The Freshman

Behind Bars #1

by Louise Collins

Nate Mathews is a murderer. Alfie doesn’t know the details of his crime, and he doesn’t want to. All he knows is Nate Mathews is evil, and his colleagues at Larkwood prison shudder at his name.

But Alfie has caught Nate’s eyes, and they start flirting in the early hours. It’s forbidden, terrifying, but arousing too. One whisper of ‘Freshman’ from Nate, and Alfie’s stomach flutters, and his pulse increases. Alfie knows if he reads Nate’s file his attraction to the criminal will turn to disgust, but he can’t bring himself to do it. He likes Nate. Nate makes him feel wanted, and that’s a first for Alfie.

Is Nate genuine? Or is Alfie destined for heartbreak?

Genres: M M Romance, Dark, Romance, Dark Romance, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers, Crime

190 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 18, 2018

About the author

Writer of mm romance and erotica.

I write the stories I'd love to read, I hope you enjoy them too.
Lover of Romance but not without angst along the way.

Seduced by the dancing of a neanderthal and now a mother of two monsters.
Drinks tea with a passion, adores dogs, and their sea dwelling cousins.

Failed two chocolate eating challenges but will return for round three.

https://mailchi.mp/ad6955eed18f/louis...

♥

Facebook

Reviews

[Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this!

I mean, gosh, those characters…



18 year old former foster home kid Alfie is proud of his job as a night guard in a prison. It earns him a nice income, free housing close to work and gives him a responsible task.

His colleagues call him all kinds of names, as he’s still the green new guy, not to mention the youngest guard in Larkwood prison ever.

Alfie wants to finally move to the day shift, but he’s grateful when he’s promoted to do nights at the infamous H-Wing where the most gruesome inmates do their time. And the name of the worst monster of them all is only whispered by the other guards: Nate Mathews, triple murderer and all-out psychopath.

However, for some reason, Nate takes a liking to the new guy and whispers to him through the closed cell door when Alfie does his night round through H-Wing checking that all guys are accounted for before handing them over to the day shift staff.

Alfie thinks of himself as a professional and tries not to let Nate’s seductive voice get to him, but an unguarded moment leaves Alfie vulnerable to Nate and to Alfie’s surprise, the feared murdered does not turn on him, but cranks up the heat between them instead.



And with Alfie’s past as an unloved foster home kid whose parents abandoned him, he slowly falls for the loving words of Larkwood’s darkest character.

This is like watching a car wreck as it happens. And I am a bit angry at the blurb for spoiling basically everything up to the last page.

I absolutely loved the complexity of the characters and the darkness in the story. I love me some drama and difficulties in the stories I read, so this was basically heaven.

Sure, there were some questions left unanswered, like where the hell does a guy on a life sentence get that much cash or what exactly the guy did that everyone feared him like that. And is anything he says the truth or just a honey trap for Alfie??

And where the hell are the security cameras in that lame excuse of a high security prison?! Seriously...

The story closed satisfyingly (for me), but also leaves me wondering…
To me, that’s an awesome conclusion for a deeply psychological love story.

5 stars and a favorite!

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy shit!
Suspend disbelief and enjoy this ride, people!
Louise Collins killed at the slow burn.
I mean, sweet baby jeesus....THE TENSION she created is out of this world.
It kept me on my toes all along making it really hard to put down.

[moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars ☆

"Don't expose yourself like this with anyone else. In these walls or outside them."
Alfie snorted. "I don't. I won't. Just you."
Nate hummed and ran his thumb over Alfie's Adams apple. "You say the sweetest things."

came in for the prison sex and, instead, i encountered one of the best sexual tension, slow burn chemistry between the mcs i've ever read and i aint complaining. 😌


did i wish there was more (romantic) development between them? well, yes, but i was aware going in this was a novella-length book so i wasn't expecting a proper development. i loved the banters between nate and alfie & i adored queenie (can this man have his own book?). 🥺

my only complaints: the last few chapters felt kinda weird imo. it didn't have the same effect as the first half and the direction of the story towards the end wasn't what i expected. not to mention, the ending was abrupt—it honestly felt more of a HFN bc, yes, they're on a run, but then what? what are they up to? i wanted a proper ending, at least.

however, this was still an entertaining read overall & nate mathews can get IT. <3

[Shile (Hazard's Version) on-hiatus · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.15 stars

My first book of 2020 freaking rocked.

I was hooked from the first page. The tension and the chemistry did it for me.

Nate the Inmate and Alfie the Officer heat up the pages with some serious hot flirtation. The burn is slow and steady.

The writing is solid and the story very engaging. Though I was left wanting more.

Highly recommended. Just go with the flow and you will enjoy the hell out of it!

Thank you Impatient elf for this wonderful gift.

[ˋ✧*⁀➷ ʙᴇᴛᴛʏ (med school got me good) · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨✨ TAKE ♾️ ALL ♾️ MY ♾️ STARS ✨✨

IF THIS IS HOW HOT MM ROMANCES ARE THEN I NEED EVERY SINGLE FUCKING BOOK RIGHT UP MY HOUSE!!

y'all are seeing this!? me!? A STRICT M/F READER RAVING ABOUT AN MM ROMANCE!?!?

coming from someone whose average rating is 2.6, who hasn't rated a book more than 1 star since forever, y'all need to trust me when i say:

⚠️ CALLING EVERY READER OUT, WHETHER YOU READ MM ROMANCE OR NOT, DROP EVERYTHING NOW AND PICK 💳 UP 💳 THIS 💳 MOTHERFUCKING 💳 BOOK 💳

it's a novella. mere 150 pages. it won't take more than 2 hours to complete it.

trust me, you don't wanna live the rest of your life with the guilt of missing out this piece of art. THE FOMO IS REAL WITH THIS ONE 🤤

IT'S THE HOTTEST FUCKING THING I'VE READ!! and sweet baby jaysus THE SEXUAL TENSION !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THE. SEXUAL. TENSION.


THE. SEXUAL. TENSION.


THE SEXUAL TENSION Y'ALLLLLLL


!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ayushi thankyou for all the bitching and moaning of this book in my dms 24/7. if it weren't for you, i'd have been forever robbed of this masterpiece. you deserve your ass to be eaten, BY ME.

it's a forbidden romance between a prison officer (who is a softie and a bottom🤭) and a top tier criminal convicted with a triple murder charge, one of the victims being his dad.

AND LORD FORBID IF THIS CRIMINAL ISN'T A BIG SOFTIE FOR OUR CUTE OFFICER.

LORD FORBID IF HE ISN'T SO DOWN BAD FOR HIM THAT HE'LL BEAT ANY OTHER INMATE'S ASS AS MUCH AS THEY LOOK AT HIM.

LORD FORBID IF HE DOESN'T HAVE PIZZAS DELIVERED AT HIS DOORSTEP JUST BECAUSE HE'S SICK, ALL BEING WITHIN THE PREMISE OF HIS HIGHLY GUARDED CELL.

LORD FORBID IF HE DOESN'T GIFT HIM A THICK HIGH QUALITY COAT BECAUSE HIS FAVOURITE OFFICER WEARS A THIN ONE IN THIS CHILL WEATHER.

AND LORD FORBID IF THIS BOOK DIDN'T MAKE ME COMBUST.

yes, a mere 100 page novella did that.

this might be one of the best MM books i'll ever come across in. my. entire. life.

[nark · Rating 3 out of 5]

well… i don’t really know how i feel about that one.🤣

i’ve seen a lot of great reviews for this book, so i knew i had to check this out asap.

i really like the idea of a prison romance, but i feel like a lot of the time the way they’re executed doesn’t really work for me.

the tension and the buildup between the mcs was really nice, but i didn’t really care about either of the characters. there just wasn’t enough character development OR actual relationship development.

i also wish this had a dual POV. i wanted to get inside Nate’s head really bad.

i was really curious about HOW exactly this was gonna get tied up/end, since one of the mcs is literally a murderer who’s in prison, while the other is a prison guard.

sadly, i wasn’t really satisfied with that ending. obviously there wasn’t many other ways it could have gone, but the fact that the prison guard (what was his name again…?) just managed to “get over” the whole situation in roughly two minutes did NOT satisfy me. the sex was just THAT good apparently…

anyways… this had potential to be great, but ultimately it kinda failed for me.

i’m still giving this 3 stars (it's more like 2.5 tbh), because i did enjoy it while i was reading it and the writing was quite addictive, despite being lowkey bad sometimes...

we ALL know i’m gonna check out the other prison books by this author anyway…. please don’t judge me.🙄 something about the shitty OTT plots does it for me sometimes, so maybe i’ll like the other books more lol.

[Rain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unputdownable.

Nate (30s?) is in prison for triple murder.

Alfie (18) is a prison guard.

“This…this can’t happen,” Alfie whispered to Nate, and himself.

Nate tutted. “It is happening, Freshman. Just let it. I’ll take care of you. I promise.

UK setting
Intense, slow burn
Crazy chemistry
Prisoner/guard
Age gap
Protective alpha
Artist
Mind games
Wonderful side character/Queenie
HFN, wanted more of them together.

Not a perfect story, but heartwarming and fun.

[Shin Mon Thway · Rating 5 out of 5]

DAMNNNNN!!! 🔥 All that super yummy UST! 🔥 Kept me on the edge all damn time! If you still don’t know me after all this time, I’m an impatient gal! 😁 I like sizzling UST just like the other gals! But I normally hate it when the action still hasn’t happened at 50% mark. Well, certainly not the case in this book. I would say “The Freshman” the book is uniquely refreshing, intriguing and captivating. 👏 If you are not fastidious about minute details and love suspenseful, thrilling romances, this one is certainly for you. 😌


Alfie is the youngest prison guard at Larkwood prison and he’s getting sick of being treated like a child. His colleagues keep calling him fish, newb and other irritating nicknames and they certainly don’t have any respect for him. In fact, Alfie has never felt wanted, loved and respected from anyone. Coming from a foster system, life was tough and unforgiving for Alfie. Nobody gives a shit about whether he lives or dies and nobody would miss him if he disappear the next day. That was true until he met Nate Matthews, the triple murderer whose name gave a shudder to all the prison guards at Larkwood prison. Alfie knew Nate was capable of evil things, well, he did kill 3 men in cold-blooded murder. But Nate gives a shit about him. And like a fly who got trapped by a honey pot, Alfie couldn’t help falling for flirty, charming, caring and confident Nate. But Nate is in prison for life and Alfie himself could go to prison if people find out he’s been cajoling with Nate. The only possible outcome from this secret relationship is for them to part ways. But Nate has very different ideas and plans about Alfie and his future. And Alfie soon finds out Nate would irreversibly change both their lives, for better or for worse. 😌


Like I said, if you are a nitpicking reader who wants all their details and puzzles solved, this might not be the book for you. However, if you can forgo reality and are amiable with going along for a ride, well, my friend, you are in one hell of a ride. 😏 It was just so interesting and captivating to see how Alfie started to get attracted to Nate despite his better judgement. Nate is one very complicated and complex character. He was an enigma, caring and loving to those who he holds dear and ruthless and cruel to those who ever dare to cross him. It was just so enthralling to see how this story unraveled piece by piece and I loved every single second of it. 💜 The only complaint I can make for this delicious book is the lack of an epilogue but it ended with a very satisfying HEA so I can’t really complain that much. 🙂 I hope Louise Collins will visit these two again in the future and provide us a glimpse into their happily ever after. This is my very first time reading the author’s work and certainly won’t be my last. I’m VERY impressed. 👏 If you are a fan of prison romance who liked their books suspenseful, mysterious and psychologically thrilling, well, you found yourself your next favorite read. 😉




5 trust me for your life and your heart stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Nazanin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

This story is the definition of the slow burn (in a good way) with the high tension between MCs! It was my first read by this author and I liked it! My complaint is that the ending wasn’t enough for me! I needed more and if there was an epilogue, it would be better! And at the end, I had some questions without their answers such as what was on Nate's file that Alfie didn’t read?? What were the details of Nate’s escape plan?! And how was Nate so rich?! Told in single POV, 3rd person, and a quick read! If you want to read it I suggest you don't read the blurb and go into it blind! Overall, I enjoyed it and hope you like it as well!

[Iman (hiatus) · Rating 5 out of 5]

re-read #6

The thing is, Nate and Alfie rarely cross my mind, but every time I pick up their story, it lights up my day with a smile and fills me with pure joy. I'm not one for rereading books often, and I often fear revisiting my favorites, worried that they won't live up to my old memories of em. But with Nate and Alfie, there's no hesitation; they've etched themselves into my heart.

It’s like a time capsule that holds my emotions and the reasons I fell in love in the first place. The laughter, the excitement, and the intrigue of that mysterious ending all rushing back. And I’m grateful it’s the one reread that never loses its charm.

“Yeah you got that right. I shouldn’t have fallen for you, and you shouldn’t have fallen for me, but here we are, Freshman, and now I’ve got you, I’m not letting you go.”

My favourite line this time:
“The way you dress, it drives me crazy.”
37% DAYUM! 😩😩 STILL SO HAWT STILL SO GOOD

I’ll come back, NateAlfie ;)


re-read #5

NateAlfie should adopt me by now <3<3


re-read #4


cried this time :( their story is like drugs for bad days :’( still lots of flaws, but can’t help loving them ☹️❤️ going to daydream their running away journey now :)) *blasts playlist*


re-read #3


has it been 12 days? no, i am NOT obsessed. bye🙄❤️


re-read #2

”Say you choose me, and we’ll go, right now.”

ahh, feels so good to be back! i just had to come back for Nate and Alfie ❤️ this time with kindle highlights ;) it was a scary move to pick this up again, but ofc it’s worth it. this is the third time reading, but everything still feels comforting. never felt like the first time, but the rush and feelings, aaaaahhhhh🫠🫠🫠 this time reading, i started to noticed more details of the little things in some scenes and it was a wholesome experience compared to the last time i read. idk why i just love this one so much!! it’s not a perfect book, but it is everything to me. and of course, 5 stars always🫰🏻

ahhh, i’m such a sucker for the runaway together trope can’t find anything else better than this one and Goodbye Paradise. i need more books with this trope please!

❤️‍🔥 “who hit you?”
❤️‍🔥 Nate’s drawings, post cards and gifts
❤️‍🔥 the generator scene
❤️‍🔥 “open the hatch”
❤️‍🔥 their first time

PS: i STILL want a sequel for this one (despite the reasoning LOL) dear author, i hope you change your mind about the sequel. please?🥺🥺 even if it’s a short/novella i don’t mind :’))

i’ll definitely come back again.


re-read #1

If one book could be the death of me, this would be the one.

I forgot how in love I was with Nate and Alfie. Ugh, how could I forget? This book is always going to be stuck in the back of my head. Since I’ve read this twice (and I’m going to do it again and again), I am going to write a proper review this time.

This story has everything, hot as fuck-tension, sweet-creamy lines, humorous and enjoyable side characters, also pain and sad chapters. They were written so well too! Some people might think the story is a little bit rushed towards the end or maybe the story should be longer, but I enjoyed every bit, and every chapter. I couldn’t point out a single flaw in this one. Okay, now let’s talk about the characters, shall we?

First of all, Nate. As per last review, I was fangirling him because of how hot he was and duh, he’s still hot AF! The way he talks, I didn’t think I noticed that before. The dirty talks, the way he flirts, he had me all worked up, as Queenie would say. Apart from being flirty all the time, the soft side of him is also something that made me melt like a lava. (is that a term? idk, whatever) but Nate is lava. He get me all sweaty and nervous but damnit! I can’t believe he is just words on paper!!

Next, Alfie. I didn’t talk about him that much last review, but I love him even more now. I love how professional he is with his job, fighting against his will to just get melt into Nate’s flirting. Seriously Alfie, I feel you. I’d do the same too hehe ;) Alfie is the normal MC with a good personality and confidence. He’s been through a lot, but pretend like everything’s fine, hard to give in to people trust, but still trusts a murderer easily. That side of him just screams my personality. (but ofc, not the murderer part. lol)

Queenie,I love the way he talks, he doesn’t appear that much but everytime he does, he made me smile so much. Love him! Queenie = Serotonin

I wish there will be a sequel for this book because I am so attached to both of them by now, but after I did a little research, the author said there will be no sequel as she wanted Nate and Alfie’s future to be a mystery, which I totally understand. But if there is any tiny, tiny chance, there will be a sequel in the future, I’d thank my invisible genie (you, author) so much my entire life ;) I bet it’s going to feel like HEAVEN ON EARTH. I’d read this again and again in the future, and I will never stop. Still 5 stars, always 5 stars ⭐️


Default Review

CAUSE MAMA I’M IN LOVE WITH A CRIMINAL

READ. THIS. RIGHT. NOW. PLEASE.

Prison officer and inmate romance?? SAY LESS

Holyy shittt this one was soo good! The plot, the writing, the fking characters oh my lord😭❤️ NATE IS HOT AF it’s like everything he does to Alfie always making me running out of breaths. HOT! *dying noises* and Alfie my boy, he’s soo ADORABLE !!! and THE TENSION IN THIS ONE???? HOLY SHIT?! had me all sweating. SO HOT EVEN HOTTER THAN NATE?!! SO GOOD I SWEAR I DONT KNOW HOW TO SAY IT ANYMORE. The characters are so good I’m putting them on the s-tier shelf. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER MASTERPIECE I CANT PUT IT DOWN. AT ALL. (I think all of the capslocks say it all). And the running away together trope is just perfect! *chef’s kiss*

[Youssra (semi ia) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The BR with my sister was indeed a fail because I finished this in a day and she is still turtling her way through it because "she can't read with her eyeballs anymore" 🤣🤣

4.25 stars
Anyways back to the book.
Alexa play "Criminal" by Britney Spears.



That song was in my head the whole time🤣
This novella was SO GOOD! I really wish it were a full length novel because I wanted more of them😭 This is a forbidden MM romance between a prison guard and a prisoner (who is a murderer). Let me tell you that tension was something else omg 🥵

NATE NATE NATE!!! This criminal with a heart of gold🤧 He was so down bad and so SWEET!!!!! This man took care of Alfie WHILE IMPRISONED. He pampered him WHILE IMPRISONED. Nate is the definition of "if he wanted to, he would."

I just wanted more from the ending, it was kind of rushed to me. I understand this is a novella but one more chapter couldn't have hurt 😭
------------------------------------------------------
pre-review
forced BR with my sister layla
After reading a very emotional historical fiction, it's only natural to follow it up with something smutty right?

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Am I going to hit that 5 star button unashamedly? Yes, yes I am.

And nobody’s more surprised than me because this book has been on and off my tbr for the absolute longest time lol

But finally, FINALLY I decided to go for it and thank fuck I did because this was soo good and incredibly addictive.

Nate and Alfie, ugh, those two had me panting with all this forbidden chemistry 😮‍💨
YOU COULD CUT THE TENSION WITH A DAMN KNIVE 🔪 and I ate it all up.
Some highlights:

🤌 Nate’s possessiveness, obsession, protection and touch him and literally die vibes made me swoon for a triple murderer, who would have thought?

🫦The scene where the power cuts off, like, oh my god 😮‍💨

🤌 Nate’s and Alfie’s hushed conversations and flirting through the cell door

🫦 The phone sex

🤌 The gifts and drawings

🫦 The through-the-hatch action

🤌 The ‘Let me see you’

🫦 The ’You drive me crazy’ & ‘You have no idea what you’re doing to me’

🤌 The ‘I hate you, No you don’t’

🫦 Their fist time 🥵

🤌 The epilogue and their HEA

👑 Also I loved Queenie!

This is a classic case of ‘I didn’t say it’s a good book but IT’S SUCH A GOOD BOOK, RIGHT?!’
Not because it’s flawless, but because it’s gripping, hot af, and made me feel every second of that slow, forbidden burn. I already know I’ll be rereading this when I’m craving masterfully done UST in the future.
I think imma skip book 2, but will definitely check out the rest of the series ❤️‍🔥

“Yeah, you got that right. I shouldn’t have fallen for you, and you shouldn’t have fallen for me, but here we are, Freshman, and now I’ve got you, I’m not letting you go.”

“All I have in here is time, and I use it thinking of you. I’ve lived lives with you in my head. These fantasies we talk about aren’t fantasies to me. They’re promises for when I get out. They’re futures.”

[Karla · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars!

I had some mixed feelings with this one. It definitely started strong and it actually was a pretty solid read till the last couple of chapters. Those chapters were enough to bring down my rating and I how I ended up feeling about this book.

What I liked was the sexual tension, the chemistry between the MC, maybe it felt so intense because it was forbidden with one of them being a prisoner, and the other a prison guard. Whatever it was it was definitely the best part for me. Another thing I liked was how different they were not just physically but in personalities. I love when one character is more dominant and aggressive and Nate definitely was all alpha. One thing I was pleasantly surprised was the dry sense of humor especially with the other guards man some back up crew they were lol!

What I didn’t like was the abrupt ending. The story had a great pace and for it to end up so rushed I was like WTH?! And also I thought the situation with Nate and Alfie wasn’t fair especially for Alfie. An epilogue would made this story so much better for me but overall I enjoyed it. ♥️

[Eugenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

USTopia!!!!

4.5 Stars!!

OMG!!! This was the MOTHER OF ALL SLOW BURNS! The tension of not only the characters, but the tension of their positions as guard and prisoner slayed me!!

This gave me so many feeels! I’m going to leave it at that. You don’t really want to know much of this book before reading it. I didn’t even read the blurb. I just saw that some of my besties here on GR loved it and that was enough for me. I went in blind and loved every word of this story!!

For some, the ending might be abrupt—and it was. But here’s the thing, I don’t know how much more I could have taken. It ended. You can epilogue the shit out of it in your head—think of all the fun you can have imagining these two on their own.

So go and buy it. Read it and love it!

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 BIG stars
Oww whoahh!! I loved this one. Read it in one breathe, because i couldn’t put it down.
Forbidden so forbidden but my goodness... it was more than awesome.!!

Alfie always has the night shifts in the Larkwood prison. As being the youngest the nicknames are flying around his head. When he hears a voice whisper ‘Freshman’ and sees Nate for the first time he is speechless. But Nate is a dangerous killer. Together they play a dangerous game.

The building up and anticipation was just killing. The tension throughout the whole story was more than excellent. The dark atmosphere enchanting and addictive. The prison at night makes you shiver. But Alfie and Nate’s dynamic tops it all.
I was constantly holding my breath... Christ that was one hell of a read.
The way of writing was more than captivating... i was under it spell. It made me lightheaded.
This all take place in a quite small environment and that makes is even more attractive.

This should definitely be made into a movie!!

Kindly received an arc from the author

[Celia {Hiatus until August} · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Louise Collins books!
Alfie is prison guard that falls in love with a prisoner.

Nate had murdered three people. Of course he had a strong reason and we can relate with him so the character is more or less "good".
But how Alfie and Nate can think of a life together?

And Nate really loves Alfie or he's just using him?...

Sexy and hot...

“I'm bad, that's why I'm in here, and I wanna do bad things to you.”
“ Well, not bad - naughty. I want to do naughty things to you. I want to make you moan and gasp my name. I want your body to shiver and shudder under my touch, and you to lose yourself being owned by me.”

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5***** stars


Fuck, that was good.

⇢ Alexa, play (I Just) Died in Your Arms by Cutting Crew


No idea why it took me years to finally pick this up. It says though, that it was recently re-edited so I’m actually glad I’ve waited this long.


I loved the vibe of the night shifts and Alfie and Nate practically only ever meeting in the dark.

Their dynamic was intriguing and it was intense on the feels. It was fantastic, I was glued to the pages. I only wished it would’ve been a bit longer, maybe getting a few more details and maybe an extended epilogue. Still, absolutely recommended.


***********
Behind Bars Series

Book 1 - Freshman - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - Psychopath - 4.5 stars
Book 3 - Rat - 4.25 stars
Book 4 - Butterfly - 4.5 stars

[♡ cal ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alfie's mouth had gone dry, and he forced himself to swallow. "It's not gonna fit."
"Aww, more sweet words from my Freshman."

From hot pirates to hot inmates!! Giving this 5 stars because, I swear, I'm the easiest person to please on this site. I got this for a while now but I was quite hesitant to read this because the number of pages made me unsure. 160 pages? Well now I'm shocked because so much has happened. I need to read more this author. I need the other books. If you haven't read this, please read it.

[Drusilla · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's not the darkest book of any I've read, but it's close. 🖤🖤🖤 Oh my, that was a good one. I know, very bad for me, but I am so addicted to these gritty stories with their characters who can't suppress their urges. Freshman/Alfie is so beautiful as he desperately fights the cravings that Nate brings out in him.
Except for a few annoying typos, this book is incredibly well written. The plot is fairly simple, but Alfie's character grabs you right away and I find it amazing how much desire and lust are conveyed by the few contacts he has with Nate. 🔥🤤🔥

Nate’s lips hovered by his jugular, and Alfie thought about the blood rushing through him. The blood he could hear in his ears along with his exaggerated breathing. Nate could sink his teeth in, rip through his flesh and kill him after his easy seduction. Even though the thought registered, Alfie didn’t straighten or shuffle along the gate. He shivered at the nip to his neck, and the one to his jaw. Instead of moving away from Nate’s teeth, he found himself angling his head and neck for Nate to nip more. Never hard enough to puncture skin, not enough to hurt, just a gentle pressure of teeth, and each bite increased Alfie’s heart rate, drove him closer to hyperventilating. 🥵🥵🥵 - me too…

The book misses some clarifications and I consider it odd that there is no camera surveillance in this prison, but ok, I can live with that, because the rest was exceptional.

[Papie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was impossible to put down. The build up between Alfie and Nate has you wanting more more more. The intimacy between them was on every page, even when they only spoke through the cell door. The only reason I didn’t give it 5 stars is the ending left me a little wanting, I wished we could have had a glimpse into the future. But otherwise, wow. 4.5 stars.

[vee · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.75)

“It can’t happen again. Won’t happen—”
“Can’t, won’t, but we both know it will.”
“But it shouldn’t,” Alfie gasped.
Nate snorted. “Yeah you got that right. I shouldn’t have fallen for you, and you shouldn’t have fallen for me, but here we are, Freshman, and now I’ve got you, I’m not letting you go.”

Alfie narrowed his eyes and pulled back his lip. “I hate you.”
Nate sighed and pinched the brow of his nose. “No, you don’t. That’s the problem…”

Alfie & Nate's signature / “okay” / “always” / 4ever 👆

“Nate, you can’t call me. I have to report you.”
“We both know you won’t. Just imagine I’m your hot boyfriend, overseas and we can only talk on the phone. You miss me, want me to come home to you, but you accept you have to wait for now.”
Alfie released his hair and pinched the bridge of his nose. “But you’re not. You’re in prison for murder, and I’m your prison officer.”

basically a romance between a prisoner & his prison officer. both looked forward to Alfie's night shift where they’d flirt, the forbidden romance, etc etc ya get the gist. i can never explain this kind of shit properly. but what made me loved this was tbh the humor & banter

“So, you’re not straight then?”
“None of your business, is it?”
“No, it’s not, but I’m curious. Do you have a boyfriend, Freshman?”
“Would it bother you if I did?”
Nate snorted, but didn’t answer.
Alfie waited, then sighed and turned to walk away.
“Yes,” Nate hissed. “It would bother me. It would make me jealous, very jealous.”
“Then no, I don’t have a boyfriend.”
Nate groaned, a long low rumble that made Alfie shiver. He knew Nate was about to say something crude, or ask him to open the hatch, but he didn’t give him the chance.
“I don’t have a boyfriend. I have two.”
He stomped hard as he left, and the metal of the prison vibrated and rang in his wake. It deafened him to anything else Nate said, and he smiled smugly to himself.

Queenie-Alfie-Nate. adored these 3. and i lmao’d when Queenie almost killed himself bcs of his kink experiment (using teabags to choke his perspiration and imagining it as a huge cock suffocating him)

“You know what, Queenie? Out of all the prisoners, I’m glad it was you I had to kiss.”
“That’s cruel, Freshman,” Nate murmured. “It was CPR, nothing sexual. Any boner Queenie had was from the teabags, not you.”
“Yeah, that kiss in the cell was CPR, but what about the one in the lobby.”
The tapping nails stopped, and Alfie stared at Nate door, eyebrow raised as he waited for a reaction.
“Jesus, Alfie, you’ll get me in the shit. He’s messing with you, Nate.”
“I know he is,” Nate mumbled, “but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous Freshman’s lips were around yours first.”
Alfie lifted his chin, smug with himself. He moved along to Nate’s cell, knowing an inch of steel and a chunky cell lock separated them. “First, and last.”
Nate hummed in amusement. “Maybe I’ll shove teabags down my throat till I pass out. Then you’d have to kiss me.”
Alfie shrugged. “I’d get Henry.” (the old man that has phlegm cough issues)
Queenie howled with laughter and hit his fist to the wall.
Alfie grinned so hard it felt tight on his face.

this started out pretty damn strong and i was really loving it, not only bcs of the sizzling chemistry between the mcs, but also the setting. i enjoyed the prison staff crew dynamic (even though i didnt like em coz them snitches and all that but they were interesting still) etc, up until the last few chapters. abrupt ending is never fun. it was not cliffy but just hasty and i needed more

okay abit spoiler :

now what? theyre on the run forever or smth? a far stretch from a happy ending but one nonetheless and i guess its only realistic. so im not mad, but i needed at the very least a damn epilogue

overall i really enjoyed it. i've no bad thing to say bout this one. they didnt get me bored, it didnt drag, the pacing was nice, Nate managed to keep me glued to the pages and these days thats a damn rare miracle

*******

FINALLY A READ THAT MANAGED TO NOT BORE ME TO TEARS

(frtc loved this one)

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisted and hot. Mind games. It has that funky fall for an inmate taboo. A well written page turner without oodles of erotica thrown in but sweet biscuit! The whispers alone were off the charts seductive. Trust me on this one. These are the things I really enjoyed. All of the above.

Now for the infamous eye roll. Implausibility is thy middle name. Let’s just say it was a pretty long stretch, especially toward the end. Dear Author, you hooked me early and often. It got to where I didn’t care anymore, vested in the characters as I was.

I would love a sequel, Nate and Alfie, Part II.

[gavie (busy with nursing school) · Rating 4 out of 5]

𝟰 🌟!!! I'm glad to inform you that I'm out of my book slump, and it’s all because of this book! I read Betty's review and decided to give it a shot, and I’m so glad I did because I enjoyed it immensely.

Alfie is such a sweetheart, and I love him so much. I didn’t trust Nate at first, but he slowly grew on me. The actual reason he’s in prison breaks my heart and makes me feel for him. The constant flirting between the two of them and the sexual tension??!!! I WAS EATING IT UP EVERY SINGLE TIME!!!! 😩😩😩 Their relationship is adorable and incredibly cute.

Let me tell you—Nate was DOWN BAD obsessed with Alfie. He was such a golden retriever and a cutie around Alfie, and his possessiveness had me giggling and kicking my feet in the air. 😌🤭

Overall, I had a great time reading this book, and I would highly recommend it! 🤍



⋅˚₊‧ ୨୧ ‧₊˚ ⋅𝐩𝐫���-𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝: I read Betty's review on this one and it sounded so good that it convinced me to read it. Let's hope that I have a fun time reading this novella!!!😭💘

[Denise H. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read Feb. 25, 2022
Re-read July 26, 2020
***** This is a gem ! The anticipation, the circumstances, the erotic feel of this tale is stunning !
In the UK, Alfie, 18, is new as a prison guard.

He takes more crap from his fellow guards than the prisoners. It's tough being the new guy. His boss is cantankerous and his fellow guards are slackers.

Triple murderer, Nate, who's been there 10 years,

has taken a liking to Alfie. He calls Alfie "Freshman" but in a nice way, and they are drawn to each other, but Alfie can't let his guard down.

This is unlike any prisoner book I've read. It is a convicted killer and a guard, so, they are not the usual jail type scenarios.


This is different, with a tenseness and sharpness that fills each scene.
It is a story that is fresh, exciting and "un-put-down-able."
Magnificent characters all the way through, and our author makes us feel like we are there watching and waiting.



The sex is truly vibrant. We have a wonderfully written book, with a first time with this author for me, and I'm impressed.

The ending is a total surprise. I loved this story.
Highly recommended. ENJOY !

====
Thanks to Martin and Truus for their reviews that made me take a chance on a new author !

=====

[Rosabel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I demand a sequel!! What is this ending? It isn't enough, that's what it is! 😫❤

I must say that the plot didn't surprise me, there are people who find murderers attractive (Ted Bundy for example) so that part I understood, what I did find fantastic was the way the author made ME, the reader, want to open that fucking door and throw Alfie on that cell. That guy has more morals than me, I would have gone to that fucking room the moment Nate groped me in the dark, respect.

It was a real internal battle for Alfie, he's a good kid, he just got under the skin of a dangerous person, he fought it but Nate didn't give him a chance. I liked the pace of the story, how the author didn't loose time with stupid stuff but did give the character time to process and react. I wished Nate wouldn't have been vindicated, I hoped he remained evil till the end but he killed those people for his sister, so that was a downer. I did liked the end, they ended up together in a fucked up way, but they did.

I loved this, couldn't put it down so now I'm a walking zombie. I want my sequel!! 😡❤💜

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Brilliant idea for a story but something about the writing style and delivery stopped me from really enjoying this. I wanted to love this more however I found the writing felt quite stilted or stiff alot of the time. I love a dark romance and morally grey characters but Nate and Alfie’s relationship just had an unbalanced vibe to it that I didn’t find sexy or appealing.

I would have loved to know more about Nate, to have his POV or just to get more of his backstory and see his character in more depth. He felt quite one dimensional to me despite him being set up to be a really interesting and complex character. Similar with Alfie, I was expecting to get more of his backstory rather than just “care system kid”.

I think the age difference coupled with Nate’s predatory flirting style and how things progress just gave me icky vibes. Alfie is 18 and Nate is ?30’s. Alfie is the prison guard and Nate the triple murderer. I’ll admit I expected something more original regarding his reason for the murders. I was disappointed with the big reveal here.

Also found Alfie’s friend Tia incredibly bland and not beneficial to the story. And a bad friend with the way she abandons him.

I can see this story was recently re-published with some extra editing and additional content. I wish a bit more had been done on it, it feels like it still needs some editing and there’s lots of story still waiting to be told.

[Elisa Glendenning (on hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had a bit of a rocky start with this one but ended up loving it. I wasn’t as hooked as fast as I was with The Rat. Initially, I found it a tad unrealistic (suspension of disbelief required) and the fact that Alfie was so young and Nate was a triple killer made me uncomfortable. However, once Alfie took charge of roll call, I couldn’t get enough of their exchanges. I ended up not caring about that file. I couldn’t wait for Alfie to open up that hatch! LOVED the slow burn, and UST 😍 Job well done!

Although it would have been nice to have an epilogue, I was happy/relieved with the ending. The only negative for me was the editing which left a LOT to be desired. Despite this, however, I can’t wait to finish the series. I can’t believe I’ve waited so long to read these books and I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author!

[patrícia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I had better words, but I absolutely fucking loved this!

Nate & Alfie🖤 why does wrong always feel like right? Is it wrong that I want to wrap in a warm blanket a triple murder convicted ? 👉👈

PS: The generator scene was one of the hottest sexy scenes I’ve ever read. Truly! After 2 days, it still pops into my mind shamefully 🥵

[Miriam still reading! HIATUS from GR · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved!!! Wish it was longer and had more sex scenes. That's the only reason why I didn't 5 star this awesome story!!!

[Shonee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The banter between the two MCs was everything. Honestly, if they never had sex, I would have still been all for it.

I'm wondering though, how Nate became king of the roost, so to speak. It's not explained in this book at all. Maybe it will be in the other two books in this series?