Off Limits

by S.M. D'Ark

394 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 1, 2026

Reviews

[Valma_books · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨/5

Wooh! Okay! This book had me on an emotional rollercoaster! The tension, the angst and the spice was everything and I ate it up!

I absolutely LOVED Rayden so much! He was such a sassy icon and I was here for it!! My favourite things about him was that he stood up for himself and let himself feel his emotions which I think are really powerful messages 💗

Ethan was so protective or Ray and his brother and I loved that! But losing his parents hurt him in so many ways and it was so heartbreaking 😭 It led to his fear of losing who he is close too which was so relatable ❤️‍🩹

Eek!! Their chemistry was sizzling right off the bat and it made the sexual tension between them so intense!! Their spice was so hott and they felt so connected throughout it! 🔥

I was so happy when they finally got together!! They were so cute and I could feel the longing to be together and then loving each other! 🥰

This book had some complicated friendship problems that felt so genuine and true to the problems people actually go through. The way the author wrote and addressed the friendship problems felt so important and meaningful 💞

[jules]

not the best idea to name your characters Rayden, Ryan and Rowan tbh

[Katarinabluu · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ★

This is a book filled with complicated and messy relationships.

None of the main characters are perfect, including their friends and siblings. Every one of them struggles with their own emotions, trauma, and personal insecurities. This is a true slow-burn novel not only in the romance between the two main characters but also in the journeys of their friends, who are dealing with their own complicated lives. They all take the time they need to heal, grow, and realize what they truly want and who they truly need.

Rayden Liu is a college student who is terrified of being alone or abandoned because of his parents. Ethan King is a mechanic who lost his parents at a young age and had to take responsibility for raising his little brother. Because of that, he fears relationships that go beyond physical intimacy.
They meet through their friends and slowly become attracted to each other. However, neither of them realizes that what they share is much more than physical attraction. It is something deeper, stronger, and far more serious.

Character development is my favourite part of this novel. It takes time for each character to understand what they truly want and who they want by their side to find happiness. And the chemistry between Rayden and Ethan? It was absolutely incredible. They become dangerously obsessed with each other, constantly jealous whenever someone else shows interest in the other. From the very beginning, their relationship is an emotional journey filled with longing, denial, and undeniable attraction.

This story is a beautiful blend of love, friendship, healing, trust, and emotional growth. It reminds us that healing isn't a straight path, and sometimes love arrives when we're finally ready to face our fears.

[PatheticHeYu · Rating 5 out of 5]

DRAMA! DRAMA! DRAMA! AND MORE DRAMA!
This book is all about how complicated relationships between people are and how a lot of them could hurt the ones we love. It's raw and honest, and it's everything I didn't know I needed.
We have Rayden – sassy little guy who is actually hurting on the inside. He's always in the middle, blamed for things he has no control over. Some of his inner monologue really hit a bit too hard and managed to make me tear up.
Then, there comes Ethan – older, sexy and a big playboy who doesn't do relationships.
The book as I already said is full of drama between friends and the forbidden aspect is done pretty well. We have guilt and longing. There's enough tension to make you go crazy but once the den opens it's a game over. These two are freaks!
Not gonna lie, it took me a while to memorize all the side characters and their roles but the more I read the more it made sense and I loved them.

Tropes:
- messy drama between friends
- small age gap (7 years)
- size difference
- hiding
- idiots in love



*I received a free, advanced copy of the book from the authors and this is my voluntary, honest review.*

[Nix · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW:


I genuinely loved this book 😭💘
Ethan and Rayden have permanently occupied a corner of my brain🫶🏻 I'm not usually a messy relationship girlie, but this book had me EATING IT UP. The angst? Painful. The pining? Had me staring at walls and kicking my feet at 2 a.m.
What I loved most was that the characters felt so human. They're flawed, complicated, make questionable decisions, and somehow that made me love them even more. I wanted to hug some of them, shake some of them, and protect a few of them with my life 😭
And the chemistry??? Oh my god. Every interaction had me giggling one second and suffering the next.
But beyond the romance, I really loved the themes of healing, growth, friendship, and learning to trust again. By the end, my heart felt so full 🥺🫶🏻
For a debut novel, this was such an impressive read.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!! <3

[judith vaughan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok so first off this is the first book I have read by this duo and I loved it. The characters Rayden and Ethan their chemistry is off the charts. It could be easy to just boil this book down to their chemistry but the characters themselves deserve recognition. Rayden for sure spoke to me I loved how he was someone who stood up for himself and wasnt afraid to show that strength. Ethan his protectiveness of Rayden and his brother is something I can understand. He is protecting someone he loved and.he wasnt afraid to be vulnerable with Rayden. I absolutely loved this book and I hope I get the chance to read more.from S.M Dark. If you haven't read this yet what are you waiting for.
.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ARC this book and read it in one sitting becomes it was just so so good. First the chemistry between the two MMCs was off the charts you can feel the heat and attraction between those two before anything happens. The drama with all the characters involved was awesome there were no blah characters they’re all pretty much likable except for one bit they grow on you later. The spice was everything. Honestly I laughed and I cried I can’t wait to get my copy once it’s out you will NOT regret reading this book I’ll tell ya.

[Shaku · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked Ethan and Rayden’s story💕, even though the way they met wasn’t the best lol(⁠◕⁠ᴗ⁠◕⁠✿⁠), but I’m glad everything worked out for them in the end!❤️✨

I recommend it if you like messy situations lol 😂❤️🔥

[Lussea · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really don't know where to start but I'll just go with why I loved this book since I'm an emotional reader: It made me feel so many things. I hated the characters, then loved them, then wanted to smack them for being stupid (Especially Julian but I wanted to hug him at the same time), then cried with them. What a mess omg... The angst, the drama, the SEXUAL TENSION!!! Fcking hell the chemistry was everything.
It confused me in the beginning with so many characters being involved in a simple, petty, childish yet huge drama. There were too many names mentioned at some point but they are all easy to remember with their roles in this emotional mess.
It felt real you know. Some parts felt like I was reading about events from my past, stories about my friends, the mistakes we made, the relationships we had and ruined or fixed. It's that well written.
Even tho the way their relationship started wasn't ideal, it was totally inevitable and relatable. Both MMCs are emotionally damaged in their own ways and you can't help loving them the more you read. I really loved Ethan and Ray🖤

I rate books based on how they make me feel and this book made me feel a lot. So yeah, totally recommended 👌