to be had with the other members of our little found family. This book is for certain a hidden gem, one star deducted for less thorough exploration of EDs noted by others in their reviews (I can’t speak on it further as I don’t have or have never had an ED) Overall I enjoyed MR, the setting was unique and interesting and I liked Liam & Ethan together!
Features;
🖤Kinky Corporal Punishment
📓Boarding School meets prison setting
Found Family
🍫Student Leader/Mentee
🫂Hurt/Comfort
💕Casual Daddy/Pet dynamics
⏲️Check the Content Warnings
Thank you to Ivory Sallow & GRR for the advanced review copy <3
Features;
🖤Kinky Corporal Punishment
📓Boarding School meets prison setting
Found Family
🍫Student Leader/Mentee
🫂Hurt/Comfort
💕Casual Daddy/Pet dynamics
⏲️Check the Content Warnings
Thank you to Ivory Sallow & GRR for the advanced review copy <3
June 5, 2026
This was a really amazing book. This is book one in the aspire academy series. This MM romance was dark, kink/bdsm, contemporary, with sports.
Let's just start with Liam rebel in his own right. He shows up to a spire academy smart mouth, don't give no crap about nothing, and has a bag of weed in his shoe not caring but nobody has to say.
Now Ethan has already been at aspire academy a while has an amazing record, very responsible respectful young man. He's pretty much the Golden boy everything that you would aspire to be.
Then Ethan becomes he is I guess like his mentor and he's got to get close to him. Ethan scared that this blue wide out of control boy is going to be his undoing. And I'll let you read and see how much of the undoing he is.
Overall, this MM romance was absolutely one of the best slow burn romances I have read in a long time. I absolutely love this series and I am totally in love with this book. Cannot wait to see what happens in the rest of the series.
Let's just start with Liam rebel in his own right. He shows up to a spire academy smart mouth, don't give no crap about nothing, and has a bag of weed in his shoe not caring but nobody has to say.
Now Ethan has already been at aspire academy a while has an amazing record, very responsible respectful young man. He's pretty much the Golden boy everything that you would aspire to be.
Then Ethan becomes he is I guess like his mentor and he's got to get close to him. Ethan scared that this blue wide out of control boy is going to be his undoing. And I'll let you read and see how much of the undoing he is.
Overall, this MM romance was absolutely one of the best slow burn romances I have read in a long time. I absolutely love this series and I am totally in love with this book. Cannot wait to see what happens in the rest of the series.
Did Not Finish
May 17, 2026Thank you for the arc gay romance reviews and the author!!!
However I had to dnf at 20%
I personally felt like the ed rep wasn’t 100% there and with someone who has and had an ed it just felt off and not very real if that makes sense it felt like it was lacking real experiences and thoughts and emotions. For me the constant fear of food was there and it barely talked about food within fhr 20% it mention some but not a lot and idk if it talked about it later I just feel like it was lacking a little
I also didn’t feel like with that ed rep not connecting with me it made the whole story so far not very cohesive and I felt lost in parts
However it might be the book for you but for me it was not the one for me and I was disappointed with it because the ed rep is so needed and it just felt not very real.
However I had to dnf at 20%
I personally felt like the ed rep wasn’t 100% there and with someone who has and had an ed it just felt off and not very real if that makes sense it felt like it was lacking real experiences and thoughts and emotions. For me the constant fear of food was there and it barely talked about food within fhr 20% it mention some but not a lot and idk if it talked about it later I just feel like it was lacking a little
I also didn’t feel like with that ed rep not connecting with me it made the whole story so far not very cohesive and I felt lost in parts
However it might be the book for you but for me it was not the one for me and I was disappointed with it because the ed rep is so needed and it just felt not very real.
June 3, 2026
I could not have loved “My Responsibility” more!! The slow-burn tension between Liam and Ethan completely hooked me from the start. Liam’s chaotic energy and sharp attitude made him such a fun character to follow, while Ethan’s need for control and perfection gave the story so much emotional weight. Watching the walls come down between them inside such a harsh, restrictive environment felt intense, messy, and surprisingly tender.
What I loved most was how emotional the story became beneath all the angst and power dynamics. The heavy themes were handled in a way that felt raw but meaningful, and the relationship development felt earned every step of the way. If you like dark MM romance with complicated characters, aching tension, and a romance that slowly turns into something safe and healing, this one absolutely delivers. Can not WAIT for the next book!!!
What I loved most was how emotional the story became beneath all the angst and power dynamics. The heavy themes were handled in a way that felt raw but meaningful, and the relationship development felt earned every step of the way. If you like dark MM romance with complicated characters, aching tension, and a romance that slowly turns into something safe and healing, this one absolutely delivers. Can not WAIT for the next book!!!
Review of advance copy received from Indie Reviewers
Cross a fictional boarding school with a prison for young adults and you get Aspire Academy. Liam's self- destructive lifestyle growing up without his mother and with an alcoholic father gets him "sentenced" to an undefined term where his mentor has more power than he's used to having exercised over him. Ethan's been wrongfully sent to Aspire, and all he wants is to be perfect, so his undeniable attraction to Liam with his impossible antics is something to fight against. However, their chemistry is impossible to ignore and their broken places fit together just right. This dark romance is perfect escapism and just what I wanted when I picked it up. (And watching the villain get his made me want to cheer.) If you like found family, this one has it in spades.
June 9, 2026
I'm very interested to see where this series goes after reading this story about Ethan and Liam. The setting is an unusual academic/correctional/reform facility and as the story develops it becomes a place of found family. Here, Ethan who has been there a while has earned the "privilege" of mentoring new arrivals and Liam is assigned to him. Liam's background has ensured that initially, the one thing he's determined to do is bend and test as many rules as possible to ensure Ethan is driven to the breaking point. Ethan is much stronger than either of them knows, however, and he's also savvy enough to determine exactly what it is that Liam really needs. As they push against each other they begin to strike sparks that slowly but surely change both of them.
June 4, 2026
Yes, this is a dark romance but this story does something somewhat different with this type of story. This is not your typical house of horrors facility. Ethan and Liam seem to be moving in somewhat different directions - Liam the new guy who is a bit of a problem and Ethan who has walked the straight and narrow since he has been there and earned some status. They meet and fall into an insta-love dynamic and it has an impact. This is just the first part of their story but so far, you can see how they really connect and work for one another. I am looking forward to seeing how their story progresses in the next installment.
I received an ARC from GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received an ARC from GRR and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review of advance copy
🌶️🌶️
I actually had a lot of fun with this book! I liked the setting of the correctional institution/school, the found family aspect, the brat/Daddy dynamic, how Ethan was struggling with their dynamic as he had a position of power over Liam... The writing was at times very funny and made me giggle several times.
The things I didn't love so much were the eating disorder and adhd rep, as it felt like it was not written from experience but more from a point of 'I heard about it, took my own conclusions on how this looks and feels like with not much research and yeeted these issues into a character'. I read the same from another reviewer who had an ED and I know adhd from experience and that's not really how it works.
But honestly, aside from that this was a very enjoyable story.
IMPORTANT T.W.s: vomiting, and Liam is only 18 (Ethan is 22). I didn't realise this in the beginning and it gave me pause for a minute 😅
I actually had a lot of fun with this book! I liked the setting of the correctional institution/school, the found family aspect, the brat/Daddy dynamic, how Ethan was struggling with their dynamic as he had a position of power over Liam... The writing was at times very funny and made me giggle several times.
The things I didn't love so much were the eating disorder and adhd rep, as it felt like it was not written from experience but more from a point of 'I heard about it, took my own conclusions on how this looks and feels like with not much research and yeeted these issues into a character'. I read the same from another reviewer who had an ED and I know adhd from experience and that's not really how it works.
But honestly, aside from that this was a very enjoyable story.
IMPORTANT T.W.s: vomiting, and Liam is only 18 (Ethan is 22). I didn't realise this in the beginning and it gave me pause for a minute 😅
June 4, 2026
A great a series of intrigued by. Set in a residential correction facility this one focuses on Liam and Ethan Liam arrives, determine to continue to cause trouble and do his own thing whereas Ethan having been there in number of years is the role model citizen at aspire academy. When he becomes Liam’s student leader, the fun begins in this book. It’s an emotionally complex book that draws you in you go. A great depiction of mental health and while these two find their heavily ever after, I’m excited about book 2
Review of advance copy
As someone who has struggled with an eating disorder in the past, I am not convinced that the writer of the story delved into this thoroughly enough. To me, it was not described realistically.
I also got the feeling that it is mentioned but not explored in depth; why mention it then? To me, it added no extra value to the story.
Because of that my mind didn't connect with the story.
💞Thank you to the Author and GRR for the opportunity to read and review this ARC💖
I also got the feeling that it is mentioned but not explored in depth; why mention it then? To me, it added no extra value to the story.
Because of that my mind didn't connect with the story.
💞Thank you to the Author and GRR for the opportunity to read and review this ARC💖
Review of advance copy received from Author
[I would like to thank GRR for the advance copy they gave me]
3,5⭐️
This is a more than okay read where you follow Liam as he try to navigate the new facility he was send to.
It was sometimes a little long, but i enjoyed his relationship with Ethan and the beginning of a family they're starting with the others
Check TW before reading though as some things can be triggering
3,5⭐️
This is a more than okay read where you follow Liam as he try to navigate the new facility he was send to.
It was sometimes a little long, but i enjoyed his relationship with Ethan and the beginning of a family they're starting with the others
Check TW before reading though as some things can be triggering
Review of advance copy received from Author
Okay, I am totally invested in this story, I fell in love with Liam and Ethan. I devoured this book.I really need book 2 to come.
They are so perfect for each other. Ethan protects Liam with his life and will do anything for him. He's a dobbermann all the way. Liam is such a sweet little bratt with golden retriever energy.
They are so perfect for each other. Ethan protects Liam with his life and will do anything for him. He's a dobbermann all the way. Liam is such a sweet little bratt with golden retriever energy.
June 4, 2026
My Responsibility is the first book in the new Aspire Academy series by Ivory Sallow. This is a hurt/comfort, found family read about Ethan and Liam. This was a really good story for this authors debut and I enjoyed it for the most part, but it was a difficult read at parts, I am looking forward to more in the series. I really recommend reading the content warnings before reading this.
July 30, 2026
What a Story
This was a really good book. I was hooked from the beginning and had a hard time putting it down. This is a dark read with a slow build up but so worth the wait.
This book has so many emotions throughout and you get to learn more about the main MC’s stories. These two have went through a lot and to watch them grow makes it even better.
This was a really good book. I was hooked from the beginning and had a hard time putting it down. This is a dark read with a slow build up but so worth the wait.
This book has so many emotions throughout and you get to learn more about the main MC’s stories. These two have went through a lot and to watch them grow makes it even better.
Did Not Finish
June 4, 2026I’m having a very difficult time getting into this story and am putting it aside for awhile. I may pick it up when the moo strikes me again. The premise is interesting so it may just be a wrong time situation.
I received an ARC from GRR for my honest review
I received an ARC from GRR for my honest review
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews