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Us #2
The Storm
I was fifteen when Nicholas Hayes walked into my life.
I was seventeen and he hated me.
I was nineteen when I fell for him. Hopelessly.
…and then we broke each other to pieces.
Six years later, I’m back on the east coast, doing my sister a favor. He’s not supposed to be here, so running into him is an unwelcome surprise.
What’s worse, somehow, we end up working together, so instead of avoiding him, I now have to see him every day.
His infuriating smirk.
The knowing looks.
His laugh and dumb jokes and the way that stupid nickname he gave me sounds on his lips.
Before I know it, all those feelings I thought I’d buried long ago are back with a vengeance.
But I’m not that same lovesick teenager anymore.
I know exactly how this story ends.
And I refuse to live through it twice.
I was seventeen and he hated me.
I was nineteen when I fell for him. Hopelessly.
…and then we broke each other to pieces.
Six years later, I’m back on the east coast, doing my sister a favor. He’s not supposed to be here, so running into him is an unwelcome surprise.
What’s worse, somehow, we end up working together, so instead of avoiding him, I now have to see him every day.
His infuriating smirk.
The knowing looks.
His laugh and dumb jokes and the way that stupid nickname he gave me sounds on his lips.
Before I know it, all those feelings I thought I’d buried long ago are back with a vengeance.
But I’m not that same lovesick teenager anymore.
I know exactly how this story ends.
And I refuse to live through it twice.
509 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 10, 2026
About the author
Briar Prescott
18 books1,540 followersBriar Prescott is a work in progress. She swears too much, doesn’t eat enough leafy greens and binge watches too much television. It’s okay, though. One of these days she'll get a hang of that adulting thing.
Probably.
Maybe.
She hopes.
Want to check in occasionally to hear what's up? You can stalk her here:
Newsletter: https://www.briarprescott.com/contact
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/briar...
Email: prescottbriar@gmail.com.
Webpage: www.briarprescott.com.
Probably.
Maybe.
She hopes.
Want to check in occasionally to hear what's up? You can stalk her here:
Newsletter: https://www.briarprescott.com/contact
Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/briar...
Email: prescottbriar@gmail.com.
Webpage: www.briarprescott.com.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 230 reviews
August 20, 2026
I will start by saying that I enjoyed the book overall. I really liked the first part. Nick's anger felt a bit forced, but I did like both Indy and Nick. Their chemistry was undeniable.
I knew that something would happen that would break them apart but, honestly, I was kind of disappointed. Just because Indy found out about something a little sooner than Nick wasn't a good enough reason for their 6-year-long separation. The whole thing wasn't Indy's fault. Someone who loved Indy as much as Nick did wouldn't just leave.
The second part of the story is what I had issues with. I don't even know where to start. There was no organic flow, everything felt forced and convenient. There was so much angst for the angst sake. All it took was one conversation, which did happen in the last 30 pages of the book. Instead, we have pages and pages filled with sex scenes. Just knowing how much both of them still loved each other made the whole story feel completely unrealistic.
I couldn't help feeling that parts of the story were missing, or they just felt disjointed. So many things that could have been explored, but were only brushed over. The huge time jump didn't help, either. What happens is a big deal, and yet we get nothing. No reactions, conversations, nothing. The same when Dia finds out about Nick and Indy. There's no conversation with Indy.
I don't even know who I'd like to read about next. Julian seemed really nice. I liked him. Callum annoyed me, to be honest. Maybe it's because of the whole improbable situation of both Nick and Indy working for him.
On the side note, I really like seeing Dylan. Love him and love his and Indy’s friendship. I still hold a grudge against Adrian, though. 😅
I knew that something would happen that would break them apart but, honestly, I was kind of disappointed. Just because Indy found out about something a little sooner than Nick wasn't a good enough reason for their 6-year-long separation. The whole thing wasn't Indy's fault. Someone who loved Indy as much as Nick did wouldn't just leave.
The second part of the story is what I had issues with. I don't even know where to start. There was no organic flow, everything felt forced and convenient. There was so much angst for the angst sake. All it took was one conversation, which did happen in the last 30 pages of the book. Instead, we have pages and pages filled with sex scenes. Just knowing how much both of them still loved each other made the whole story feel completely unrealistic.
I couldn't help feeling that parts of the story were missing, or they just felt disjointed. So many things that could have been explored, but were only brushed over. The huge time jump didn't help, either. What happens is a big deal, and yet we get nothing. No reactions, conversations, nothing. The same when Dia finds out about Nick and Indy. There's no conversation with Indy.
I don't even know who I'd like to read about next. Julian seemed really nice. I liked him. Callum annoyed me, to be honest. Maybe it's because of the whole improbable situation of both Nick and Indy working for him.
On the side note, I really like seeing Dylan. Love him and love his and Indy’s friendship. I still hold a grudge against Adrian, though. 😅
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2026
Fuck if Briar Prescott can’t make me feel it all.
Butterflies, heartbreak, angst, angst, angst, relief, grief, wonder, some more butterflies, devastation, indignation, hopefulness. Happiness.
When I tell you I was glued to these pages, I mean I was fucking GLUED to these pages. Breath holding, hands sweating, thighs clenching.
I could not stop thinking about it, didn’t matter where I was or what I was doing, my thoughts were with Nick and Indy, reliving scenes, wondering at how everything would unfold, daydreaming about their connection.
This book is split into 2 parts and both had me in an absolute chokehold for different reasons.
Part 1: Obsession, hatred, banter, need, want, an impossible pull. Irresistible to withstand. The storm.
We get to know Nick and Indy, how they meet, how they hate each other at first but still feel so drawn to each other. Can’t be together, definitely can’t be apart. All the looks, eye contact, little touches and games. Intense.
And then the tornado comes (take that title seriously 😳) and traps them in a small metal box. For days. And we’re with them every second. And when I tell you I had to put the book down, go outside and breathe some fresh air because reading became SUFFOCATING, I’m not lying. The fear, the helplessness, the claustrophobia, the way they cling to each other through it all - INTENSE.
And then: they get out and they get close, they have sex, they depend on the other, they find peace and they find actual big fucking love with the other. Delirious happiness.
We get scenes like this:
And meanwhile I was sitting there biting my nails because IS IT, INDY??? IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE TOO HAPPY???
I knew this was supposed to be a second-chance romance. I knew something had to happen. So the happier they became, the more I was preparing myself for utter devastation because whatever came next would have to fucking shatter them and me. 😩
And it did.
Speaking of which:
Part 2: Brokenness, moving on, getting over it (but also, not at all), meeting - again, that irresistible pull - again, soul deep connection, a hard won HEA.
Time jump, 6 years. They meet again.
They’re older, they’re hurt, they’re proud, they’ve supposedly moved on (ha!). But they both still know, deep down, that the other was the love of their life. There’s tension and ‘no, I won’t ever go there again, I won’t survive it a second time‘ and then there’s even MORE tension and phew 😮💨
They don’t communicate about what actually went down or why, they make all kinds of (wrong) assumptions, and still they can’t resist that fucking pull. THAT DAMN MAGNETIC PULL. They go back and forth, knowing they need the other while being terrified of looking too closely at what happened and even more terrified of getting hurt again. And yet they can’t help themselves. They just. Can’t. Fucking. Help. Themselves - and go there again anyway. 😮💨🔥
Was there a lot of wanting to bang their heads together until they finally started TALKING on my part? Absolutely, ngl. But goddammit, the tension all that non-communication created was incredible to read.
Also: this is probably the author’s smuttiest book to date and babes, l’m not complaining. This was SCORCHING HOT, jfc 😮💨🫦
This book is not without its flaws, though. I did see them and I’m not dismissing them. But when I’m still obsessively thinking about a book two days later, replaying scenes in my head and wishing I could experience the whole emotional rollercoaster again for the first time, those flaws only matter so much.
Still, here are some of my issues:
Some things felt a little under-explained, and I wish we hadn’t skipped the immediate aftermath of The Thing at the end of Part 1 completely. There was so much happening emotionally at that point, and I wanted to actually see some of that aftermath rather than jump over it. And by the end, even I thought there was maybe a little too much sex instead of communicating lol
My biggest issue, though, was the reason Nick and Indy lost each other in the first place. It felt just a little too weak to carry six years of separation, and I thought Nick’s reaction was too extreme and went on for too long, to the point where it occasionally bordered on cruel. They could have avoided so much heartache if they - and let’s be honest here, mostly Nick - hadn’t thrown in the towel the way they did.
But then again… I understood him. It fit his character. It fit the way his past had shaped him and the things he’d learned to expect from people. They were also teenagers dealing with an absolutely insane amount of upheaval, so a calm, rational conversation was never particularly realistic. Still. I could’ve used some proper grovelling, Nick. Just saying.
So yeah, where does this leave us?
Exhausted, horny, and fucking finally: happy. What a wild, wild ride. I genuinely don’t know the last time I was this invested in a book, and that kind of emotional investment will trump a few flaws for me every damn time.
4.5 ⭐️ and I’m happily rounding that shit up.
Also: thank god I had Patrícia there with me so I could scream at her about everything that was going on. I’d have lost my mind without you, girl 🤣🧡
And while we’re here: Callum, everybody??
A little bird (Briar, it was Briar) told me that we haven’t seen the last of our perfect golden retriever chaos gremlin and I cannot wait to read his story 😏
Some TWs I noticed along the way:
• Death of a mother at the beginning
• On-page panic attacks
• Being trapped/claustrophobia (seriously, if dark, small spaces make you anxious, this section was suffocating)
• Destruction caused by a tornado
• Serious illness requiring a bone marrow transplant and hospital stays
Phew, what a rollercoaster!
Many thanks to Briar Prescott for the chance to read this arc! This is my honest opinion!
Butterflies, heartbreak, angst, angst, angst, relief, grief, wonder, some more butterflies, devastation, indignation, hopefulness. Happiness.
When I tell you I was glued to these pages, I mean I was fucking GLUED to these pages. Breath holding, hands sweating, thighs clenching.
I could not stop thinking about it, didn’t matter where I was or what I was doing, my thoughts were with Nick and Indy, reliving scenes, wondering at how everything would unfold, daydreaming about their connection.
This book is split into 2 parts and both had me in an absolute chokehold for different reasons.
Part 1: Obsession, hatred, banter, need, want, an impossible pull. Irresistible to withstand. The storm.
We get to know Nick and Indy, how they meet, how they hate each other at first but still feel so drawn to each other. Can’t be together, definitely can’t be apart. All the looks, eye contact, little touches and games. Intense.
And then the tornado comes (take that title seriously 😳) and traps them in a small metal box. For days. And we’re with them every second. And when I tell you I had to put the book down, go outside and breathe some fresh air because reading became SUFFOCATING, I’m not lying. The fear, the helplessness, the claustrophobia, the way they cling to each other through it all - INTENSE.
And then: they get out and they get close, they have sex, they depend on the other, they find peace and they find actual big fucking love with the other. Delirious happiness.
We get scenes like this:
He cradles my face, caressing my cheeks with his thumbs.
“This feels like a good time to tell you that I love you,” he says, because apparently you can already have everything you want and then have even more piled on top, and is it possible to be too happy?
And meanwhile I was sitting there biting my nails because IS IT, INDY??? IS IT POSSIBLE TO BE TOO HAPPY???
I knew this was supposed to be a second-chance romance. I knew something had to happen. So the happier they became, the more I was preparing myself for utter devastation because whatever came next would have to fucking shatter them and me. 😩
And it did.
Speaking of which:
Part 2: Brokenness, moving on, getting over it (but also, not at all), meeting - again, that irresistible pull - again, soul deep connection, a hard won HEA.
Time jump, 6 years. They meet again.
They’re older, they’re hurt, they’re proud, they’ve supposedly moved on (ha!). But they both still know, deep down, that the other was the love of their life. There’s tension and ‘no, I won’t ever go there again, I won’t survive it a second time‘ and then there’s even MORE tension and phew 😮💨
They don’t communicate about what actually went down or why, they make all kinds of (wrong) assumptions, and still they can’t resist that fucking pull. THAT DAMN MAGNETIC PULL. They go back and forth, knowing they need the other while being terrified of looking too closely at what happened and even more terrified of getting hurt again. And yet they can’t help themselves. They just. Can’t. Fucking. Help. Themselves - and go there again anyway. 😮💨🔥
Was there a lot of wanting to bang their heads together until they finally started TALKING on my part? Absolutely, ngl. But goddammit, the tension all that non-communication created was incredible to read.
Also: this is probably the author’s smuttiest book to date and babes, l’m not complaining. This was SCORCHING HOT, jfc 😮💨🫦
This book is not without its flaws, though. I did see them and I’m not dismissing them. But when I’m still obsessively thinking about a book two days later, replaying scenes in my head and wishing I could experience the whole emotional rollercoaster again for the first time, those flaws only matter so much.
Still, here are some of my issues:
Some things felt a little under-explained, and I wish we hadn’t skipped the immediate aftermath of The Thing at the end of Part 1 completely. There was so much happening emotionally at that point, and I wanted to actually see some of that aftermath rather than jump over it. And by the end, even I thought there was maybe a little too much sex instead of communicating lol
My biggest issue, though, was the reason Nick and Indy lost each other in the first place. It felt just a little too weak to carry six years of separation, and I thought Nick’s reaction was too extreme and went on for too long, to the point where it occasionally bordered on cruel. They could have avoided so much heartache if they - and let’s be honest here, mostly Nick - hadn’t thrown in the towel the way they did.
But then again… I understood him. It fit his character. It fit the way his past had shaped him and the things he’d learned to expect from people. They were also teenagers dealing with an absolutely insane amount of upheaval, so a calm, rational conversation was never particularly realistic. Still. I could’ve used some proper grovelling, Nick. Just saying.
So yeah, where does this leave us?
Exhausted, horny, and fucking finally: happy. What a wild, wild ride. I genuinely don’t know the last time I was this invested in a book, and that kind of emotional investment will trump a few flaws for me every damn time.
4.5 ⭐️ and I’m happily rounding that shit up.
Also: thank god I had Patrícia there with me so I could scream at her about everything that was going on. I’d have lost my mind without you, girl 🤣🧡
And while we’re here: Callum, everybody??
A little bird (Briar, it was Briar) told me that we haven’t seen the last of our perfect golden retriever chaos gremlin and I cannot wait to read his story 😏
Some TWs I noticed along the way:
• Death of a mother at the beginning
• On-page panic attacks
• Being trapped/claustrophobia (seriously, if dark, small spaces make you anxious, this section was suffocating)
• Destruction caused by a tornado
• Serious illness requiring a bone marrow transplant and hospital stays
Phew, what a rollercoaster!
„The kiss becomes more.
Hot. Wet. Wild. Full of teeth and tongues. I lose another tether to reality. Never once have I been kissed like this before.
Like I’m air. Like he’s drowning. Like he needs me. Like he can’t stop.
Like I’m his.“ 😮💨💙🫠
Many thanks to Briar Prescott for the chance to read this arc! This is my honest opinion!
Read
May 27, 2026Adding a note to make this clear: I am so glad I did read most of this, because I LOVED INDY SO MUCH!!
I read it. Well, I read part 2 closely (mostly) and read the beginng, end, and parts of the middle of part 1. And I have to thank, so much, the truly kind @Pauline for listening to me and holding my virtual hand, because she has the patience of a saint and was too kind to tell me to get my head out of my rear. Thank you, Pauline. 🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙
Conclusion? Not safe for me due to OP action, off page (which readers of The Island already know) during separation, BUT, it actually was safe enough for me. Because, for once, I was glad one MC didn’t stay true to the other. I would have rated this 5 for the emotional roller coaster, 1 for one MC, 5 for the other MC, and probably leveled out at 2.5 due to the most important element being far too weak to support the fallout. Super. Weak.
But I assure you, lovers of strong romantic conflict and juicy, sizzling tension, this has both in spades. The writing remains powerful and addictive. I recommend it to those who loved The Island (I did not finish it; it was not for me). (Until You remains my #1 favorite of all BP’s work, and I have enjoyed many, many of her books.)
So, how did I react, why did I not love it?
Spoilers. I won’t spoil the good twist, but I will rant, so, those who love this book—especially those who love Nick (I became an Indy fan all the way)— please ignore the rest of this review:
I do hope that Indy and Nick get that potential inheritance that crops up at the end though. The best revenge for all this would be taking that money and donating it to a home for unwed mothers!
Also, Callum is fabulous, and I want to know more about Julian. He felt inserted awkwardly, contrived, but, he was still intriguing.
Anyway. Briar Prescott can create some wicked strong emotions. Read it for that!
OLDER posts from pre-read:
I'm getting whiplash, but a good friend here warned me off The Storm for Me reasons. I do not yet know what they are but… stay tuned I will find out and hide unfo behind a spoiler later.
😭😭😭 When will I be able to read BP again???
*******
Old info:
I’m an idiot! This is new heroes!
🙄😂🥹🩷
Will def try again in this world. Island was a rare one that was greatly not for me.
I read it. Well, I read part 2 closely (mostly) and read the beginng, end, and parts of the middle of part 1. And I have to thank, so much, the truly kind @Pauline for listening to me and holding my virtual hand, because she has the patience of a saint and was too kind to tell me to get my head out of my rear. Thank you, Pauline. 🩷❤️🧡💛💚🩵💙
Conclusion? Not safe for me due to OP action, off page (which readers of The Island already know) during separation, BUT, it actually was safe enough for me. Because, for once, I was glad one MC didn’t stay true to the other. I would have rated this 5 for the emotional roller coaster, 1 for one MC, 5 for the other MC, and probably leveled out at 2.5 due to the most important element being far too weak to support the fallout. Super. Weak.
But I assure you, lovers of strong romantic conflict and juicy, sizzling tension, this has both in spades. The writing remains powerful and addictive. I recommend it to those who loved The Island (I did not finish it; it was not for me). (Until You remains my #1 favorite of all BP’s work, and I have enjoyed many, many of her books.)
So, how did I react, why did I not love it?
Spoilers. I won’t spoil the good twist, but I will rant, so, those who love this book—especially those who love Nick (I became an Indy fan all the way)— please ignore the rest of this review:
I do hope that Indy and Nick get that potential inheritance that crops up at the end though. The best revenge for all this would be taking that money and donating it to a home for unwed mothers!
Also, Callum is fabulous, and I want to know more about Julian. He felt inserted awkwardly, contrived, but, he was still intriguing.
Anyway. Briar Prescott can create some wicked strong emotions. Read it for that!
OLDER posts from pre-read:
I'm getting whiplash, but a good friend here warned me off The Storm for Me reasons. I do not yet know what they are but… stay tuned I will find out and hide unfo behind a spoiler later.
😭😭😭 When will I be able to read BP again???
*******
Old info:
I’m an idiot! This is new heroes!
🙄😂🥹🩷
Will def try again in this world. Island was a rare one that was greatly not for me.
August 17, 2026
Briar Prescott has this flavour to her writing where she adeptly crafts these traumatised characters that are just the right amount of OTT drama, whilst also being entirely engrossing to read about in such a compulsive way and this one doesn’t deviate from that wheelhouse of hers.
When Indy is fifteen, he meets Nicholas Hayes, the angry boy with buckets of attitude who has moved into his house and across the hall from him. At nineteen, following a transformative and dramatic event, Indy and Nicholas start a romantic relationship that burns bright and hot, before it explodes in incredibly dramatic fashion leaving them both heart broken. Now 6 years later, after complete radio silence, Indy and Nicholas are unexpectedly thrust back together due to a working arrangement, and it quickly become apparent that neither of them have reconciled the past, or their unresolved feelings, and it isn’t long before things get messy all over again.
I really enjoyed both Indy and Nicholas as characters as well as their relationship together (BP is always great at writing sexy and dynamic chemistry). Both boys had their own baggage which manifests through in their different outlooks and attitudes but they’re a couple that made a lot of sense to me when paired together. I think that Part 1 probably worked for me a little bit more than Part 2 did? I found some elements of Part 2 perhaps a bit abrupt and I would have loved a bit more of an emotional purge (dare I say some mutual grovelling) of the pain from their initial breakup.
I didn’t read book one in this series because there were tropes and elements that didn’t really appeal to me, however it did not remotely impact my reading experience here. The previous couple make an appearance in this but it doesn’t take much to fill in the blanks of existing knowledge from book 1 and their stories is pretty immaterial to the relationship between Indy and Nicholas.
My only few minor gripes is the way that BP wrote the passages of love sick Indy drove me a little mad. I can see the vibe she was aiming for (and arguably succeed in hitting) but the short choppy sentences were like nails on a chalkboard board to me. Also I wouldn’t say that this book featured the miscommunication trope so much as it featured the NO communication trope. Honestly, this book can kind of be summed up by that meme with the big book and little book where its like “The Storm” vs “The Storm” if Indy and Nicholas had a honest conversation about emotions and the little book is like a third the size.
Whenever I am getting over a cold I really struggle with eyeball reading things, so I knew I needed to pick up something that was going to be entertaining and compulsively readable and this delivered in spades. ✅ Second Chance, ✅ Grumpy/Sunshine vibes, ✅ Forced Proximity. Delicious.
(Desperate for whatever book Callum is going to be in though istg I love a golden retriever character with hidden trauma so much hahahahahaha)
Consider following my instagram
When Indy is fifteen, he meets Nicholas Hayes, the angry boy with buckets of attitude who has moved into his house and across the hall from him. At nineteen, following a transformative and dramatic event, Indy and Nicholas start a romantic relationship that burns bright and hot, before it explodes in incredibly dramatic fashion leaving them both heart broken. Now 6 years later, after complete radio silence, Indy and Nicholas are unexpectedly thrust back together due to a working arrangement, and it quickly become apparent that neither of them have reconciled the past, or their unresolved feelings, and it isn’t long before things get messy all over again.
I really enjoyed both Indy and Nicholas as characters as well as their relationship together (BP is always great at writing sexy and dynamic chemistry). Both boys had their own baggage which manifests through in their different outlooks and attitudes but they’re a couple that made a lot of sense to me when paired together. I think that Part 1 probably worked for me a little bit more than Part 2 did? I found some elements of Part 2 perhaps a bit abrupt and I would have loved a bit more of an emotional purge (dare I say some mutual grovelling) of the pain from their initial breakup.
I didn’t read book one in this series because there were tropes and elements that didn’t really appeal to me, however it did not remotely impact my reading experience here. The previous couple make an appearance in this but it doesn’t take much to fill in the blanks of existing knowledge from book 1 and their stories is pretty immaterial to the relationship between Indy and Nicholas.
My only few minor gripes is the way that BP wrote the passages of love sick Indy drove me a little mad. I can see the vibe she was aiming for (and arguably succeed in hitting) but the short choppy sentences were like nails on a chalkboard board to me. Also I wouldn’t say that this book featured the miscommunication trope so much as it featured the NO communication trope. Honestly, this book can kind of be summed up by that meme with the big book and little book where its like “The Storm” vs “The Storm” if Indy and Nicholas had a honest conversation about emotions and the little book is like a third the size.
Whenever I am getting over a cold I really struggle with eyeball reading things, so I knew I needed to pick up something that was going to be entertaining and compulsively readable and this delivered in spades. ✅ Second Chance, ✅ Grumpy/Sunshine vibes, ✅ Forced Proximity. Delicious.
(Desperate for whatever book Callum is going to be in though istg I love a golden retriever character with hidden trauma so much hahahahahaha)
Consider following my instagram
Review of advance copy received from Author
✨ ARC Thoughts: The Storm ✨
Us #2 • Briar Prescott
⭐ Rating: 4.5/5
💫 The Vibe
🌧️ A beautiful storm of secrets, heartbreak, and the kind of love that refuses to fade.
🏷️ Tropes & Tags
⚡ Haters to lovers (to haters to lovers)
⚡ Second chance
⚡ First love
⚡ The one that got away
⚡ Grumpy x sunshine
⚡ Stuck together / forced proximity
⚡ “I hate everyone but you”
💭 My Thoughts
There is something about Briar Prescott's books that just works for me. She has this incredible ability to write longing, emotional tension, and characters that feel so achingly real that, before I know it, I've stopped reading a book and started living inside it.
The Storm was exactly that.
It's a story about first love, devastating secrets, impossible choices, forgiveness, and finding your way back to the person who has always felt like home. It starts with a mystery that slowly unfolds, giving you just enough pieces to keep you guessing. Looking back, the clues were all there... I simply never connected them. And when everything finally clicked into place? Let's just say my reading updates tell the story. 😅
Nick and Indy completely stole my heart.
Watching them fall in love was beautiful, but watching them navigate everything that came after was even more compelling. The pining is exquisite, the emotional tension is relentless, and every shared glance, almost-touch, and quiet moment carries the weight of years.
Nick absolutely broke my heart. Beneath all that anger was a grieving teenager who had already lost far too much before life asked him to lose even more. And Indy... there was something so inherently good about him that I couldn't help rooting for him from beginning to end. He carries so much guilt, love, and hope that even when I wanted to shake him, I never stopped understanding him. ❤️
One of my favourite details was Nick calling Indigo Blue.
At first, it just seems like a sweet nickname. Then he explains:
"You're Indy for everybody else. When you're Blue... you're mine."
Excuse me while I melt into a puddle. 💙
As someone who absolutely adored The Island, seeing Dylan and Adrian again made me ridiculously happy. 🥹 It genuinely felt like catching up with old friends, and they're exactly the support Indy needs. I also adored Callum, was intrigued by Julian, and will happily read whichever book comes next.
I don’t want to get into the twist with detail, but I will just say it was an impossible decision 💔
My biggest criticism is the six-year separation.
I wanted to better understand how those few days turned into six years. ❤️🩹 I didn't need every detail of their lives or a catalogue of relationships. I wanted life. How did they rebuild themselves? What did those years look like? How did they become the men we meet again? A chapter from Nick, a chapter from Indy... those missing years held so much emotional potential.
And honestly, I struggled a little with how Nick left Indy in the first place. They shared such an incredible bond, and the decision to cut Indy off without even allowing him to explain felt incredibly harsh and abrupt. They were nineteen, hurt, and probably nowhere near equipped to deal with what had been thrown at them, so I can understand it—but it still hurt. Especially knowing Nick continued to contact Dia while choosing not to contact Indy.
I was also surprised by how much of their reconnection happened through sex. This is probably the spiciest Briar Prescott book I've read, and don't get me wrong—the chemistry is incredible. Even in the explicit scenes, there's so much tenderness and vulnerability that the emotional connection never disappears. But I found myself wishing some of that page time had gone towards the conversations that marked the beginning of their healing. The forgiveness, rebuilding of trust, and difficult discussions sometimes felt too brief.
And while miscommunication is undeniably one of the driving forces of this story, there were moments when it felt like it lingered a little too long. The misunderstanding surrounding Callum is one example. Since I adored him, I was desperate for everyone to just talk. I understood why the confusion existed, but at times it felt like the angst was being sustained by keeping those conversations just out of reach.
None of that stopped me from loving this booBecause at its heart, The Storm is about unwavering love. 💙
The kind that survives grief, impossible choices, devastating secrets, guilt, and six years of silence.
The kind that makes a nickname like Blue feel like one of the most romantic things I've ever read. 😭
Briar Prescott continues to cement herself as one of my favourite MM romance authors. She doesn't just write romance; she writes messy, flawed, beautifully human people trying to find their way back to one another.
And if there's one criticism that perfectly sums up how much I loved this book, it's this:
I simply wasn't ready to leave Nick and Blue behind. 💙✨
Thank you Pauline for discussing and finding ways to defende Nick, he deserved it. they deserve everything!
⚠️ Content Warnings shamelessly stolen from Pauline❣️
Death of a mother at the beginning
On-page panic attacks
Being trapped/claustrophobia (seriously, if dark, small spaces make you anxious, this section was suffocating)
Destruction caused by a tornado
Serious illness requiring a bone marrow transplant and hospital stays
❣️ Reader Safety Check
💔 Third-Party Drama: Yes, not on page but we now one mc hookups with other people during the separation, the other does not.
💔 Third-Act Breakup: yes, 6 years
⚡ Angst Level: High
🌶️ Spice Level: High heat
💬 Communication: Heavy miscommunication
💘 Pining: Mutual
🔥 Emotional Damage: Bring tissues
📖 Book Details
Role Dynamics:Versatile
POV: Dual POV
Format: Standalone, but part of a series
Ending: HEA
Thank you, Briar, for trusting me with another ARC. It was an honour to read Nick and Blue's story. 💙
Us #2 • Briar Prescott
⭐ Rating: 4.5/5
“After all those years.
After all the storms.
For the longest time I’d thought we’d missed our chance.
Turns out, we were just getting started.”
💫 The Vibe
🌧️ A beautiful storm of secrets, heartbreak, and the kind of love that refuses to fade.
🏷️ Tropes & Tags
⚡ Haters to lovers (to haters to lovers)
⚡ Second chance
⚡ First love
⚡ The one that got away
⚡ Grumpy x sunshine
⚡ Stuck together / forced proximity
⚡ “I hate everyone but you”
💭 My Thoughts
There is something about Briar Prescott's books that just works for me. She has this incredible ability to write longing, emotional tension, and characters that feel so achingly real that, before I know it, I've stopped reading a book and started living inside it.
The Storm was exactly that.
It's a story about first love, devastating secrets, impossible choices, forgiveness, and finding your way back to the person who has always felt like home. It starts with a mystery that slowly unfolds, giving you just enough pieces to keep you guessing. Looking back, the clues were all there... I simply never connected them. And when everything finally clicked into place? Let's just say my reading updates tell the story. 😅
Nick and Indy completely stole my heart.
Watching them fall in love was beautiful, but watching them navigate everything that came after was even more compelling. The pining is exquisite, the emotional tension is relentless, and every shared glance, almost-touch, and quiet moment carries the weight of years.
Nick absolutely broke my heart. Beneath all that anger was a grieving teenager who had already lost far too much before life asked him to lose even more. And Indy... there was something so inherently good about him that I couldn't help rooting for him from beginning to end. He carries so much guilt, love, and hope that even when I wanted to shake him, I never stopped understanding him. ❤️
One of my favourite details was Nick calling Indigo Blue.
At first, it just seems like a sweet nickname. Then he explains:
"You're Indy for everybody else. When you're Blue... you're mine."
Excuse me while I melt into a puddle. 💙
As someone who absolutely adored The Island, seeing Dylan and Adrian again made me ridiculously happy. 🥹 It genuinely felt like catching up with old friends, and they're exactly the support Indy needs. I also adored Callum, was intrigued by Julian, and will happily read whichever book comes next.
I don’t want to get into the twist with detail, but I will just say it was an impossible decision 💔
My biggest criticism is the six-year separation.
I wanted to better understand how those few days turned into six years. ❤️🩹 I didn't need every detail of their lives or a catalogue of relationships. I wanted life. How did they rebuild themselves? What did those years look like? How did they become the men we meet again? A chapter from Nick, a chapter from Indy... those missing years held so much emotional potential.
And honestly, I struggled a little with how Nick left Indy in the first place. They shared such an incredible bond, and the decision to cut Indy off without even allowing him to explain felt incredibly harsh and abrupt. They were nineteen, hurt, and probably nowhere near equipped to deal with what had been thrown at them, so I can understand it—but it still hurt. Especially knowing Nick continued to contact Dia while choosing not to contact Indy.
I was also surprised by how much of their reconnection happened through sex. This is probably the spiciest Briar Prescott book I've read, and don't get me wrong—the chemistry is incredible. Even in the explicit scenes, there's so much tenderness and vulnerability that the emotional connection never disappears. But I found myself wishing some of that page time had gone towards the conversations that marked the beginning of their healing. The forgiveness, rebuilding of trust, and difficult discussions sometimes felt too brief.
And while miscommunication is undeniably one of the driving forces of this story, there were moments when it felt like it lingered a little too long. The misunderstanding surrounding Callum is one example. Since I adored him, I was desperate for everyone to just talk. I understood why the confusion existed, but at times it felt like the angst was being sustained by keeping those conversations just out of reach.
None of that stopped me from loving this booBecause at its heart, The Storm is about unwavering love. 💙
The kind that survives grief, impossible choices, devastating secrets, guilt, and six years of silence.
The kind that makes a nickname like Blue feel like one of the most romantic things I've ever read. 😭
Briar Prescott continues to cement herself as one of my favourite MM romance authors. She doesn't just write romance; she writes messy, flawed, beautifully human people trying to find their way back to one another.
And if there's one criticism that perfectly sums up how much I loved this book, it's this:
I simply wasn't ready to leave Nick and Blue behind. 💙✨
Thank you Pauline for discussing and finding ways to defende Nick, he deserved it. they deserve everything!
⚠️ Content Warnings shamelessly stolen from Pauline❣️
Death of a mother at the beginning
On-page panic attacks
Being trapped/claustrophobia (seriously, if dark, small spaces make you anxious, this section was suffocating)
Destruction caused by a tornado
Serious illness requiring a bone marrow transplant and hospital stays
❣️ Reader Safety Check
💔 Third-Party Drama: Yes, not on page but we now one mc hookups with other people during the separation, the other does not.
💔 Third-Act Breakup: yes, 6 years
⚡ Angst Level: High
🌶️ Spice Level: High heat
💬 Communication: Heavy miscommunication
💘 Pining: Mutual
🔥 Emotional Damage: Bring tissues
📖 Book Details
Role Dynamics:Versatile
POV: Dual POV
Format: Standalone, but part of a series
Ending: HEA
Thank you, Briar, for trusting me with another ARC. It was an honour to read Nick and Blue's story. 💙
August 12, 2026
I got a Briar Prescott book as an ARC 🥹 someone pinch me!
Her books Until You and And Then You were both five-star reads for me. I was obviously very excited to read this one.
The Storm is a second-chance romance, unwilling cohabitants-to-lovers, emotional rollercoaster of a book. Nick became so dear to me within the first few pages, and Blue was the human version of a puppy. I loved them so much.
Their romance was sweet and super sexy, both as teenagers and adults. Other people’s shitty decisions made their lives difficult. They had so much to overcome! But they made it out stronger at the end.
I’m sad because I didn’t especially love it 😬
The story felt much longer than it needed to be. The first half felt like a very long prelude to the break-up. The time jump didn’t let me feel the devastation of the separation or the longing.
It is probably a ‘me’ thing, because everyone is loving it. I guess I just didn’t feel it the way I wanted to. So it is a 4⭐️ book, but a 3⭐️ for me.
I still love this author’s work and will absolutely be picking up the next one.
Thank you, Briar, for trusting me with an early copy. All opinions are my own.
Her books Until You and And Then You were both five-star reads for me. I was obviously very excited to read this one.
The Storm is a second-chance romance, unwilling cohabitants-to-lovers, emotional rollercoaster of a book. Nick became so dear to me within the first few pages, and Blue was the human version of a puppy. I loved them so much.
Their romance was sweet and super sexy, both as teenagers and adults. Other people’s shitty decisions made their lives difficult. They had so much to overcome! But they made it out stronger at the end.
I’m sad because I didn’t especially love it 😬
The story felt much longer than it needed to be. The first half felt like a very long prelude to the break-up. The time jump didn’t let me feel the devastation of the separation or the longing.
It is probably a ‘me’ thing, because everyone is loving it. I guess I just didn’t feel it the way I wanted to. So it is a 4⭐️ book, but a 3⭐️ for me.
I still love this author’s work and will absolutely be picking up the next one.
Thank you, Briar, for trusting me with an early copy. All opinions are my own.
August 4, 2026
I wasn't expecting Nick and Indy to be this funny once they finally clicked, but their dynamic is so fun. Nick is the black cat. He seems harsh, but he secretly cares way more than he lets on. And Indy, tries so hard to act unaffected, but uhh he's just really into boats, if you know you know 😉
In the book opening it feels like you've walked into the middle of a crucial moment, and I loved the mystery of what was about to be revealed throughout. The authors give us so much time to watch Nick and Indy build their original love story, which makes the unexpected twist leading to the second chance romance hit harder.
Also, I loved Callum as a side character. He is absolute chaos, and I'm crossing my fingers he gets his own football romance book someday even though this isn’t alluded to, but it would be fun. 🤞
I’ll admit it took me about 15% to fully connect with the characters. But once I was in, I was in. This was my first book by this author, and I definitely want to read more, so I’m trying to figure out where to start.
In the book opening it feels like you've walked into the middle of a crucial moment, and I loved the mystery of what was about to be revealed throughout. The authors give us so much time to watch Nick and Indy build their original love story, which makes the unexpected twist leading to the second chance romance hit harder.
Also, I loved Callum as a side character. He is absolute chaos, and I'm crossing my fingers he gets his own football romance book someday even though this isn’t alluded to, but it would be fun. 🤞
I’ll admit it took me about 15% to fully connect with the characters. But once I was in, I was in. This was my first book by this author, and I definitely want to read more, so I’m trying to figure out where to start.
August 15, 2026
"I wonder what it’s like to have willpower.
Because I have none." —Indigo, for pretty much all of this.
I enjoyed this one. Even though I have many complaints.
Like what happened with Nick those six years? Though maybe it's for the best we don't get those details. Only one thing I needed to know about and we get that, so no further complaints.
But also, why SIX years? Oh, I KNOW Nick loves himself a grudge. Nurtures it lovingly like a child. But for this? For Blue? I would have hoped he'd have come around sooner? Would have understood? Six years seemed like overkill to me.
My unholy self thought they were twins💀 and let me tell you, I'd have eaten that up, I don't care. If it HAD been that, I'd have been okay with Nick needing 6 years to wrap his head around it, as long as he came back.
My next issue is he didn't come back. Coincidentally, also my biggest issue with second chance romance, usually. Because how am I supposed to buy that your love for this man burns with the heat of a thousand suns but you left and never went back for him. If it hadn't been for a chance meeting six years in, in a city neither of you expected the other to be, what would you be doing?
So. Safe to say I'm firmly Team Indy in this (don't even get me started on the whole 'Blue' thing). This poor boy gets saddled with the worst names from the people who claim to love him.
I felt for him. Not only because he wouldn't know subtlety if it walked up to him and said hello, but because his parents put him in the middle of some bullshit that's got nothing to do with him and the one person who could have shared the burden somehow decides he's part of the problem and bails.
To be fair, Nick had 'runner' written all over him from the jump. If it hadn't been that, it'd have been something else. I just hate that Indy got left standing there. Waiting.
We don't get much about either of them during that period but we do get that Indy waited for quite a bit, and I kinda hated that just as he was starting to realize he'd maybe deserved better, Nick was getting his act together to keep him.
I'm petty enough to have wanted Nick to be the one stood there with egg on his face at least once. Then I remember this is Indigo 'What IS willpower?' Blue and I realize there's such a thing as expecting more from characters than they're physically capable of.
And yet. I liked this. Complaints notwithstanding.
Mostly because I get why Nick got mad. Probably would have been different if they'd found out together.
Also, there's enough to dim what would have been my bitterness towards him. Yes, that MF left. Yes, he didn't come back. But there's other things that prove his devotion and they're big enough to appease my need for vengeance lol.
Sure, he handled it badly. But he was a kid. And we only get a few glimpses of his POV but when we do, he's just as gone for Indy as Indy is for him. Just isn't as obvious about it(except when it's just them).
That said, these two fuck too much. You'd think after the big kaboom and the six year separation, they'd at least talk first. But nope. Dicks in holes.
Am I surprised? No. This was very on brand for two guys who got trapped in a fridge during a tornado and somehow found it in them for four orgasms. They decided their priorities early in life and by God, they stuck to them.
Random shoutout to India, who exists mostly as a plot device. Just appears long enough to trigger the kaboom and nopes the fuck off to wherever she needs to be to ensure these two have maximum uninterrupted time.
Just like the parents, who exist solely to make mistakes and then be busy enough to not notice what's going on right under their roof.
Also, I think it's time we made peace with Briar's obsession with water lmao. I'm just glad we didn't get a drowning this time.
Because I have none." —Indigo, for pretty much all of this.
I enjoyed this one. Even though I have many complaints.
Like what happened with Nick those six years? Though maybe it's for the best we don't get those details. Only one thing I needed to know about and we get that, so no further complaints.
But also, why SIX years? Oh, I KNOW Nick loves himself a grudge. Nurtures it lovingly like a child. But for this? For Blue? I would have hoped he'd have come around sooner? Would have understood? Six years seemed like overkill to me.
My unholy self thought they were twins💀 and let me tell you, I'd have eaten that up, I don't care. If it HAD been that, I'd have been okay with Nick needing 6 years to wrap his head around it, as long as he came back.
My next issue is he didn't come back. Coincidentally, also my biggest issue with second chance romance, usually. Because how am I supposed to buy that your love for this man burns with the heat of a thousand suns but you left and never went back for him. If it hadn't been for a chance meeting six years in, in a city neither of you expected the other to be, what would you be doing?
So. Safe to say I'm firmly Team Indy in this (don't even get me started on the whole 'Blue' thing). This poor boy gets saddled with the worst names from the people who claim to love him.
I felt for him. Not only because he wouldn't know subtlety if it walked up to him and said hello, but because his parents put him in the middle of some bullshit that's got nothing to do with him and the one person who could have shared the burden somehow decides he's part of the problem and bails.
To be fair, Nick had 'runner' written all over him from the jump. If it hadn't been that, it'd have been something else. I just hate that Indy got left standing there. Waiting.
We don't get much about either of them during that period but we do get that Indy waited for quite a bit, and I kinda hated that just as he was starting to realize he'd maybe deserved better, Nick was getting his act together to keep him.
I'm petty enough to have wanted Nick to be the one stood there with egg on his face at least once. Then I remember this is Indigo 'What IS willpower?' Blue and I realize there's such a thing as expecting more from characters than they're physically capable of.
And yet. I liked this. Complaints notwithstanding.
Mostly because I get why Nick got mad. Probably would have been different if they'd found out together.
Also, there's enough to dim what would have been my bitterness towards him. Yes, that MF left. Yes, he didn't come back. But there's other things that prove his devotion and they're big enough to appease my need for vengeance lol.
Sure, he handled it badly. But he was a kid. And we only get a few glimpses of his POV but when we do, he's just as gone for Indy as Indy is for him. Just isn't as obvious about it(except when it's just them).
That said, these two fuck too much. You'd think after the big kaboom and the six year separation, they'd at least talk first. But nope. Dicks in holes.
Am I surprised? No. This was very on brand for two guys who got trapped in a fridge during a tornado and somehow found it in them for four orgasms. They decided their priorities early in life and by God, they stuck to them.
Random shoutout to India, who exists mostly as a plot device. Just appears long enough to trigger the kaboom and nopes the fuck off to wherever she needs to be to ensure these two have maximum uninterrupted time.
Just like the parents, who exist solely to make mistakes and then be busy enough to not notice what's going on right under their roof.
Also, I think it's time we made peace with Briar's obsession with water lmao. I'm just glad we didn't get a drowning this time.
August 26, 2026
Why do you call me Blue?” I ask.
“Because I want to.”
“But why?”
He looks at me for the longest time.
“You’re Indy for everybody else. When you’re Blue… you’re mine.”
I’m so happy I read this despite not loving book one because OH MY GOD. THIS SLAYED!!! so many feelings. Big feelings. This felt like a warm hug that got tighter and tighter till the end 🍂
“Because I want to.”
“But why?”
He looks at me for the longest time.
“You’re Indy for everybody else. When you’re Blue… you’re mine.”
I’m so happy I read this despite not loving book one because OH MY GOD. THIS SLAYED!!! so many feelings. Big feelings. This felt like a warm hug that got tighter and tighter till the end 🍂
August 22, 2026
Where to start? This is going to be one emotional rant, I have so much to say so let’s start with Briar Prescott .
Her books are always a gamble for me. I’ve had her books that I absolutely died over while everyone else hated them, and books everyone adored that drove me completely insane. So I never know where I’ll end up when I pick one up. I knew some were angry about Nick and that six-year gap while others were loving it regardless. So… I knew I was walking into this one blind.
Now let’s talk about Indy and his collection of names.
Indy, Go, and then Blue. The first few times someone called him Go, I genuinely thought the sentence was grammatically wrong and kept wondering, Go where?! Then I realised—ohhh, Go is his name. And then Nick calls him Blue, because apparently everyone gets their own version of Indy. I still don’t know where the hell Blue came from, though. Did I miss the explanation? why Blue? Is he sad? Are his eyes blue in some lights ? Does he love the ocean, I mean he does but still? WHAT IS HAPPENING? And then Nick basically gives us, “You’re Indy to everyone, you’re Blue to me.” Okay??? Fine. I have no idea if I missed an explanation somewhere, but apparently this man just collects nicknames.
And the six-year gap is where this book completely pissed me off specifically because of what it did to my image of Nick. I LOVED the Nick I got on page before the gap as well as after it . Yes, he was angry. Yes, he could blow up quickly. Yes, he could hold a grudge. But that man was fiercely protective, loving, caring, and completely tuned in to Indy. Even after the 6 year gap He literally got Indy fired ( childish and weird as it was) and couldn’t even make it through the DAY before bringing him back, making sure he was hired again, and feeding him the cheese sandwich he knew Indy loved. THAT is Nick. That is the character you built for me. A man who can be furious with Indy but cannot stand seeing Indy suffer. A man who loves him so deeply that he notices the little things. I fell in love with that Nick, and I was STILL in love with him six years later because he was the same.
So I’m sorry, but you cannot convince me that the Nick who disappeared for six years is the same Nick you gave me on the page. Six years without touching anyone? Accurate . That actually tracks with the Nick I knew because he was so damn sure about Indy. But six years of ignoring him, changing his number, never going back, never checking where he was, never trying to talk? HELL NO. That is not Nick. I’m not buying it, and you cannot sell it to me. I was never angry at Nick as much as I was angry at Briar for making me believe that Nick was capable of behaving that way. This gap should have been two months. Let Nick be furious, let him stew, let him come back absolutely grovelling—and THEN give me the romance. Instead, my heart was still sitting there waiting for an apology and some emotional resolution while these two were already back to having sex . And too many scenes in just a few chapters. I needed the grovelling before the physical reunion. My heart was NOT ready.
There was so much potential in this story, and I genuinely loved the characters, which is exactly why I’m so frustrated. Three stars, Not because Briar Prescott can’t write—she absolutely can. She had me hooked from the beginning. But you gave me a Nick I loved so completely, and then asked me to believe he became someone else for six years. And I simply refuse. That wasn’t Nick. And you made Indy suffer for no good reason.
Her books are always a gamble for me. I’ve had her books that I absolutely died over while everyone else hated them, and books everyone adored that drove me completely insane. So I never know where I’ll end up when I pick one up. I knew some were angry about Nick and that six-year gap while others were loving it regardless. So… I knew I was walking into this one blind.
Now let’s talk about Indy and his collection of names.
Indy, Go, and then Blue. The first few times someone called him Go, I genuinely thought the sentence was grammatically wrong and kept wondering, Go where?! Then I realised—ohhh, Go is his name. And then Nick calls him Blue, because apparently everyone gets their own version of Indy. I still don’t know where the hell Blue came from, though. Did I miss the explanation? why Blue? Is he sad? Are his eyes blue in some lights ? Does he love the ocean, I mean he does but still? WHAT IS HAPPENING? And then Nick basically gives us, “You’re Indy to everyone, you’re Blue to me.” Okay??? Fine. I have no idea if I missed an explanation somewhere, but apparently this man just collects nicknames.
And the six-year gap is where this book completely pissed me off specifically because of what it did to my image of Nick. I LOVED the Nick I got on page before the gap as well as after it . Yes, he was angry. Yes, he could blow up quickly. Yes, he could hold a grudge. But that man was fiercely protective, loving, caring, and completely tuned in to Indy. Even after the 6 year gap He literally got Indy fired ( childish and weird as it was) and couldn’t even make it through the DAY before bringing him back, making sure he was hired again, and feeding him the cheese sandwich he knew Indy loved. THAT is Nick. That is the character you built for me. A man who can be furious with Indy but cannot stand seeing Indy suffer. A man who loves him so deeply that he notices the little things. I fell in love with that Nick, and I was STILL in love with him six years later because he was the same.
So I’m sorry, but you cannot convince me that the Nick who disappeared for six years is the same Nick you gave me on the page. Six years without touching anyone? Accurate . That actually tracks with the Nick I knew because he was so damn sure about Indy. But six years of ignoring him, changing his number, never going back, never checking where he was, never trying to talk? HELL NO. That is not Nick. I’m not buying it, and you cannot sell it to me. I was never angry at Nick as much as I was angry at Briar for making me believe that Nick was capable of behaving that way. This gap should have been two months. Let Nick be furious, let him stew, let him come back absolutely grovelling—and THEN give me the romance. Instead, my heart was still sitting there waiting for an apology and some emotional resolution while these two were already back to having sex . And too many scenes in just a few chapters. I needed the grovelling before the physical reunion. My heart was NOT ready.
There was so much potential in this story, and I genuinely loved the characters, which is exactly why I’m so frustrated. Three stars, Not because Briar Prescott can’t write—she absolutely can. She had me hooked from the beginning. But you gave me a Nick I loved so completely, and then asked me to believe he became someone else for six years. And I simply refuse. That wasn’t Nick. And you made Indy suffer for no good reason.
August 20, 2026
Man, I haven't given a Briar Prescott a 3 star rating in ages, not since her earlier works.
But something was really off with this one - or well, a lot of somethings.
✖︎ First off, Nick was strangely hostile and a major asshole for the first part of this with no redeeming qualities that I could find. Yeah, he's 15 and all teenagers go through that phase of angst. And yes, his so he does have more reason to be angry, so I get that...to a point.
The first bit, even though I think he's completely unfair to Indy and does a bit of that "hair pulling" attitude because he's so drawn to Indy that he's...mean to him??? is a bit more understandable with what's happening, but then we jump forward about a year and a half or so, maybe two years, and Nick has been living with Indy and his family for awhile now, and he's just so awful and nasty to them all, especially Indy....why?
His anger, especially at Indy in particular, never makes all that much sense. He treats him like crap for no reason, and anger and grief does not excuse that, especially when Indy himself has never done anything to Nick, and it's been long enough that Nick wouldn't be in the first throes of grief so it's really inexcusable to me.
Like okay, you're angry at the world? Or anger helps you keep your walls up? I've read plenty of closed off characters who aren't exactly mean to other people, just very closed off and perhaps cold. Not great then either, but just being angry and awful to everyone everywhere is just too much. And Indy barely even calls Nick on it? He brings it up once or twice to call him a dick and maybe asks him once what he ever did to Nick, but Nick never really answers and Indy just kind of lets it go?
And then like it just happens so abruptly.
Like one minute Nick is the worst and I can't really stand him and then he just lets down his walls like *that* and is nicer to Indy and they start to fall for each other? And the past like 4 years are just forgotten??? They never even have a conversation about what the hell all that was about from Nick towards Indy.
✖︎ Then with the big thing that separates them, it is SO glossed over, and for what reason? What was the reason?!
Like we get the gist of it vaguely enough, and then it all comes crashing down like that with none of the fall out, and then we skip forward 6 years.
✖︎ And then we find out after the 6 year time jump that
Like what do you mean they never even had a conversation about it? What do you mean they're supposed to have such a strong, true love type of love and they never even have a conversation about it, even if it still ended up in a break up, I would have preferred that.
Like the news they both learn is so life changing and we don't have them every really grapple with it?
✖︎ When we're 6 years later in the present, Indy and Nick meet again and fairly quickly fall into having sex, and do they talk about anything? Nope.
It takes them forever - months of basically being back together, mind you - to actually talk and when they do it's just like one conversation and an exchange of "I love you's" and that's about it.
They do go see Indy's mother and that's about the only actual real, long conversation we have about this issue, and then that's it. And it happens so late into the story too, like it's almost too little too late for the reader.
Nice to get it, but it would have been nicer much earlier.
✖︎ I am one who loves sex between the MC's, and these two had great sex together - but I also don't like when the MC's keep having sex instead of talking about their issues, and then I get annoyed that they're having more sex to truly just avoid the issues between them. That's what this book fell into. Indy and Nick had great chemistry, great sexual chemistry, but they just kept fucking like bunnies instead of dealing with anything. It was hot at first, but got old quickly.
✖︎ Dia finds out about them, but only talks to Nick. She and Nick also don't really have much of a relationship when that would have been really interesting to explore. Also eventually him with but I get how that would have taken longer. But still they're alive and right there? After he loses
But Dia especially should have been explored. Why wasn't it? And Dia doesn't talk about Indy at all about finding out about them, which was interesting and strange to omit.
✖︎ Indy also didn't seem all that interested about
Like everything about the big, main issue that tore them apart wasn't explored all that deeply or thoroughly.
✖︎ And also I love the main focus being on our romance and MC's, truly, but it's okay to focus on other things too? Other characters barely felt a part of this story, especially important ones like Dia. She had all this happen to her too, and she went through so much, but she was just a background character most of the time. Also
✖︎ This was also, for a good portion in the beginning, just slow going for me. It's not usually this slow for me with a Briar Prescott novel, but it just took me awhile to really get into it.
I have so much to complain about, and it is the reason why this is three stars, but while I didn't like how abruptly it went from Nick being pretty sucky to being okay and then pretty great, once we got that, I did really like and enjoy these two. Their chemistry was great and I did love how happy they made each other.
At the end of the day, they were made for each other and that did come across well in this.
For everything that went wrong in this and that annoyed the crap out of me, these two did hold so much of my attention when they were getting good together, and when Nick dropped his angsty, broody crap - which I can love with a character when done right. It was NOT done right with Nick. - and let Indy in, it was great. I loved how he called him Blue as well, having a special name just for him that only Nick ever used. And Indy being the only one who ever called him Nicholas as well.
Did this drag out them resolving their issues? Absolutely it did, but seeing them work them out and get their happy ending was wonderful to see, and I loved that.
So these two, when they weren't pissing me off or refusing to talk about shit - and I get it to a point, it is hard to talk about tough shit in real life for sure, but in a fictional story the whole point is dealing with these issues to get their HEA so them holding off and holding off was insufferable at some point - were great together and carries this story for me.
I just really wish this had focused on a lot of issues and didn't avoid them so much or just talk about them vaguely. Even after the big time jump, they never really talk about the elephant in the room when I think it should have been a big thing they talked about a lot and extensively.
So yeah, this wasn't as good for me as the first book with Dylan and Adrian, for all their issues and the issues that book had, none of it bothered me nearly as much as the ones in this book did. I've read this author at her best and know she can do so much better.
This just wasn't her best and it was just off from the start.
Better luck next time - if it's Callum, that'll be fun to read, whoever his LI may be!
Until then...
My Ratings for the Us Series:
✨ The Island: 4.5 stars (my review)
✨ The Storm: 3 stars
But something was really off with this one - or well, a lot of somethings.
✖︎ First off, Nick was strangely hostile and a major asshole for the first part of this with no redeeming qualities that I could find. Yeah, he's 15 and all teenagers go through that phase of angst. And yes, his so he does have more reason to be angry, so I get that...to a point.
The first bit, even though I think he's completely unfair to Indy and does a bit of that "hair pulling" attitude because he's so drawn to Indy that he's...mean to him??? is a bit more understandable with what's happening, but then we jump forward about a year and a half or so, maybe two years, and Nick has been living with Indy and his family for awhile now, and he's just so awful and nasty to them all, especially Indy....why?
His anger, especially at Indy in particular, never makes all that much sense. He treats him like crap for no reason, and anger and grief does not excuse that, especially when Indy himself has never done anything to Nick, and it's been long enough that Nick wouldn't be in the first throes of grief so it's really inexcusable to me.
Like okay, you're angry at the world? Or anger helps you keep your walls up? I've read plenty of closed off characters who aren't exactly mean to other people, just very closed off and perhaps cold. Not great then either, but just being angry and awful to everyone everywhere is just too much. And Indy barely even calls Nick on it? He brings it up once or twice to call him a dick and maybe asks him once what he ever did to Nick, but Nick never really answers and Indy just kind of lets it go?
And then like it just happens so abruptly.
Like one minute Nick is the worst and I can't really stand him and then he just lets down his walls like *that* and is nicer to Indy and they start to fall for each other? And the past like 4 years are just forgotten??? They never even have a conversation about what the hell all that was about from Nick towards Indy.
✖︎ Then with the big thing that separates them, it is SO glossed over, and for what reason? What was the reason?!
Like we get the gist of it vaguely enough, and then it all comes crashing down like that with none of the fall out, and then we skip forward 6 years.
✖︎ And then we find out after the 6 year time jump that
Like what do you mean they never even had a conversation about it? What do you mean they're supposed to have such a strong, true love type of love and they never even have a conversation about it, even if it still ended up in a break up, I would have preferred that.
Like the news they both learn is so life changing and we don't have them every really grapple with it?
✖︎ When we're 6 years later in the present, Indy and Nick meet again and fairly quickly fall into having sex, and do they talk about anything? Nope.
It takes them forever - months of basically being back together, mind you - to actually talk and when they do it's just like one conversation and an exchange of "I love you's" and that's about it.
They do go see Indy's mother and that's about the only actual real, long conversation we have about this issue, and then that's it. And it happens so late into the story too, like it's almost too little too late for the reader.
Nice to get it, but it would have been nicer much earlier.
✖︎ I am one who loves sex between the MC's, and these two had great sex together - but I also don't like when the MC's keep having sex instead of talking about their issues, and then I get annoyed that they're having more sex to truly just avoid the issues between them. That's what this book fell into. Indy and Nick had great chemistry, great sexual chemistry, but they just kept fucking like bunnies instead of dealing with anything. It was hot at first, but got old quickly.
✖︎ Dia finds out about them, but only talks to Nick. She and Nick also don't really have much of a relationship when that would have been really interesting to explore. Also eventually him with but I get how that would have taken longer. But still they're alive and right there? After he loses
But Dia especially should have been explored. Why wasn't it? And Dia doesn't talk about Indy at all about finding out about them, which was interesting and strange to omit.
✖︎ Indy also didn't seem all that interested about
Like everything about the big, main issue that tore them apart wasn't explored all that deeply or thoroughly.
✖︎ And also I love the main focus being on our romance and MC's, truly, but it's okay to focus on other things too? Other characters barely felt a part of this story, especially important ones like Dia. She had all this happen to her too, and she went through so much, but she was just a background character most of the time. Also
✖︎ This was also, for a good portion in the beginning, just slow going for me. It's not usually this slow for me with a Briar Prescott novel, but it just took me awhile to really get into it.
I have so much to complain about, and it is the reason why this is three stars, but while I didn't like how abruptly it went from Nick being pretty sucky to being okay and then pretty great, once we got that, I did really like and enjoy these two. Their chemistry was great and I did love how happy they made each other.
At the end of the day, they were made for each other and that did come across well in this.
For everything that went wrong in this and that annoyed the crap out of me, these two did hold so much of my attention when they were getting good together, and when Nick dropped his angsty, broody crap - which I can love with a character when done right. It was NOT done right with Nick. - and let Indy in, it was great. I loved how he called him Blue as well, having a special name just for him that only Nick ever used. And Indy being the only one who ever called him Nicholas as well.
Did this drag out them resolving their issues? Absolutely it did, but seeing them work them out and get their happy ending was wonderful to see, and I loved that.
So these two, when they weren't pissing me off or refusing to talk about shit - and I get it to a point, it is hard to talk about tough shit in real life for sure, but in a fictional story the whole point is dealing with these issues to get their HEA so them holding off and holding off was insufferable at some point - were great together and carries this story for me.
I just really wish this had focused on a lot of issues and didn't avoid them so much or just talk about them vaguely. Even after the big time jump, they never really talk about the elephant in the room when I think it should have been a big thing they talked about a lot and extensively.
So yeah, this wasn't as good for me as the first book with Dylan and Adrian, for all their issues and the issues that book had, none of it bothered me nearly as much as the ones in this book did. I've read this author at her best and know she can do so much better.
This just wasn't her best and it was just off from the start.
Better luck next time - if it's Callum, that'll be fun to read, whoever his LI may be!
Until then...
My Ratings for the Us Series:
✨ The Island: 4.5 stars (my review)
✨ The Storm: 3 stars
August 13, 2026
Briar Prescott is a talented romance writer. Her characters tend to have chemistry, her dialogue feels natural, the banter is generally on point, and her steam is above average. So why haven’t I read her entire backlist?
It’s been a while since the last Prescott book I read, but I vaguely remember having this exact same issue: she drags it. Her books could and should be about 100 pages shorter, and they would probably be four- or five-star reads for me.
I’m not generally a lover of romances over, say, 375 pages (350 tbh). But sometimes the plot genuinely requires it, and as long as the pacing is good and the story keeps moving, I’m game.That is not the case with The Storm.
There were some lags in Part One, but overall I was still happily along for the ride. Then Part Two happened.
First, it’s another example of an extremely long separation caused by a reason that, once everything is revealed, just doesn’t feel strong enough to support six years of no contact. Why do authors do this? Either make the reason make sense or make it two years or less.
I’ll give the book this: I was genuinely surprised by the twist. I thought I had figured out what was happening and was fully prepared to defend brocest, as one does.
But once we learn the truth, the timeline starts bothering me. If Indy had ALWAYS known, okay, maybe I could buy the fallout. But he knew for what, a few weeks? And that justifies six years of no contact?
I will say that she is able to tap into my emotions. For example, I felt an almost unreasonable amount of rage on Indy’s behalf when he arrived in Boston. Nick had essentially detonated Indy’s young adulthood and then, from Indy’s perspective, appears to be absolutely thriving. He has this whole life. He’s become part of Bridget and Dia’s world in a way that almost feels like he has slid into Indy’s old place. And then, on top of that, he starts interfering with Indy’s livelihood? I wanted Indy to start throwing furniture.
Which brings us to around the 70% mark, when they finally hook up and then immediately retreat into the dreaded “we’re just friends” nonsense.
At one point we get:
“This thing has a time limit, and we’re both aware. So we use every minute. Every second. Frantically. With determination.”
Except…it’s a completely self-imposed time limit. On BOTH sides. Neither man actually wants it to end. There is no meaningful external obstacle preventing them from being together. So perhaps — and I’m just spitballing here — date each other?
If the book had started winding down at that point, I think it would have worked beautifully. Instead, we get something like another 150 pages of clandestine hookups while it becomes painfully obvious that both men are in love, both men want more, and some mysterious invisible force is apparently keeping them apart. That force is AWP: Angst Without Plot. You heard it here first, but trust I will trademark myself and have a need to use it in the future. And since regular angst is already something I mostly suffer through in order to get to the good stuff, angst without plot makes me absolutely feral. I kept waiting for the actual impediment to reveal itself. There wasn’t one. Just two grown men continually inventing reasons not to have the relationship they both very obviously wanted.
One smaller thing that kept nagging at me: why exactly were Nick and his mother so poor after the accident? We’re told the hospital closed, but that doesn’t magically erase liability. Given the scale of what happened, I needed at least a sentence explaining why there wasn’t a substantial settlement, judgment, insurance payout, something. I also wouldn't have minded if a few of the AWP pages be sacrificed for us finding out how much Indy floudered for six years because not only did he lose Nick, he learned his family wasn't what he thought. And can we also mention Chekhov's gun -- Indy's asthma sounds potentially genetic and not in a good way. See all the interesting things we could have been reading about instead of make believe conflict? The book had the seeds, I wish they'd all been tended.
And yet! This is still three stars because the things Prescott does well, she does really well. Nick and Indy have chemistry. Their conversations work. The sex works. There are genuinely funny, sharp moments, and I cared about them enough to be furious when the story kept finding increasingly flimsy reasons not to just let them be together.
There is a fantastic 350-page romance hiding inside The Storm.
Unfortunately, it is trapped inside a much longer book.
It’s been a while since the last Prescott book I read, but I vaguely remember having this exact same issue: she drags it. Her books could and should be about 100 pages shorter, and they would probably be four- or five-star reads for me.
I’m not generally a lover of romances over, say, 375 pages (350 tbh). But sometimes the plot genuinely requires it, and as long as the pacing is good and the story keeps moving, I’m game.That is not the case with The Storm.
There were some lags in Part One, but overall I was still happily along for the ride. Then Part Two happened.
First, it’s another example of an extremely long separation caused by a reason that, once everything is revealed, just doesn’t feel strong enough to support six years of no contact. Why do authors do this? Either make the reason make sense or make it two years or less.
I’ll give the book this: I was genuinely surprised by the twist. I thought I had figured out what was happening and was fully prepared to defend brocest, as one does.
But once we learn the truth, the timeline starts bothering me. If Indy had ALWAYS known, okay, maybe I could buy the fallout. But he knew for what, a few weeks? And that justifies six years of no contact?
I will say that she is able to tap into my emotions. For example, I felt an almost unreasonable amount of rage on Indy’s behalf when he arrived in Boston. Nick had essentially detonated Indy’s young adulthood and then, from Indy’s perspective, appears to be absolutely thriving. He has this whole life. He’s become part of Bridget and Dia’s world in a way that almost feels like he has slid into Indy’s old place. And then, on top of that, he starts interfering with Indy’s livelihood? I wanted Indy to start throwing furniture.
Which brings us to around the 70% mark, when they finally hook up and then immediately retreat into the dreaded “we’re just friends” nonsense.
At one point we get:
“This thing has a time limit, and we’re both aware. So we use every minute. Every second. Frantically. With determination.”
Except…it’s a completely self-imposed time limit. On BOTH sides. Neither man actually wants it to end. There is no meaningful external obstacle preventing them from being together. So perhaps — and I’m just spitballing here — date each other?
If the book had started winding down at that point, I think it would have worked beautifully. Instead, we get something like another 150 pages of clandestine hookups while it becomes painfully obvious that both men are in love, both men want more, and some mysterious invisible force is apparently keeping them apart. That force is AWP: Angst Without Plot. You heard it here first, but trust I will trademark myself and have a need to use it in the future. And since regular angst is already something I mostly suffer through in order to get to the good stuff, angst without plot makes me absolutely feral. I kept waiting for the actual impediment to reveal itself. There wasn’t one. Just two grown men continually inventing reasons not to have the relationship they both very obviously wanted.
One smaller thing that kept nagging at me: why exactly were Nick and his mother so poor after the accident? We’re told the hospital closed, but that doesn’t magically erase liability. Given the scale of what happened, I needed at least a sentence explaining why there wasn’t a substantial settlement, judgment, insurance payout, something. I also wouldn't have minded if a few of the AWP pages be sacrificed for us finding out how much Indy floudered for six years because not only did he lose Nick, he learned his family wasn't what he thought. And can we also mention Chekhov's gun -- Indy's asthma sounds potentially genetic and not in a good way. See all the interesting things we could have been reading about instead of make believe conflict? The book had the seeds, I wish they'd all been tended.
And yet! This is still three stars because the things Prescott does well, she does really well. Nick and Indy have chemistry. Their conversations work. The sex works. There are genuinely funny, sharp moments, and I cared about them enough to be furious when the story kept finding increasingly flimsy reasons not to just let them be together.
There is a fantastic 350-page romance hiding inside The Storm.
Unfortunately, it is trapped inside a much longer book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 19, 2026
I have to start with the writing—the way Briar writes, loved it. The flow, the way emotions are brought to life, the beautiful writing style, and even the chapter layouts—somehow, everything just works.
But then there’s the story and the plot itself. I really liked part one, but unfortunately, part two kind of lost me.
I really don’t like it when a couple is separated for years and completely cuts contact without any real, sensible reason. I could probably have looked past that here, but the way they behaved even after being apart for six years started to annoy me a little too much. Somehow, even after all those years, Nick is still so dramatic— “He’s not the boy I love anymore. He’s the man I survived.” I mean, 'Man I survived' ??? Please, be fr.
And if we put Nick aside for a moment, there’s also the way Indy treated—or rather, didn’t treat—his mother during those six years. That bothered me too.
Yes, there was still that tension and yearning that I loved from the very beginning, but somehow the whole picture in part 2 bothered me too much for me to enjoy it as much as I wanted to. I actually started skimming a bit toward the end.
I also wasn’t a fan of how the story simply cut off after what happened (part 1), or how things continued from there (part 2). I think there was potential for this to be executed much better.
For the most part, I did like how the characters were written, and the supporting characters were great too (I loved Callum). I think it would have been nice to get more insight into Nick’s thoughts, but the author probably intentionally kept his POV to a minimum.
To sum it up, I really loved the writing style, and there were several beautiful moments and passages throughout the book. Unfortunately, though, the story itself—especially Part 2—didn’t resonate with me as much as I’d hoped it would this time around. I’m happy to give it 4⭐️ on GR, but if I’m being completely honest, my overall rating was probably closer to a 3.5.
_______________________________________
’“Blue,” he says in a choked voice.
It’s my love song. My name on his lips.’
’He’s still looking at me, his green eyes so impossibly bright. It was the first thing I noticed about him when I saw him that first time.
The eyes. Nobody has eyes like Blue.
They’re so green they look almost unnatural. Contact lenses, I bet some people think. They’re wrong.
I’ve seen those eyes in the early morning, blinking open sleepily.
I’ve seen them shining with laughter.
Dark with anger.
I’ve seen them aimed at me from across crowded rooms like I was the only thing worth looking at.
I’ve watched those eyes go soft right before he kissed me.
I’ve seen them burn with need, looking up at me in the middle of the night when I’m inside him.
Maybe that’s the problem.
I know those eyes too well.’
But then there’s the story and the plot itself. I really liked part one, but unfortunately, part two kind of lost me.
I really don’t like it when a couple is separated for years and completely cuts contact without any real, sensible reason. I could probably have looked past that here, but the way they behaved even after being apart for six years started to annoy me a little too much. Somehow, even after all those years, Nick is still so dramatic— “He’s not the boy I love anymore. He’s the man I survived.” I mean, 'Man I survived' ??? Please, be fr.
And if we put Nick aside for a moment, there’s also the way Indy treated—or rather, didn’t treat—his mother during those six years. That bothered me too.
Yes, there was still that tension and yearning that I loved from the very beginning, but somehow the whole picture in part 2 bothered me too much for me to enjoy it as much as I wanted to. I actually started skimming a bit toward the end.
I also wasn’t a fan of how the story simply cut off after what happened (part 1), or how things continued from there (part 2). I think there was potential for this to be executed much better.
For the most part, I did like how the characters were written, and the supporting characters were great too (I loved Callum). I think it would have been nice to get more insight into Nick’s thoughts, but the author probably intentionally kept his POV to a minimum.
To sum it up, I really loved the writing style, and there were several beautiful moments and passages throughout the book. Unfortunately, though, the story itself—especially Part 2—didn’t resonate with me as much as I’d hoped it would this time around. I’m happy to give it 4⭐️ on GR, but if I’m being completely honest, my overall rating was probably closer to a 3.5.
_______________________________________
’“Blue,” he says in a choked voice.
It’s my love song. My name on his lips.’
’He’s still looking at me, his green eyes so impossibly bright. It was the first thing I noticed about him when I saw him that first time.
The eyes. Nobody has eyes like Blue.
They’re so green they look almost unnatural. Contact lenses, I bet some people think. They’re wrong.
I’ve seen those eyes in the early morning, blinking open sleepily.
I’ve seen them shining with laughter.
Dark with anger.
I’ve seen them aimed at me from across crowded rooms like I was the only thing worth looking at.
I’ve watched those eyes go soft right before he kissed me.
I’ve seen them burn with need, looking up at me in the middle of the night when I’m inside him.
Maybe that’s the problem.
I know those eyes too well.’
August 17, 2026
2⭐️ soft DNF at 30%, skimmed the rest. I love Briar’s older books, but unfortunately, I couldn’t get into this. It felt disjointed. Like a bunch of separate scenes taped together with no smooth transition.
The tornado scene felt very strange and out of place. What should have been a focal point for the plot was rushed and over too fast.
I didn’t feel a connection between the MCs. Why did they love each other?
Also, the twist was very unrealistic and would never happen in real life… so that was sort of an eye roll moment for me.
The tornado scene felt very strange and out of place. What should have been a focal point for the plot was rushed and over too fast.
I didn’t feel a connection between the MCs. Why did they love each other?
Also, the twist was very unrealistic and would never happen in real life… so that was sort of an eye roll moment for me.
August 11, 2026
ARC Review:
Wow, this book was super intense and captivating! I was on edge the whole time while reading and rooting for them.
I loved their connection so much, and it gave me butterflies throughout the book, which is so unique for Briar’s writing. Briar really captures the emotions and makes me feel so much!
The story is split into two parts.
In Part One, we meet Nick and Indy when they’re in high school, and Nick is moving in with Indy’s family due to his mom’s illness. Nick and Indy never really get along with each other, but there is tension. AND let me tell you, there really is this deep connection that is totally palpable while reading. They evolve a lot throughout the book, and their love story is so special and unique. I loved them together. First love at 19 at its best, and they feel so deeply for each other.
Then, obviously, something happens, and Part Two takes place six years later. Most of the book is written from Indy’s POV, so a lot of the time, we don’t know what Nick is really thinking, but that made the tension even more real, and I loved it.
I couldn’t stop reading and just highly, highly recommend this story.
They have real communication issues which kept me on edge so much because they just needed to talk but they never do and both run away and rather have sex with each other then talk 😁 But I loved that for the story because it worked for the plot and I think this made the love more special because they really were meant to be ❤️❤️❤️❤️
It is super high angst and super high heat (not overly kinky or anything, just pure, intense spice scenes that were soooo hot!!).
So, if you loved The Island, this one was even better (and I really loved The Island as well), give it a go!!
Wow, this book was super intense and captivating! I was on edge the whole time while reading and rooting for them.
I loved their connection so much, and it gave me butterflies throughout the book, which is so unique for Briar’s writing. Briar really captures the emotions and makes me feel so much!
The story is split into two parts.
In Part One, we meet Nick and Indy when they’re in high school, and Nick is moving in with Indy’s family due to his mom’s illness. Nick and Indy never really get along with each other, but there is tension. AND let me tell you, there really is this deep connection that is totally palpable while reading. They evolve a lot throughout the book, and their love story is so special and unique. I loved them together. First love at 19 at its best, and they feel so deeply for each other.
Then, obviously, something happens, and Part Two takes place six years later. Most of the book is written from Indy’s POV, so a lot of the time, we don’t know what Nick is really thinking, but that made the tension even more real, and I loved it.
I couldn’t stop reading and just highly, highly recommend this story.
They have real communication issues which kept me on edge so much because they just needed to talk but they never do and both run away and rather have sex with each other then talk 😁 But I loved that for the story because it worked for the plot and I think this made the love more special because they really were meant to be ❤️❤️❤️❤️
It is super high angst and super high heat (not overly kinky or anything, just pure, intense spice scenes that were soooo hot!!).
So, if you loved The Island, this one was even better (and I really loved The Island as well), give it a go!!
September 18, 2026
If you are someone who wants the asshat character to grovel after messing up, then this book is NOT for you. Consequences of my actions? Don’t know em!
This one hurts . We meet Indy, a confident happy 15 year. Nick makes him MISERABLE for 2 years.
By the time Indy is 25 he’s a mess. Sad, insecure and bleeding out emotionally ALL because of Nick. Literally. Look Briar is a Great writer. They write cozy romance that’s full of long looks, tension and strangely long time jumps.
However, Indy did nothing wrong. He withheld life shattering info for a few months while his twin sister was in the hospital. Nick suffered a loss, yes. But arguably Indy suffers EVEN more of a loss (no spoilers) and never is given any space to grieve.
Nick is cruel, leaves him for six years and lives his life just fine. Indy is destroyed, painted the villian of a tragic situation that was wholey and fully out of his control.
When Nick says “I don’t want to be mad anymore” he’s punishing Indy… for what? Trying to hold down the fort at the worst time of his life?
Also there is no really conversation about what the parents did and what was done to them… which is also nuts.
India seems to handle it strangely well but at the end of the day this is six years of RIP YOUR HEART OUT grief for Indy and six year where Nick lives an alright life, and then the second he sees Indy works to start up again with literally not even an apology… still blaming Indy for next to nothing, for being a very briefly overwhelmed 19 year old.
Nick is trash 🗑️ Indy deserves the world.
This one hurts . We meet Indy, a confident happy 15 year. Nick makes him MISERABLE for 2 years.
By the time Indy is 25 he’s a mess. Sad, insecure and bleeding out emotionally ALL because of Nick. Literally. Look Briar is a Great writer. They write cozy romance that’s full of long looks, tension and strangely long time jumps.
However, Indy did nothing wrong. He withheld life shattering info for a few months while his twin sister was in the hospital. Nick suffered a loss, yes. But arguably Indy suffers EVEN more of a loss (no spoilers) and never is given any space to grieve.
Nick is cruel, leaves him for six years and lives his life just fine. Indy is destroyed, painted the villian of a tragic situation that was wholey and fully out of his control.
When Nick says “I don’t want to be mad anymore” he’s punishing Indy… for what? Trying to hold down the fort at the worst time of his life?
Also there is no really conversation about what the parents did and what was done to them… which is also nuts.
India seems to handle it strangely well but at the end of the day this is six years of RIP YOUR HEART OUT grief for Indy and six year where Nick lives an alright life, and then the second he sees Indy works to start up again with literally not even an apology… still blaming Indy for next to nothing, for being a very briefly overwhelmed 19 year old.
Nick is trash 🗑️ Indy deserves the world.
September 11, 2026
I had a good feeling about this book, and I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest! This story has that special magic that drew me right in and made me unable to put the book down. First love, longing, loss, second chances—emotional, touching, and on top of that, some seriously hot spice?! I’m definitely all in and I fell in love with Indy and Nick right away ❤️!
I don’t want to give too much away or spoil anything! This book raises questions you’ll definitely want to explore, and it keeps you hooked! For me, it was a fantastic read—and I can wholeheartedly recommend this story!
I don’t want to give too much away or spoil anything! This book raises questions you’ll definitely want to explore, and it keeps you hooked! For me, it was a fantastic read—and I can wholeheartedly recommend this story!
August 15, 2026
It took me a while to get into this. I blame the blurb. I kept waiting for the jump in present time. So I’m spoiling it for you, it only happens about half way in. Enjoy the first part.
Once I was hooked, I was really hooked. Loved it. Loved Blue and Nick. Loved Dia. Loved Callum (does he have a book? He should)
But
Too much sex
Too little talking
I feel like everything got resolved too quickly. I wanted more. About the breakup. The past. The family relationship.
But I keep getting sex scenes instead.
Once I was hooked, I was really hooked. Loved it. Loved Blue and Nick. Loved Dia. Loved Callum (does he have a book? He should)
But
Too much sex
Too little talking
I feel like everything got resolved too quickly. I wanted more. About the breakup. The past. The family relationship.
But I keep getting sex scenes instead.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2026
Another 5 star book from Briar!
This book was exactly what I needed! Such a beautiful story which starts when Indy and Nick are 19 years old, but experiencing life so differently. Indy was such a beautiful character I absolutely adore him! He's the sunshine Nick desperately needed in his life.
I will admit I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the pain.. and Briar delivered as always 😭 the journey was beautiful and painful and being in Indy POV majority of the time made this even more special, both him and Nick's perspectives were realistic, valid and I absolutely loved how they both grew and learnt from their mistakes.
So much happens in this book, your in for a wild ride!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
Tropes:
Grumpy/Sunshine
Reluctant friends to lovers
Second Chance
Forced Proximity
This book was exactly what I needed! Such a beautiful story which starts when Indy and Nick are 19 years old, but experiencing life so differently. Indy was such a beautiful character I absolutely adore him! He's the sunshine Nick desperately needed in his life.
I will admit I was on the edge of my seat waiting for the pain.. and Briar delivered as always 😭 the journey was beautiful and painful and being in Indy POV majority of the time made this even more special, both him and Nick's perspectives were realistic, valid and I absolutely loved how they both grew and learnt from their mistakes.
So much happens in this book, your in for a wild ride!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
Tropes:
Grumpy/Sunshine
Reluctant friends to lovers
Second Chance
Forced Proximity
August 13, 2026
Aaaaaand she did it again. Briar has effortlessly pulled me out of my reading slump with another five-star gem. I’m such a fan of her gentle, beautiful writing style, her wonderful characters who feel like real people who could live next door, and all the emotions she manages to pack into her books. This story made me finally feel it all again: yearning, pining, longing, anger, heartbreak, giddiness, happiness, resentment, despair. It made me resent my own life for having to live it while I was reading about these boys. I didn’t want to leave them. I couldn’t put the book down. I absolutely love when a story does that to me.
In short: Nick and Indy meet when they’re fifteen, and at seventeen, Nick comes to live with Indy’s family. Nick is grieving and angry at the whole world, especially Indy. But beneath all that anger, they secretly crave each other. The pull between them is undeniable, and when they finally give in, they develop an incredibly intense relationship. Then tragedy strikes, and Nick leaves without a word.
Six years later, they meet again. There’s anger, hurt, resentment and six years’ worth of things left unsaid. But that connection between them? It’s still there. And day by day, the anger becomes harder to hold on to.
Is the book without flaws? Not quite. I have two minor issues.
The first is Nick. I slightly resent him for all the anger in the beginning and, especially, for the way he treated Indy before leaving without giving him the chance to explain or talk things through. I understand his walls and his need for self-protection, but if you truly love someone, you expect at least a little more fight. Six years later, I wanted Nick to be grovelling at Indy’s feet. I wanted them to really talk about what happened. I wanted more apologies, more explanations, more accountability. And while some of that does happen, it never quite reaches the level I was hoping for.
Instead, they have sex. Lots and lots of sex. Which brings me to my second issue. 😂
Their physical connection is absolutely a reward after all those years of pining, longing and unresolved feelings, but at times it felt like a bit of overkill to me. This is, by far, the spiciest book Briar has ever written.
Does it matter? Not really.
Because underneath all of that is such a beautiful, emotional story. The writing is impeccable, the characters are layered and wonderfully real, and the love between Indy and Nick runs so deep. I felt like I was on the verge of tears for half the book. My heart hurt for them. I wanted to shake them, hug them, yell at them and, most of all, keep them safe.
Indy and Nick truly stole my heart.
And honestly? That’s worth every single star. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
In short: Nick and Indy meet when they’re fifteen, and at seventeen, Nick comes to live with Indy’s family. Nick is grieving and angry at the whole world, especially Indy. But beneath all that anger, they secretly crave each other. The pull between them is undeniable, and when they finally give in, they develop an incredibly intense relationship. Then tragedy strikes, and Nick leaves without a word.
Six years later, they meet again. There’s anger, hurt, resentment and six years’ worth of things left unsaid. But that connection between them? It’s still there. And day by day, the anger becomes harder to hold on to.
Is the book without flaws? Not quite. I have two minor issues.
The first is Nick. I slightly resent him for all the anger in the beginning and, especially, for the way he treated Indy before leaving without giving him the chance to explain or talk things through. I understand his walls and his need for self-protection, but if you truly love someone, you expect at least a little more fight. Six years later, I wanted Nick to be grovelling at Indy’s feet. I wanted them to really talk about what happened. I wanted more apologies, more explanations, more accountability. And while some of that does happen, it never quite reaches the level I was hoping for.
Instead, they have sex. Lots and lots of sex. Which brings me to my second issue. 😂
Their physical connection is absolutely a reward after all those years of pining, longing and unresolved feelings, but at times it felt like a bit of overkill to me. This is, by far, the spiciest book Briar has ever written.
Does it matter? Not really.
Because underneath all of that is such a beautiful, emotional story. The writing is impeccable, the characters are layered and wonderfully real, and the love between Indy and Nick runs so deep. I felt like I was on the verge of tears for half the book. My heart hurt for them. I wanted to shake them, hug them, yell at them and, most of all, keep them safe.
Indy and Nick truly stole my heart.
And honestly? That’s worth every single star. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Review of advance copy received from Author
Review of advance copy received from Author
4.25 beautiful, beautiful stars. This is my first ever ARC, Briar Prescott is one of my favourite MM authors ever, and my days off lined up PERFECTLY for me to jump under the soft blankets of my van and devour the HELL out of this book. And damn, did it deliver (not that I had any doubts).
Disclaimer: I haven't written an actual review in so long and I've kind of forgot how to do it, so please bear with me :,)
It is tragedy that leads Nicholas Hayes' life to collide with Indy's. Indy doesn't know how to handle the angry, grieving boy who has come to live with his family. Nick is cold and resentful, keeping everyone - and especially Indy - at an angry distance. But there is mutual attraction simmering between the two boys, and when the spark is lit, the passion is explosive. Nick takes his walls down and Indy thrives as their love grows, but one single secret and a devastating truth tears them apart. Six years later, their paths cross again and they must deal with years of unresolved feelings and hurt to find their way back to each other.
This book starts with a little mystery, as we slowly come to understand the situation that has led Nick to live with Indy's family. Instead of jumping between past and present timelines, the story is divided into two separate parts, and I liked that a lot! While I enjoyed both parts, I just adored the first half of the book: the question of "what's going on, who are these people to Nick and his mother?" was hanging over our head, and while I had some doubts, I didn't not see the plot twist that concluded part 1 coming! I think the "mystery" was handled so well (as usual) and all the little hints made so much sense once the truth was revealed, that was awesome. Also, seeing Nick and Indy fall in love with each other and see how much they mean to each other was everything.
My favourite thing about Briar Prescott's books is the way she crafts the most beautiful characters, and the Storm does not fail in that regard. Both Nick and Indy were very well written. Nick's anger and grief were heartbreaking, but it was so lovely to see him open up and heal as he accepted Indy's love. He had been dealt a shit hand and he deserved every single good thing in the world. Indy had my whole heart though. There was something about him that just made me root for him so hard. There was something so purely good about him. The way he goes from the open book in the past, to a more guarded version of himself that just wants to protect himself while being unable to refuse getting closer to the man he loves... The way he punished himself for YEARS for the one mistake that led to breaking his and Nick's hearts... MY HEART. I just really loved them.
Beyond being great characters, the romance was also great. The tension between Indy and Nick was delicious. Be it from the first part where they first fall, or in the second when they reunite and must deal with deep, unresolved feelings, their chemistry was always absolutely perfect. Seeing them grow and change in contact with each other, and how obviously perfect they were for each other was so endearing. The book is filled with emotional tension and development and it was all so greatly handled. The way both boys feel after their reunion was heartbreaking, it was so obvious how deeply they still felt for each other, and were kept separate by old hurts and scars that should never have kept them apart in the first place. My favourite thing about the romance in this book must be the INTIMACY!!! This book is spicy, but it never fails to deliver a true sense of comfort and intimacy. I especially liked the few but meaningful scenes of non-sexual intimacy, I am a sucker for these and this book fed me so well.
While I did love the book to pieces, there are some things that didn't work as well for me:
* I thought the conflict that broke them up in the past was a little rushed. It was very "in the blink of an eye" which might have been the point, like all that happiness crumbled in an instant, but to me it just felt very quick and jarring. Even in the second half, I couldn't believe that it was the only reason they'd been kept apart for so long even though they obviously still loved each other. I understand that there was a lot of hurt and betrayal involved, but I feel like it could've been solved easily with one single conversation... I wish the reason that had kept them apart had been a little more substantial.
* I think Dia's character was too under-developed. She was basically a plot device and I think that she could have played such an interesting role especially given her relationship to both Indy & Nick. In general, I found the side cast to be on the weaker side, with the notable exception of my baby Callum (I adore this man).
* On a more minor note, while quite a long book, it didn't feel like it at all unless at the end, where I felt like the conflict and miscommunication (as in, their refusal to have a conversation about the significant event that broke them up in fear of losing each other for good) was dragging. It felt a bit repetitive and it was a little frustrating, but then it's probably on purpose, I was just desperate for my sweet children to get to their happy ending, haha.
All in all, I adored this book, loved the characters and enjoyed following their story on this emotional rollercoaster. I was glad to see some of Dylan and Adrian and I am sooo looking forward to the next book in this series (Callum's?? Julian's??? whoever it is, I will be waiting!!). Briar Prescott simply never disappoints and this book confirms her spot among my absolute favourite romance authors. Sorry this review was so messy, thank you for sending me this ARC it literally brought me so much joy <3
4.25 beautiful, beautiful stars. This is my first ever ARC, Briar Prescott is one of my favourite MM authors ever, and my days off lined up PERFECTLY for me to jump under the soft blankets of my van and devour the HELL out of this book. And damn, did it deliver (not that I had any doubts).
Disclaimer: I haven't written an actual review in so long and I've kind of forgot how to do it, so please bear with me :,)
It is tragedy that leads Nicholas Hayes' life to collide with Indy's. Indy doesn't know how to handle the angry, grieving boy who has come to live with his family. Nick is cold and resentful, keeping everyone - and especially Indy - at an angry distance. But there is mutual attraction simmering between the two boys, and when the spark is lit, the passion is explosive. Nick takes his walls down and Indy thrives as their love grows, but one single secret and a devastating truth tears them apart. Six years later, their paths cross again and they must deal with years of unresolved feelings and hurt to find their way back to each other.
This book starts with a little mystery, as we slowly come to understand the situation that has led Nick to live with Indy's family. Instead of jumping between past and present timelines, the story is divided into two separate parts, and I liked that a lot! While I enjoyed both parts, I just adored the first half of the book: the question of "what's going on, who are these people to Nick and his mother?" was hanging over our head, and while I had some doubts, I didn't not see the plot twist that concluded part 1 coming! I think the "mystery" was handled so well (as usual) and all the little hints made so much sense once the truth was revealed, that was awesome. Also, seeing Nick and Indy fall in love with each other and see how much they mean to each other was everything.
My favourite thing about Briar Prescott's books is the way she crafts the most beautiful characters, and the Storm does not fail in that regard. Both Nick and Indy were very well written. Nick's anger and grief were heartbreaking, but it was so lovely to see him open up and heal as he accepted Indy's love. He had been dealt a shit hand and he deserved every single good thing in the world. Indy had my whole heart though. There was something about him that just made me root for him so hard. There was something so purely good about him. The way he goes from the open book in the past, to a more guarded version of himself that just wants to protect himself while being unable to refuse getting closer to the man he loves... The way he punished himself for YEARS for the one mistake that led to breaking his and Nick's hearts... MY HEART. I just really loved them.
Beyond being great characters, the romance was also great. The tension between Indy and Nick was delicious. Be it from the first part where they first fall, or in the second when they reunite and must deal with deep, unresolved feelings, their chemistry was always absolutely perfect. Seeing them grow and change in contact with each other, and how obviously perfect they were for each other was so endearing. The book is filled with emotional tension and development and it was all so greatly handled. The way both boys feel after their reunion was heartbreaking, it was so obvious how deeply they still felt for each other, and were kept separate by old hurts and scars that should never have kept them apart in the first place. My favourite thing about the romance in this book must be the INTIMACY!!! This book is spicy, but it never fails to deliver a true sense of comfort and intimacy. I especially liked the few but meaningful scenes of non-sexual intimacy, I am a sucker for these and this book fed me so well.
While I did love the book to pieces, there are some things that didn't work as well for me:
* I thought the conflict that broke them up in the past was a little rushed. It was very "in the blink of an eye" which might have been the point, like all that happiness crumbled in an instant, but to me it just felt very quick and jarring. Even in the second half, I couldn't believe that it was the only reason they'd been kept apart for so long even though they obviously still loved each other. I understand that there was a lot of hurt and betrayal involved, but I feel like it could've been solved easily with one single conversation... I wish the reason that had kept them apart had been a little more substantial.
* I think Dia's character was too under-developed. She was basically a plot device and I think that she could have played such an interesting role especially given her relationship to both Indy & Nick. In general, I found the side cast to be on the weaker side, with the notable exception of my baby Callum (I adore this man).
* On a more minor note, while quite a long book, it didn't feel like it at all unless at the end, where I felt like the conflict and miscommunication (as in, their refusal to have a conversation about the significant event that broke them up in fear of losing each other for good) was dragging. It felt a bit repetitive and it was a little frustrating, but then it's probably on purpose, I was just desperate for my sweet children to get to their happy ending, haha.
All in all, I adored this book, loved the characters and enjoyed following their story on this emotional rollercoaster. I was glad to see some of Dylan and Adrian and I am sooo looking forward to the next book in this series (Callum's?? Julian's??? whoever it is, I will be waiting!!). Briar Prescott simply never disappoints and this book confirms her spot among my absolute favourite romance authors. Sorry this review was so messy, thank you for sending me this ARC it literally brought me so much joy <3
August 17, 2026
As all other Briars books I couldn’t not love this one. The writing was superb, the plot worked and I loved the characters. What a fitting title, it starts with a storm and kinda finishes with one, all the while there is a storm brewing in both mc’s that never settles. I always love a story where they grew up together, I don’t know it’s super endearing. Their situation was not what I expected at all. Once we learn certain things I had so many questions, but little to no answers. I had to wait waaay over part two… at the end almost to come to closing things and I didn’t like that. Yeah I get they were kids (at 19), but surely they deserved answers and I believe they had the capacity of understanding what was happening. However the author had other plan, so I went for the ride. The ride was spicy, I didn’t expect that.. like way more than other of her books.. don’t get me wrong I love spicy, but I didn’t need it here. And the end of the day I had to remind myself these are two stupid boys and the stupid men that just need to have a conversation or two and all will be alright.
Now Callum! Dude who are you and what are you doing?? I need his book asap! Also Bridget and Dia- Queens!!! Also cameo of Adrian and Dylan - what a treat!
Now Callum! Dude who are you and what are you doing?? I need his book asap! Also Bridget and Dia- Queens!!! Also cameo of Adrian and Dylan - what a treat!
September 26, 2026
₊˚⊹ | 4 ★ read .ᐟ
This was a book I’d been looking forward to for quite a while, and now that I’ve finished it, I can honestly say it lived up to my expectations. I was a little skeptical going in, since ‘The Island’ was so incredibly good and took me through so many complicated emotions. But Nick and Indigo’s story was anything but easy or straightforward.
I loved these boys, and I think what made them so dear to me was just how hard they had to fight for their relationship. Nothing ever came easily to them, even when all their hearts wanted was a love that did. From hatred to acceptance, to love, then pulling away, only to find their way back to acceptance and love again? It was exactly what I needed! This book truly felt like a powerful storm. It wreaked havoc, but somehow, it also put so many broken pieces back together.
Including my poor heart! 😭
This was a book I’d been looking forward to for quite a while, and now that I’ve finished it, I can honestly say it lived up to my expectations. I was a little skeptical going in, since ‘The Island’ was so incredibly good and took me through so many complicated emotions. But Nick and Indigo’s story was anything but easy or straightforward.
I loved these boys, and I think what made them so dear to me was just how hard they had to fight for their relationship. Nothing ever came easily to them, even when all their hearts wanted was a love that did. From hatred to acceptance, to love, then pulling away, only to find their way back to acceptance and love again? It was exactly what I needed! This book truly felt like a powerful storm. It wreaked havoc, but somehow, it also put so many broken pieces back together.
Including my poor heart! 😭
August 17, 2026
3.5 ⭐️
4/5 🌶️
I love briar’s writing, her prose is stunning. She’s a super strong writer, and I love her work typically, but this didn’t have nearly the emotional impact as much as The Island.
I loved Indy, Callum, Dia, and Bridget. Loved seeing Dylan and Adrian too!
I’ll start by saying that I didn’t hate Nick, but I didn’t love him either. He was selfish and kind of an asshole most of the time to Indy. I really think this story needed way more of his POV to make me like him more. We understand why he’s closed off, but I feel like without his POV, I struggled to like him. I wanted more of his thoughts on Indy, their family, etc.
The first half was really strong, but I felt like it needed a scene or two after the reveal to make the separation more impactful. It’s revealed, and then that’s it. They’re over, and then there’s a time jump.
Where the story fell off for me was the second part. It consisted of Nick being a dick, Indy feeling guilty, and then basically just having sex constantly and not talking about their issues at all. And THEY NEVER TALK! It’s not even miscommunication, it’s just not talking about their problems or what kept them apart, just f*cking. 😭 Like the scenes were hot, but it lacked the emotional intimacy and depth I would expect to feel during their reconciliation. I didn’t feel like all the sex scenes were needed, and most didn’t move the plot forward.
I’m happy Indy got the guy in the end, but the delivery left me wanting more.
I hope we get a story of Callum or Julian!
4/5 🌶️
I love briar’s writing, her prose is stunning. She’s a super strong writer, and I love her work typically, but this didn’t have nearly the emotional impact as much as The Island.
I loved Indy, Callum, Dia, and Bridget. Loved seeing Dylan and Adrian too!
I’ll start by saying that I didn’t hate Nick, but I didn’t love him either. He was selfish and kind of an asshole most of the time to Indy. I really think this story needed way more of his POV to make me like him more. We understand why he’s closed off, but I feel like without his POV, I struggled to like him. I wanted more of his thoughts on Indy, their family, etc.
The first half was really strong, but I felt like it needed a scene or two after the reveal to make the separation more impactful. It’s revealed, and then that’s it. They’re over, and then there’s a time jump.
Where the story fell off for me was the second part. It consisted of Nick being a dick, Indy feeling guilty, and then basically just having sex constantly and not talking about their issues at all. And THEY NEVER TALK! It’s not even miscommunication, it’s just not talking about their problems or what kept them apart, just f*cking. 😭 Like the scenes were hot, but it lacked the emotional intimacy and depth I would expect to feel during their reconciliation. I didn’t feel like all the sex scenes were needed, and most didn’t move the plot forward.
I’m happy Indy got the guy in the end, but the delivery left me wanting more.
I hope we get a story of Callum or Julian!
August 12, 2026
2.5…Part 2 lost me completely .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2026
4.5 stars
This book was absolutely fantastic, I’m so happy I had the chance to read it.
We briefly met Indy in The Island, he was a former one night stand turned best friend for Dylan.
At the start of the story, Indy is a fifteen years old boy who lives with his twin sister Dia and their parents. One day they receive the visit of an old friend and her son, Nick. After two years from that disastrous day, Nick, who has lost his mother to cancer, is living with Indy’s family. Indy has genuine affection for Nick and tries to befriend him, while Nick is constantly angry and rejects everyone. His mother’s death was the last straw of a difficult childhood (financial difficulties, father’s absence, estranged maternal grandparents). So Nick doesn’t know how to let himself be part of that happy family.
A couple of years later, though, the pull both boys felt towards each other the second they met becomes stronger and stronger and, during a very nasty storm, they surrender to their attraction while trapped in a diner.
After a few very confusing days, they steal every moment they can to be together, it’s a magical summer for Nick and Blue: they go rowing, they talk, they share intimate moments, they have their first physical experiences and they also make plans for the future. They’re completely smitten with each other. Nick was amazing, he has always appeared cold and distant, but in reality he’s so caring and tender with his Blue, it’s clear how much he adores him and he can’t wait to start their adult lives together.
But it wouldn’t be a Briar Prescott’s story if drama and plot twists were missing, so while Dia is in the hospital fighting for her life, everything blows up and Nick leaves the family and Indy for good.
The second part of the story starts 6 years later when fate and two meddling people, Dia and Bridget, push Nick and Indy in the same place again.
After all this time, Indy is a miserable man: he never made real plans for his future, he has been doing odd jobs and he distanced himself from his parents. Nick has reverted to his old angry self, he works as a private chef for some football players and he’s perpetually single.
Their reunion is a shock and they’re even more stunned to know they will be working together for Callum.
After 6 years all the feelings are still there for both of them: regret, loneliness, sadness, yearning, longing and, above all, there’s still love.
It will take a long time and several heartbreaking moments when it seemed that all was lost for them to give themselves a real chance to be together again. It was a painful and wonderful journey that was worth every tear I shed (one of my favourite heart wrenching moments was when Nick realised Indy has been punishing himself the whole time).
What prevented me from giving five full stars (I’ll try to not leave spoilers):
I had a few questions that remained unanswered: why Indy didn’t seem bothered or sad by the fact that he never had the chance to get to know Nick’s mom? Who asked the judge to make that ruling? It seemed a very odd thing since the parts weren’t in disagreement. Why there was no therapist for the people involved when the truth came out first?
I disliked both Nick and Indy’s parents, especially Indy’s mom, for obvious reasons and I’m glad they weren’t off the hook yet, even after a long time.
I liked Dia and Bridget because they were good friends for both of them and I loved Callum: he’s a funny and sweet guy and, to be honest, I hope the author will consider giving him a book too. Maybe with the adorable Julian, I would like that a lot.
Absolutely recommended.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
This book was absolutely fantastic, I’m so happy I had the chance to read it.
We briefly met Indy in The Island, he was a former one night stand turned best friend for Dylan.
At the start of the story, Indy is a fifteen years old boy who lives with his twin sister Dia and their parents. One day they receive the visit of an old friend and her son, Nick. After two years from that disastrous day, Nick, who has lost his mother to cancer, is living with Indy’s family. Indy has genuine affection for Nick and tries to befriend him, while Nick is constantly angry and rejects everyone. His mother’s death was the last straw of a difficult childhood (financial difficulties, father’s absence, estranged maternal grandparents). So Nick doesn’t know how to let himself be part of that happy family.
A couple of years later, though, the pull both boys felt towards each other the second they met becomes stronger and stronger and, during a very nasty storm, they surrender to their attraction while trapped in a diner.
After a few very confusing days, they steal every moment they can to be together, it’s a magical summer for Nick and Blue: they go rowing, they talk, they share intimate moments, they have their first physical experiences and they also make plans for the future. They’re completely smitten with each other. Nick was amazing, he has always appeared cold and distant, but in reality he’s so caring and tender with his Blue, it’s clear how much he adores him and he can’t wait to start their adult lives together.
But it wouldn’t be a Briar Prescott’s story if drama and plot twists were missing, so while Dia is in the hospital fighting for her life, everything blows up and Nick leaves the family and Indy for good.
The second part of the story starts 6 years later when fate and two meddling people, Dia and Bridget, push Nick and Indy in the same place again.
After all this time, Indy is a miserable man: he never made real plans for his future, he has been doing odd jobs and he distanced himself from his parents. Nick has reverted to his old angry self, he works as a private chef for some football players and he’s perpetually single.
Their reunion is a shock and they’re even more stunned to know they will be working together for Callum.
After 6 years all the feelings are still there for both of them: regret, loneliness, sadness, yearning, longing and, above all, there’s still love.
It will take a long time and several heartbreaking moments when it seemed that all was lost for them to give themselves a real chance to be together again. It was a painful and wonderful journey that was worth every tear I shed (one of my favourite heart wrenching moments was when Nick realised Indy has been punishing himself the whole time).
What prevented me from giving five full stars (I’ll try to not leave spoilers):
I had a few questions that remained unanswered: why Indy didn’t seem bothered or sad by the fact that he never had the chance to get to know Nick’s mom? Who asked the judge to make that ruling? It seemed a very odd thing since the parts weren’t in disagreement. Why there was no therapist for the people involved when the truth came out first?
I disliked both Nick and Indy’s parents, especially Indy’s mom, for obvious reasons and I’m glad they weren’t off the hook yet, even after a long time.
I liked Dia and Bridget because they were good friends for both of them and I loved Callum: he’s a funny and sweet guy and, to be honest, I hope the author will consider giving him a book too. Maybe with the adorable Julian, I would like that a lot.
Absolutely recommended.
I received an ARC of this book from the author and this is my honest review.
August 12, 2026
Let me start off by saying how much I loved Nick & Blue. My heart, honestly. The way these two loved each other was unbelievably beautiful and so damn torturous. I was so happy reading the first half of this book, with so much love and laughter, but I just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.
In true Briar form, the shoe dropped, and it wasn't anything I saw coming. This book was full of emotions, and I ached for both Nick & Blue. I just wanted them to be happy. They got their deserved HEA, but my heart took a beating to get there.
I loved seeing more of Dylan and Adrian, and I'm totally in love with Callum. He was pure chaos, and I loved every minute I got to read about him.
The way Briar writes is absolutely something special. If i could give this book more stars i would.
In true Briar form, the shoe dropped, and it wasn't anything I saw coming. This book was full of emotions, and I ached for both Nick & Blue. I just wanted them to be happy. They got their deserved HEA, but my heart took a beating to get there.
I loved seeing more of Dylan and Adrian, and I'm totally in love with Callum. He was pure chaos, and I loved every minute I got to read about him.
The way Briar writes is absolutely something special. If i could give this book more stars i would.
August 14, 2026
Indy + Nick
-mm romance
-friends to lovers
-second chance
-forced proximity
-family secrets
-grumpy x sunshine
there is just something about briar’s writing that puts me into a hypnotic state & then im just ADDICTED & can’t get enough!! this one had the most heart destroying “storm” & then the healing was so great & entertaining with callum & dylan 😂😂 need moreeee!!
-mm romance
-friends to lovers
-second chance
-forced proximity
-family secrets
-grumpy x sunshine
there is just something about briar’s writing that puts me into a hypnotic state & then im just ADDICTED & can’t get enough!! this one had the most heart destroying “storm” & then the healing was so great & entertaining with callum & dylan 😂😂 need moreeee!!
August 16, 2026
oooooof
August 24, 2026
The Part-1 was very solid. Sweet, tender and devastating.
In comparison Part-2 would have benefited from having more conversation and less sex scenes. There was genuine hurt and anger that should have been discussed and resolved but all the build up was brushed aside in afterglow conversation in one paragraph.
The decision still baffles me, especially because the book had such a strong start, the characters had so much chemistry and the angst and hurt were so potent i though it was building up to an epic conclusion.
In comparison Part-2 would have benefited from having more conversation and less sex scenes. There was genuine hurt and anger that should have been discussed and resolved but all the build up was brushed aside in afterglow conversation in one paragraph.
The decision still baffles me, especially because the book had such a strong start, the characters had so much chemistry and the angst and hurt were so potent i though it was building up to an epic conclusion.
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