Risktaker

Goode Boys #3

by Sean Ashcroft

Three nights. Two secret crushes. One bed.

Morgan has a secret crush on Devin. Devin has a secret crush on Morgan.

When fate⁠--with a little help from Devin's friends⁠--throws them together as fake boyfriends on a three-night trip, they'll have to hide their feelings even in close quarters.

They've already been doing it for years, a few more days shouldn't be so hard. Right?

Except there's only one bed. And Devin's ex-boyfriend won't leave them in peace. And Morgan keeps breaking into poetry.

And that's before Devin has a brush with death...

Risktaker is the third and final full-length novel in the Goode Boys series, but you can read it in any order you like! It ends with a HEA and does not contain a cliffhanger, but it does contain: giant marshmallows, spontaneous poetry recitals, one bed, a butt tattoo, explicit sex scenes, the best vegetarian chilli fries in the world, and true love conquering all.

Genres: M M Romance, Romance, Contemporary, Friends To Lovers, Fake Dating, Queer, LGBT

278 pages, Kindle Edition

First published May 11, 2020

About the author

Sean Ashcroft likes rainy days, white hot chocolates (don't knock it 'til you've tried it!) and boys kissing in books. He currently resides in Australia, all the way down at the bottom of the mainland in a sleepy little seaside town.

He writes sweet, hot books about sweet, hot boys who absolutely deserve each other.

Reviews

[Gustaf · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me forever to get into this book but when I finally did I really liked it. If there's something I know I can trust, it's Sean Ashcroft delivering something sweet and funny. And this book was no difference. I've really enjoyed this series. I'm sad it's over.

Devin and Morgan was perfect together. There's about zero angst and tons of funny moment. Read this or the first book in the series if you have a bad day.

[the kevin (vaguely alive) · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 50%

This book is just sort of...blah.

1. fake relationship

It claims the fake relationship trope, though it is a very flimsy cover. To be fair, the two previous books also used an extremely thin veneer of a fake relationship, so ultimately I shouldn't be surprised. Okay I wasn't surprised, but still a bummer.

2. woe is me

The main drag in this book is the constant, constant lamenting in both POVs that they're not good enough for each other. Morgan is all "I'm too boring and he's too wild to want to be chill" and Devin is all "I'm too dumb" and neither of them, you know, talk to each other. I don't mean in the sense of admitting feelings, but like why don't they know more about each other? Even in the sense that Devin might in fact like chilling out with tea and shit. It's a little too basic for me to buy as a relationship barrier.

3. the pining

I was curious how this one was going to play out. In the first two books, it's openly acknowledged that Morgan is pining away for Devin, but Devin has no idea. It also appears that no one knows Devin is also carrying a torch for Morgan, which was going to make for an interesting dynamic (or so I thought). ...it did not. I'm not sure what exactly I was hoping for, but the mutual hidden crush/super well hidden Devin crush didn't actually do anything. Meh.

4. the evil ex

Well, he's just so transparent. I guess that's my gripe. He's obviously evil, obviously manipulative, etc. He doesn't really bring much to the table.

Overall, it's a bland addition to a fairly basic series - the first was the best, and they got progressively flatter through the series.

[Cee Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

♥.•🌟¨)☆♡¸.•🌟´¨)☆♡¸.•♥🌟´¨)☆♡♥
♡🌟(¸.•♥´🌟"Crushes were the worst."

How can I not give this book the rating I am giving it. Oh, My Gawd!!! This was a good book! Devin and Morgan were perfect for each other. And it was so sweet how for years they'd been crushing on each other undercover, but they were hesitant to play on it. I also liked that the family dynamics was so great, that EVERYONE was pushing these two together.

When his ex, who had to be the best, pushed him to enter a kayaking contest, Devin knew he had to show that he could cut it. After all, Morgan would be the perfect person to prove that he had moved on. One weekend was what they had, and this was the perfect opportunity for both men to get their act together regardless. Morgan was the perfect fake boyfriend!!! And the reader watched Devin eventually grww within himself, no longer willing to validate himself to others but to himself. Also, the secondary characters were both hilarious and good friends.

And if you haven't, jump over and grab Devin's older brother's books: Troublemaker, Aiden & Carter's story and Heartbreaker, Keiran and Felix's story.

I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author.

[Papie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was cute and fun. I loved Morgan and Devin, although their respective insecurities got a bit annoying at times. It’s a bit OTT that three brothers end up gay, and all three fall for their boyfriend in a fake boyfriend plot. But I think fake boyfriend is Sean Ashcroft’s thing. It got a little long in the end after the ILYs, I was ready to wrap it way before the end.
Side note: my 6yo son has dyspraxia and I wanted to hug Morgan. Its not easy being a big uncoordinated klutz, and people don’t really get it and often see it as not trying hard enough.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is dripping with gooey sweetness from the first page to the last. Personally, I need a little more teeth in my books to make those gooey moments land a little stronger emotionally, but I still enjoyed it.

[Robazizo · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked this one the least of the three. There wasn't much relationship development (it felt like a lot of the buildup happened in the other two books). Brad also felt like a caricature and the reason why Devin would even consider being with him eluded me. The extended Goode clan was lovely as always and I also liked Devin's friends, although Chris was a bit over the top. Overall this was a quite nice trio of stories, with the first one being my favourite.

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ugh... I really wanted to like this one. I mean, I did, but not as well as the others. There was just something that didn't quite fit for me. The beginning was good, but I think it lost me towards the end a bit. It's not that I didn't feel a connection between Devin and Morgan, but I felt like there were some inconsistencies and the story didn't feel as genuine as the other two.

What really threw me off was the when the "conflict" happened. I don't think it was organic and what happens after threw me off.

It was still very much a story of love and fluff and mushy goodness, but if I'm honest, I was almost more intrigued with Devin's friends Alex and Chris and wanting to hear their story.

[Jana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I supposed to like this author. I have read all his books. But now I have a feeling that I am reading one book again and again and again. Story lines are almost the same. The same applies to characters. They have different names (at least first names) and occupations, but that is it. Everything else is the same. Even their feelings and reasons why they do not express their feelings. I hope author finds new inspiration and future books will be more interesting with strong characters.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fucking Brad

Morgan has been crushing on Devin hard for the first 2 Goode Boys books

Where do I find Chris and Adams book?


All 3 books in the series are really cute and fluffy fake dating books, it’s great!

[J.L. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book shares some aspects with the first two in the trilogy, such as the fake boyfriend and “only one bed!” tropes. However, the difference lies in how both main characters are already secure in their sexual orientations and that a current friendship already exists between them. Devin doesn’t need a date to prove anything to anyone, but he doesn’t want to share a cabin with his ex, and if he manages to show said ex that he’s moved up in the world, all the better. Too bad he’s already half in love with the person he asks to help him out.

And too bad that person is already half in love with him back. It’s not a hardship for Morgan to pretend to be Devin’s boyfriend, except that it brings them closer together in all the ways he wasn’t prepared for after pining from a distance. Luckily, well-meaning friends manage to get these “idiots in love” together properly, amidst the surprisingly high drama of a kayak competition. (Of which I know little about, but the author makes it easy to follow along without the necessary background knowledge.)

The “dark moment” between the characters isn’t terribly dark, but it does show how both men can only hurt each other because of how much they love each other. Between some delightful sexy bits, some of my favorite romance tropes, and plenty of cameos by other familiar faces, this book was a sweet closing story to the trilogy.

Binge-reading this trilogy might lead to burnout on the tropes in common, but splitting it up over a few weeks was the perfect distance in time to enjoy each book for itself.

[Tam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5* Not sure why not 5 but I just didn't want to twirl. :-)

Brother number 3 Devin (no realizing gay/bi in this book) has been crushing on his brother's best friend Morgan for years and vice-versa but no one really knows. Devin asks Morgan to come on a weekend get-away for a kayak competition so that he can pretend to be his boyfriend to ward off the evil ex. (the family theme) Morgan is sure he can hide his attraction and it's a chance to send time with Devin.

This is fake boyfriend (which ultimately only the ex doesn't realize) and opposites. Morgan is a big guy with a marshmallow centre, a florist with an English degree who can quote poetry and not athletic. Devin is an tiny adrenaline junkie who also suffers from dyslexia and panic attacks. The thing is they both thing they are not good enough for the other. Devin thinks he's not smart enough and Morgan things he's not brave enough. But once they start sharing they finally get their act together with small hiccup on the way.

It was funny how Devin's mother reacted to the first time Morgan came over for dinner, pretending he was a stranger and they just had a great family where people cared without being interfering or too obnoxious. Again, nice people you liked and wanted to see with their HEA.

[Bo · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Sweet Your Teeth Will Hurt

(Really should be 4 1/2 stars)

Devin is the third Goode brother and the only one who's been openly gay throughout the previous two books, so this one had a shot of eliminating a lot of the angst experienced by his brother Aiden in the first and Kieran in the second books.

But what looks like a perfect set up of five-foot-five Devin and six-foot-five Morgan turns out to be an almost book-length revelation of how sweet each man is that they almost miss the numerous opportunities to get together physically.

Indeed, must of what happens on a field trip to la local kayak championship in which Devin is a favorite and Morgan completely lost involves the emphasis of their differences in height that it sometimes becomes a bit comical, if a bit much,

But when they get to the point of overcoming the nastiness of Devin's ex-boyfriend and absorb the love and help of Devin's best friends everything sort of works out. In the end this is a series that emphasizes family and what family love should be, and that is good enough for me.

[Kathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

About time!

Wow I have watched Morgan's crush for so long but I did not know until this book that Devin's crush was Morgan. How many years??? Seems like all 3 brothers have this thing about doing a fake boyfriend and partway through the weekend there is always at least 1 blow job and many orgasms. Well Devin and Morgan began with kisses and followed quickly from there. Also their fight (AsTher was a fight in each) was quicker as they ran back to one another literally very quickly! There was something so cute about bigger Morgan with Devin's little Twink body. I also loved their constant Mario competition with Devin always resting up against Morgan but yet neither knew knew the others feelings. The best part of that was that Morgan held back just so he could spend more time with Devin! LOVE! LOVE SLOW FALLS! LOVE Sean!!!

[Angie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fake Boyfriend MM Romance

3 stars!

This is the third and final book of this series and I feel like I need a family tree to keep it all straight! Who is dating who and who is best friends with who. I definitely got lost a time or two!

Brad was the villain of this story but I felt really bad for him at some points. The MCs weren't necessarily wrong but I didn't like their response.

I also found Morgan to be so sickeningly sweet that I have a toothache. I hate all those feelings and stuff so it was definitely not a character I relate to and wasn't a big fan.

I love a fake boyfriend storyline but this one was more a means to an end than a true fake boyfriend story.

Overall, a solid fluffy MM romance!

[Kitten Blue · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 out of 5. I liked Devin but I couldn't quite get a handle on Morgan. I know some authors like to keep descriptions to a minimum but I was having a hard time visualizing Morgan with only 'bald' and 'tall' to go by. Does he look like Vin Diesel?? That's what I went with in the end but I had a hard time imagining Vin Diesel reciting poetry so it was a total distraction. Also, the characterizations of the guys in this series are extremely similar which makes them difficult to tell apart. They're mostly stammering cry-babies who say 'ummm' all the time. But I did think Devin was a total cutie. And Aiden. I think the issue here is that I never quite warmed up to Carter, who is slightly pathetic as the MOST stammering cry-baby who says 'ummm' all the time of them all.

[Pontiki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cool Kayaking Fake Boyfriends

Morgan and Devin like each other, both in secret, neither sure how to approach it. But, as with the other Goodes, Devin needs a fake boyfriend to be with when he goes to a kayaking competition. Morgan is that man.

Devin’s ex is a big jerk, who goads Devin into competing when the weather is rough, and Devin wants to prove he’s good enough, as a person, not just in a kayak.

Morgan is worried about Devin throughout the competition, but realizes this is who Devin is. Their relationship blossoms, and they each learn they’re great for each other, just as they are.

Nice read, interesting premise.

[Jessica Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed the first two books in this series so was looking forward to this one but just did not enjoy it as much. I'd ordinarily finish a book of this length in a sitting or two but this one took me almost a week to get though. The characters were so unsure of themselves and almost unbearably sweet, it just didn't work for me. It also seemed like it was a replica of the first two books. And the same conversations were repeated over and over again throughout the book. I'm not a fan of angst so I appreciated there was not a lot in this one but there was just something missing in this. Would definitely read the author again though.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Risktaker
By Sean Ashcroft
Main Characters: Morgan and Devin
I voluntarily and honestly reviewed this book without bias or persuasion from the author.
5 out of 5 stars
Devin has had a crush on Morgan (his brother's best friend) for a couple of years now. And Morgan has had a crush on Devin for many more years than that. Definitely a lack of communication on their part. Devin is somewhat of a risk-taker when it comes to kayaking and he enters an event and needs a fake boyfriend to attend the weekend race with him because his last boyfriend will be there. Well, what can go wrong with that? Or maybe right? This is the last book in this series. I always enjoy reading Sean's books.

[Akila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Big soft heroes will be my catnip. Massive hulking softies who love flowers and are florists and who can also recite poetry on demand? Kill me now, Morgan! He was the gentlest of marshmallows and I loved his brand of pining. Gah! This book was worth trudging through Book 2.

PS: I feel like Sean Ashcroft is a poor person’s Lucy Lennox. (You know, those mini blueberry muffins you get at a grocery store that are so good, the next thing you know you ate the whole box before you can pack one for your kid’s recess?) So, if I don’t have a Lucy Lennox to read I’ll be reading these.

[Shawna (endemictoearth) · Rating 4 out of 5]

All three of these books feature fake relationships, and are about three brothers. Which means that they become increasingly self-aware, which actually worked for me. I actually highlighted text in all three books, which is my high rating requirement. Risktaker is cute, though I will say I didn't find the characterization of Devin to be consistent with how he'd been described in the previous books? But I think we were meant to figure he was misunderstood by his family, maybe? Anyway, that didn't ruin anything for me, just something I noticed. Overall, a very fun series.

[Pedro Martins · Rating 2 out of 5]

Se eu fosse considerar esse livro sozinho daria 3 estrelas, mas dei 2 de raiva. O autor seguiu a mesma fórmula dos livros anteriores da série pra esse. Foi chato, previsível e meio demente. Nem fez sentido a demora toda pros dois MCs começarem a se envolver e, quando se envolveram, a insegurança me irritou demais. TODOS os personagens desse autor são debiloides sem um pingo de amor próprio.
Esse livro conseguiu ser pior porque, além de ser repetitivo, ele acabou em 80% mas o autor quis encher linguiça pelos 20% restantes… péssimo.

[Recca M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I swear this book alone cured 20% of my depression. Was it perfect? No. But it was sweet, and heartwarming, and loveable. Both main characters were cute, the side characters were fun, and the story and drama were just enough to make it enjoyable, but not enough to make me anxious. The pacing was even, and the romance was steamy. I'd say this was my favourite of the 3 books, and I appreciated when Aiden pointed out, that their story at its core is exactly like the first two - it felt like a wink from the author saying "I know, I know but you love it." And it is right.

[Esther Alayeto · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great end to a wonderful series. This is a sweet story with low angst of two men who have had secret crushes on one another. Devin and Morgan enter into a fake relationship but is it really fake when they each have a secret crush on the other? As they spend so much time together, they each begin their true feelings for one another. I really like watching their whole relationship unfold from fake to real. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book.

[Eve · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a cute book. It should be known that angst gets followed by community support in this one. Had i known that sooner then i probably would've read this book faster.

This book is either 4 or 5 stars, i need to review my rating system.

So to clarify, this book is more adventuresome with water & hikes, the prior one is shutterbugsome the chilliness of spring, the one before that is snowed in cabin fever

[Suzun · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing is still good

But I was really disappointed with this one. And to be honest I think I’m burned out on perfect starry eyed swooning love stories. However, like I said, the writing is good so I’m sure there are a lot of people who will love it. I just wanted more for Morgan. He’s been in all the books and I was really looking forward to his story and it kind of fell flat for me.

[Melissa Polk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Devin and Morgan are such sweethearts. It's hard to decide between this and Heartbreaker being my favorite of the series. I'm not sure why, but I got the impression from previous books that Devin was always with a new person and that it drove Morgan to distraction hearing about it at Sunday lunches. Given this book, though, I suppose I'm misremembering. In any case, I adore how supportive Aiden was and am entirely here for the Goode family and their antics.

[Georgianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sweet enough to give you cavities.

I really love Sean Ashcroft’s books and the sweetness he packs into them. Some spice, a little angst and lots of love. This series was fantastic as whole with all 3 brothers falling in love. I’d love to see a final book with novellas for all 3 brothers. Just something snapshotting their lives after their books were finished. Maybe giving their mom a happy partner as well.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Ending to a Perfect Series
The last of the Goode boys takes a risk. Devin needs a fake boyfriend for a week. He asks Morgan whom he has a secret crush on. Morgan who has had a secret crush on Devin decides to take the bait.There is laughter, tears & a whole lot of fun in this book. An ARC for an honest opinion.

[THOMAS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Series, hot stories

Watching these brothers and their 'best friends ' figure themselves was sooo funny, and really enjoyable! So many inuendos and one liners!
Watching their fear of rejection turn into utter joy and fulfillment of their dreams brought joy and tears to my eyes!

[Kelli D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute

Very cute, very low angst romance. Quick fluffy read with 2 likeable MC's and I always enjoy a good fake boyfriend story so this was right up my alley.
Only thing was I found everyone was super mean to Brad and yeah, he seemed like a jerk but even at the end it seemed like that was "his" way of congratulating and even apologizing to Devin and the whole group were dicks to him.