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Trick or Treat
This Halloween, opposites attract...but is it all a trick, or the perfect treat?
Tristan is a brilliant, rich playboy. It’s Freshman year, and he knows exactly which fraternity he’s going to end up in--the one his father picked out for him, at least if he wants to keep his trust fund. He hates most of the asshole jocks in the frat, especially Warren--they have history. There may be one saving grace in all of it: a handsome new football player catches his eye.
Grant is different from most of the other guys on the football team. He grew up poor, and he has big dreams--working his way through school, earning his scholarship, true love. He definitely isn’t going to give it away to some rich asshole frat boy. It would be good if he got into the same fraternity as all the other jocks, though. Somehow, he’s got to survive their hazing, but if Warren and his frat brothers have their way, Grant won’t last till Halloween.
Would you rather have a Trick or Treat? Try it both ways in this 55,000 word college Halloween special from Riley Knight.
This book is a standalone gay romance intended for adult audiences.
Tristan is a brilliant, rich playboy. It’s Freshman year, and he knows exactly which fraternity he’s going to end up in--the one his father picked out for him, at least if he wants to keep his trust fund. He hates most of the asshole jocks in the frat, especially Warren--they have history. There may be one saving grace in all of it: a handsome new football player catches his eye.
Grant is different from most of the other guys on the football team. He grew up poor, and he has big dreams--working his way through school, earning his scholarship, true love. He definitely isn’t going to give it away to some rich asshole frat boy. It would be good if he got into the same fraternity as all the other jocks, though. Somehow, he’s got to survive their hazing, but if Warren and his frat brothers have their way, Grant won’t last till Halloween.
Would you rather have a Trick or Treat? Try it both ways in this 55,000 word college Halloween special from Riley Knight.
This book is a standalone gay romance intended for adult audiences.
161 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2018
27 people are currently reading
54 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
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October 11, 2019
Trick or Treat is a stand alone romance by Riley Knight. I would classify this as a M/M, NA Sports romance.
Grant Stephens grew up with just his mom who worked hard to make ends meet. All Grant wanted was to go to college and play football. Now his dream is coming true. He got a partial scholarship to UCLA. He was a freshman quarterback so he knew he wouldn’t get much time on the field. In order to stay in school, not only did Grant have to keep his grade point average up, he had to work as many hours as possible at a nearby burger place. The last thing Grant wants to worry about is joining a fraternity. But when it’s suggested to him that he should since several of the other players on the team are members, he decides to go for it.
Tristan Ainsley is also a freshman but grew up in a wealthy home with parents that rarely acknowledged his existence. Tristan is not into football at all but is expected to join the fraternity since it’s what his father did and his grandfather. Tristan has always known that he preferred men and has had plenty of willing partners but has never been in a relationship. Plus the fact that if his parents knew, they would most certainly cut him off.
Grant has also known that he preferred men to women but has never experimented. Grant is also an old soul. He follows the rules, treats others with respect, and tries to live by the moral code he was brought up by. You might even say he was a bit on the innocent side. If anyone knew of his preferences, he would surely lose his scholarship.
As soon as Grant and Tristan met, both of them felt the attraction. But Grant let it be known that he wasn’t interested in a one night stand. He wanted a relationship and Tristan did not. So they kept their distance but the attraction continued to grow and simmer.
Every story needs a villain, and in this one it’s Warren, the current quarterback. Warren and Tristan have a history, their families are close. Warren doesn’t like Grant and will do whatever it takes to make his life miserable.
Both Grant and Tristan seem mature for their ages. This is a book about finding yourself, accepting who you are, and finding your way in the world. The steam factor in this one is hot. It took me a bit to get accustomed to this author’s writing style. I did enjoy it, just not as much as I hoped I would. Still, it’s a sweet, sexy book that I’m glad I read.
For more about this book and so many more, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/44036...
Grant Stephens grew up with just his mom who worked hard to make ends meet. All Grant wanted was to go to college and play football. Now his dream is coming true. He got a partial scholarship to UCLA. He was a freshman quarterback so he knew he wouldn’t get much time on the field. In order to stay in school, not only did Grant have to keep his grade point average up, he had to work as many hours as possible at a nearby burger place. The last thing Grant wants to worry about is joining a fraternity. But when it’s suggested to him that he should since several of the other players on the team are members, he decides to go for it.
Tristan Ainsley is also a freshman but grew up in a wealthy home with parents that rarely acknowledged his existence. Tristan is not into football at all but is expected to join the fraternity since it’s what his father did and his grandfather. Tristan has always known that he preferred men and has had plenty of willing partners but has never been in a relationship. Plus the fact that if his parents knew, they would most certainly cut him off.
Grant has also known that he preferred men to women but has never experimented. Grant is also an old soul. He follows the rules, treats others with respect, and tries to live by the moral code he was brought up by. You might even say he was a bit on the innocent side. If anyone knew of his preferences, he would surely lose his scholarship.
As soon as Grant and Tristan met, both of them felt the attraction. But Grant let it be known that he wasn’t interested in a one night stand. He wanted a relationship and Tristan did not. So they kept their distance but the attraction continued to grow and simmer.
Every story needs a villain, and in this one it’s Warren, the current quarterback. Warren and Tristan have a history, their families are close. Warren doesn’t like Grant and will do whatever it takes to make his life miserable.
Both Grant and Tristan seem mature for their ages. This is a book about finding yourself, accepting who you are, and finding your way in the world. The steam factor in this one is hot. It took me a bit to get accustomed to this author’s writing style. I did enjoy it, just not as much as I hoped I would. Still, it’s a sweet, sexy book that I’m glad I read.
For more about this book and so many more, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/44036...
November 1, 2018
This was much better than I expected -- 3.75 stars
October 3, 2018
This was just a well written book about two men from opposite worlds going through a trying and painful time at college. Grant is a football player determined to stay the distance in his school work and in football. Tristan is extremely smart and rich. An instant attraction brings these two men together much to the disgust of Warren who uses his power of being rich and the QB for the college football team. A book of extreme homophobia, hazing and misplaced power gives this book a tension and angst that keeps the reader going until the HEA at the end. Good read
October 8, 2018
Sweet
Tristan and Grant story is sweet and charming. It's a journey of personal discovery and self acceptance; also, being free to love whoever you want.
Warren was a tool , and I really disliked but many of his motivations didn't make sense , same as his age or how many years he has been in the Frat house and in the school.
Overall, Trick or Treat is a romantic and entertaining short read with a satisfying HFN or HEA ending.
Tristan and Grant story is sweet and charming. It's a journey of personal discovery and self acceptance; also, being free to love whoever you want.
Warren was a tool , and I really disliked but many of his motivations didn't make sense , same as his age or how many years he has been in the Frat house and in the school.
Overall, Trick or Treat is a romantic and entertaining short read with a satisfying HFN or HEA ending.
October 8, 2018
Great book!
This is a wonderful book. Tristen and Grant were made for each other. I really loved the way that Tristen stood up for Grant throughout the book. Riley Knight did a fantastic job showing what true love should look like. I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for something super sweet with a HEA.
This is a wonderful book. Tristen and Grant were made for each other. I really loved the way that Tristen stood up for Grant throughout the book. Riley Knight did a fantastic job showing what true love should look like. I would definitely recommend this book if you’re looking for something super sweet with a HEA.
October 29, 2018
Good!
Grant and Tristan found love together despite all the drama and perils that they went through. Even the thought and threat of not having trust fund money couldn't keep them apart..Love wins....
Grant and Tristan found love together despite all the drama and perils that they went through. Even the thought and threat of not having trust fund money couldn't keep them apart..Love wins....
October 26, 2019
After reading The Cowboy's Secret and The Cowboy's Second Chance, I really wanted to read more of Riley Knight's work. I found those stories predictable but warm and enjoyable, and the characters drew me in. This story was a similar plot (it's what you'll see in most romance novels -- two people are incredibly attracted to each other, they realize that to their shock they actually also like spending time together, a misunderstanding separates them, a grand gesture from both sides reunites them and we get a well earned HEA ending) but with weaker characters, and that's why I couldn't rate it as highly. Usually in these books, the thing that separates the couple is a silly misunderstanding, and they're both partially to blame (or an antagonistic third party is entirely to blame). In this story, most of the blame is on Tristan, one of the heroes. At times it's hard to fully like Tristan, like when he had to resist the urge to physically hit Grant for wanting some clarification on what their relationship is. He's not a bad character, and I think he has a surprising amount of nuance, but that doesn't take away the fact that he's occasionally insufferable. Grant, on the other hand, pretty much has no flaws. Tristan constantly comments on Grant's occasional judgmental tone and comments, but we don't actually have textual examples of it... Tristan refers to things like Grant not wanting to have sex with him when he's drunk as Grant thinking he's better than Tristan, but that's not how it comes off. Grant is too practically perfect for that kind of thing, and that's his weakness. The villain, Warren, using homophobic slurs and bullying Grant is a tired trope, and the fact that it's revealed that Warren and Tristan have a sexual history is even more tired. Plus despite the fact that it's called Trick or Treat, Halloween is such a brief part of the story. It is when the climax happens, but it just feels very brief. These complaints aside, I did root for Grant and Tristan over the course of the story and I did enjoy the story for the most part. It's overall not terrible, just a little flawed. Shout out to Riley Knight for having Tristan and Grant dressed as Batman and Superman for Halloween... Enjoyed that, lol.
ETA I know I sound harsh on Tristan... I don't dislike him as a character, I just think that some overused (and arguably harmful) tropes weakened his character, rather than adding to it. I do deeply empathize with and understand his insecurities (more than I would like to) and that's why, despite what I read as flawed writing of a sympathetic character (as opposed to clearly competent writing of a flawed yet sympathetic character), I do still like him and did root for him (and Grant, who I also liked) to end up happy.
I put too much thought into this, lol. But I stand by the 3/5.
ETA I know I sound harsh on Tristan... I don't dislike him as a character, I just think that some overused (and arguably harmful) tropes weakened his character, rather than adding to it. I do deeply empathize with and understand his insecurities (more than I would like to) and that's why, despite what I read as flawed writing of a sympathetic character (as opposed to clearly competent writing of a flawed yet sympathetic character), I do still like him and did root for him (and Grant, who I also liked) to end up happy.
I put too much thought into this, lol. But I stand by the 3/5.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 3, 2020
3.5 Stars
I had some trouble getting engaged at the beginning of this story but I loved the last 20%. There wasn't anything wrong with the writing or the story but for a reason that escapes me, I had trouble connecting. There also wasn't anything wrong with the main characters, although I felt at the beginning they lacked the spark they had at the end, which is unfortunate.
Halloween plays a small role but not as big as I was hoping when I started the book but that really doesn't have anything to do with anything except my personal expectations. I was looking to read a Halloween story not necessarily a sweet first time love story.
Don't be put off by my experience, this story is worth reading.
TAGS
-- holiday/Halloween(small role) -- college boys -- football jock -- one character in the closet -- one character discovering his sexuality -- some great friends -- one spoiled trouble causing friend -- opposites attract -- first time love -- first boyfriend -- virgin/first time -- parents that need a reality check -- love wins out -- liked the MCs... Grant & Tristan - loved them at the end
November 4, 2018
So plenty of smut so that was good. I felt sorry for Tristan more than Grant. His insecurities were heartbreaking. I liked Manny, he was cool. Now Warren I couldn’t stand. A liar, manipulator and a sad excuse for a human being. Short but a lot happening.
November 6, 2018
3.5 Stars. This was actually better than I expected and I enjoyed this quick story about two men from different worlds who end up fitting together and dealing with a homophobic jerk with entitlement issues. I liked the MC's and while there wasn't anything new in this book I did enjoy it.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews