One Wrong Step

by D.K. Sutton

One family road trip. Two rival stepbrothers. So many secrets.

My stepbrother Jonah, with his dimpled smile and aw-shucks attitude, is honest to a fault. I’m the opposite. I use makeup and fashion as a shield and lie every chance I get.

Our mutual loathing is the only thing we agree on.

When our bickering ruins our sister’s fourth birthday, our parents plan a Pride-themed road trip with forced bonding time, room sharing, and wait…there’s only one bed? I’d rather shovel manure in my Louboutin espadrilles than be stuck with Jonah for ten days. But I can’t refuse.

San Diego Pridefest is our last stop and my ticket out of Nebraska.

When everything goes sideways, Jonah and I must work together to salvage this family vacation.
Jonah in protection-mode has me yearning for more, and in a moment of weakness, we share our secrets over a bottle of rum. Being with Jonah is nothing like I expect and everything I want.

Can we hide our relationship from our family? And what happens when we get to California?
Jonah hates liars, but the truth is one luxury I can’t afford.

One Wrong Step is an MM romance featuring feuding stepbrothers, hate at first sight, just one bed, light D/s, so many secrets, and wait—Vivian can sing?

298 pages, Paperback

Published June 29, 2026

About the author

D.K. SUTTON has a background in social work. In her off time from writing, she enjoys crocheting and spending time with her family. As an introvert, she has always been a little awkward (and a lot geeky). Turns out, those are handy traits for a writer. Her Broken series is M/M fiction, full of love and angst, and it challenges the rhetoric around being gay and religious. Her Trials of Love series and Sloan Brothers series are both M/M romance. She doesn't believe in hate and believes that people have a good side within them.

She enjoys writing about slightly flawed characters in compromising situations. She has a passion for writing LGBTQ+ stories, because the world needs more love and inclusion.


Connect with DK Sutton on Social Media
Facebook @dksuttonwrites
Facebook group facebook.com/groups/dkcafe/
Twitter @debraelq

Reviews

[DJ McCready · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sutton can get the family into multiple situations with some strange characters, Vivian is a male hairdresser who is out, uses lots of makeup and has moved to Nebraska because his father, who holds the legal right to release his trust fund wants him to become someone who "does something with his life" by which he means business. Jonah does not want the family farm and works for a wedding/event planner and from the start he gives hints he likes Vivian but the two just do not get along being stepbrothers - Vivian, his mother's son, and Johan, his father's son.

Their fighting ruins their little sister's birthday - consequence a bonding trip. Dad buys an old van to hold them all while Mom is showing signs of morning sickness which the boys worry about as they are not told her medical condition. The The trip is a mess but the stepbrothers start to get along as Jonah wants to fix everything. Along the way to San Diego where Vivian wants to settle, the boys go to a karaoke bar and do a number that goes viral. Jonah buys a truck and gets Vivian to San Diego but by then they have accepted each other sexually and as partners. While Vivian wins the prize in the Pridefest contest, he turns down the job and gets his father's agreement to releasing the trust fund which is then withdrawn. He agrees to move to the small town where Jonah lives, finds the kind of job he wants in fashion and the brothers buy a house together.

The book is comical. light-hearted and yet intense. It is too unreal to take seriously.

[Jeanette Waters · Rating 5 out of 5]

"One Wrong Step" is a sweet step-brother trope story about a New York City raised diva and his Nebraska farm raised nemesis. Their parents believe that spending time together will help them bond. A road trip to San Diego PRIDE, sharing hotel rooms along the way, they'll either bond. Or murder each other. Falling for each other should be great.
But it has it's own problems.
The road to San Diego is a bit bumpy. The snark is delightful. The travelling worldbuild was wonderful. Very descriptive. The story pacing was nice and relaxed. The sizzle, quite hot. Josh's dad and Vivien's mom are supportive and four year old Maisy us so sweet.
DK Sutton's stories always leave me with a smile. They're full of sweet men who are realistic and so much fun. A quick read, I didn't want to put it down.
I received an advanced copy of this ebook and this is my review.

[Cory · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy this author's writing, but this book didn't really work for me. There were pretty big plot holes and things that didn't make sense, like why a talent show where he would sing would somehow get him a fashion design job? And I feel like maybe the author is unfamiliar with BDSM because that was not BDSM. Slightly bossy-ish sex? It was an unnecessary addition to what would have worked well (better) without. Jonah still could have been inexperienced but eager, he could still have wanted to top, and Vivian could still have shown him the ropes. All of what they did together worked, but slapping a quick discussion of the stoplight system in the middle of a pretty vanilla scene just didn't fit.

[Tanya Blue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love and hate are two sides of the same coin, and it's a very thin coin. Jonah and Vivian became stepbrothers their senior year in high school; then Jonah was off to college and Vivian was left behind. To say they loathed each other is putting it mildly. When they accidently ruined their little half-sister's birthday the parents decide it's time for a little forced bonding. Time for a road trip to Pridefest in San Diego. Of course, they have to share a room and there is only one bed. In close quarters, they find they have more in common than they realized, and their kinks aline. Now, if they can only get the rest of the family onboard.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars.
This book is part of the multi-author Pride Road Trip 2026 series, and is an entertaining read.
Jonah and Vivian are step-brothers who don’t get along, and rarely spent time together until they go on a family road trip and have to share the same hotel rooms on the journey. Their tale is full of snark, sass and everything going wrong, but along the way hate turns to love, and enemies to lovers. I found this to be a sweet, emotional story, with wonderful secondary characters who add a lot of interest, and a great ending. Highly recommended.

[Cynthia M Brow · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Wrong Step is part of the multi author Pride Road Trip 2026 series. Each book can be read as a standalone but why not enjoy the whole series. This is the story of Vivian and Jonah who are stepbrothers that don't get along. This story had some fun troupes like enemies to lovers and one room/bed. I loved the characters and the chemistry between the main characters was wonderful. This was a fun story with enough emotion to feel real. I can't wait to see what D. K. Sutton writes next. I would definitely recommend this book and series.

[Belinda Zamora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Feuding step brothers, forced proximity, only one bed, road trip

Jonah and Vivian have not gotten along since they were young.
Vivian uses fashion and makeup as armor to protect his insecurities and feelings of not being accepted.
Jonah thinks he's stuck up for those same reasons.
The family pulls rank and forces them on a road trip to Sand Diego Pride.
As they're forced to spend time together they actually get to know one another better and find they have more in common than they realized.

[Natasha Featherstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC copy of this book. Jonah and Vivian are stepbrothers who don't see eye to eye. While on a family trip with their parents and little sister they are forced to spend time together. This allows them to see sides of eachother they haven't seen before. Forced proximity has them learning more about eachother and realizing they have feelings for eachother.Its a sweet story with likeable characters. A nice quick read.

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jonah and Vivian are stepbrothers that hate each other but hate is one step away from love. A family road trip to San Diego Pridefest gets the ball rolling and they find out they really like each other, have aligning kinks and supporting each other won't kill them. It's sassy and full of caretaking with heartfelt emotion mixed in. It turns out to be one heck of a ride!

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A relatively low angst stories about two men, stepbrothers, who both have had a trouble with a parent. They don't get along but force proximity changes things. There is a bit of D/s in the story but it's relatively light but plays an important part in their relationship. Enjoyed the story and liked the differences in their experiences.

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Jonah and Vivian were such a fun couple. I loved their chemistry even while they fought. I liked the whole road trip storyline. I liked how they became more once they were really thrown together. Overall it was a good story I read in a few hours.

[Amanda Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

One Wrong Step is part of the multi-author Pride Road Trip 2026. This is a stepbrothers, forced proximity, only one bed read about Jonah and Vivian. I just loved this storyline and all the wonderful characters another great story in the series.

[Lisa Klein · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded up.

This was a good book and an easy read. It was a bit over the top but still enjoyable. It wasn't my favorite from this author, but it wasn’t bad.

I received an advanced copy and voluntarily gave my honest review.

[Kassandra Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

There’s a thin line between love and hate… and it’s apparently a few romance tropes and some good old fashioned fun.

I’d recommend reading this, especially if you like those tropes.

I received a free copy of this book from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Pamela Daake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a lovely enemies to lovers! The snark is fantastic and the found family is even better! Viv and Jonah have a complicated relationship and it makes an interesting storyline.