What do you think?
Rate this book
Love Unexpected #1
Filthy Sweet
Loner. Troublemaker. Rebel.
…and secret softie?
I try to enjoy the reputation I’ve earned as a hotshot music exec, even as I’m careful to hide my checkered past.
But after another unfortunate scandal catches me with my pants down (literally), I’m forced to clean up my image.
Enter Owen: my best friend’s little brother. The adorkable sweetheart is my wholesome polar opposite, which makes him perfect for a little fake relationship publicity.
Owen’s just out of the closet. He acts shy, but the more time we spend together, the more I glimpse his surprisingly filthy imagination.
And the more I can’t stop thinking about him.
I don’t do relationships. And with my past crashing down around me, I have no right to drag Owen into the chaos of my life.
But then he says my name with his gentle voice, and something unfamiliar stirs.
Owen breaks down the walls I’ve built, but can a guy like me give him the kind of love he deserves?
Filthy Sweet is a standalone M/M romance with a naughty geek, a secretly-sweet bad boy, and a dash of fake relationship. It features forbidden, best-friend’s-brother steam, dirty talk, and ongoing confusion about a pair of panties.
…and secret softie?
I try to enjoy the reputation I’ve earned as a hotshot music exec, even as I’m careful to hide my checkered past.
But after another unfortunate scandal catches me with my pants down (literally), I’m forced to clean up my image.
Enter Owen: my best friend’s little brother. The adorkable sweetheart is my wholesome polar opposite, which makes him perfect for a little fake relationship publicity.
Owen’s just out of the closet. He acts shy, but the more time we spend together, the more I glimpse his surprisingly filthy imagination.
And the more I can’t stop thinking about him.
I don’t do relationships. And with my past crashing down around me, I have no right to drag Owen into the chaos of my life.
But then he says my name with his gentle voice, and something unfamiliar stirs.
Owen breaks down the walls I’ve built, but can a guy like me give him the kind of love he deserves?
Filthy Sweet is a standalone M/M romance with a naughty geek, a secretly-sweet bad boy, and a dash of fake relationship. It features forbidden, best-friend’s-brother steam, dirty talk, and ongoing confusion about a pair of panties.
220 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 27, 2021
229 people are currently reading
661 people want to read
About the author
R. Cayden
38 books309 followersR. Cayden writes steamy M/M romance and sweet, easy reads.
If you want to be notified of new releases, sign up for the newsletter!
You can also send along an email. I love hearing from readers, and knowing what you think of the stories!
rcayden.books[at]gmail.com
Thanks for reading!
If you want to be notified of new releases, sign up for the newsletter!
You can also send along an email. I love hearing from readers, and knowing what you think of the stories!
rcayden.books[at]gmail.com
Thanks for reading!
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews
April 27, 2022
I'm SEETHING.
Fuck this book.
This book started off so strong and solid and cute, the devastating crash literally makes me see red.
Fuck this book.
This book started off so strong and solid and cute, the devastating crash literally makes me see red.
October 26, 2021
2.5 stars
I seem to be in the minority, but this did not work for me. Maybe it's just a case of "it's me, not you" but my attention kept wandering while reading and I had to force myself to finish this. The characters didn't really engage me; they seemed overdrawn if that makes sense. The cliche awkward nerd and misunderstood, bad boy rocker exec. And for a book whose major selling point is smut, it was pretty mediocre. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of smut; it's just not particularly hot.
• music exec/nerd
• best friend's little brother
• sweet, awkward nerd has a freaky side
• opposites attract
• fake boyfriend
• insta-lust
I seem to be in the minority, but this did not work for me. Maybe it's just a case of "it's me, not you" but my attention kept wandering while reading and I had to force myself to finish this. The characters didn't really engage me; they seemed overdrawn if that makes sense. The cliche awkward nerd and misunderstood, bad boy rocker exec. And for a book whose major selling point is smut, it was pretty mediocre. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of smut; it's just not particularly hot.
• music exec/nerd
• best friend's little brother
• sweet, awkward nerd has a freaky side
• opposites attract
• fake boyfriend
• insta-lust
December 20, 2021
I basically skimmed from 60% on. I’d say it was more me than the book.
If you like:
-fake dating that become real dating very quick
-barely any relationship angst
-lots of cum play
then you’ll probably like this.
I just didn’t find it all that interesting and the characters were only alright.
If you like:
-fake dating that become real dating very quick
-barely any relationship angst
-lots of cum play
then you’ll probably like this.
I just didn’t find it all that interesting and the characters were only alright.
October 24, 2023
I really enjoyed this book and it certainly lived up to its name. It was filthy and sweet. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.
April 26, 2022
Def not for me
September 29, 2021
Ok read
This book was ok. I'm a slow burn lover and this book was to fast paced for me. I also didn't feel like there was any real chemistry between the main characters.
I did love Reggie though. He was a great side character.
This book was ok. I'm a slow burn lover and this book was to fast paced for me. I also didn't feel like there was any real chemistry between the main characters.
I did love Reggie though. He was a great side character.
December 2, 2021
I actually didn’t finish the last 9% of this book because I got bored but it deserves three stars because the cum play was *chefs kiss*
August 9, 2024
Rock adjacent. Music producer (or...er...something) who tried to be a rock star but didn't make it. Just putting this out there in case you like me don't like music industry romances. Just too close to the billionaire trope for my liking.
Tropes/things to know:
🏳🌈 Friends to Lovers
🏳🌈 Friends since they were kids, reconnect when older
🏳🌈 Brothers Best Friend
🏳🌈 Newly out
🏳🌈 Low angst
This is a sweet, low angst romance. There's very little drama (which I appreciated). My only complaint about the story was honestly that the book only needed one narrator. Javi Wilder would have been the superior choice.
Tropes/things to know:
🏳🌈 Friends to Lovers
🏳🌈 Friends since they were kids, reconnect when older
🏳🌈 Brothers Best Friend
🏳🌈 Newly out
🏳🌈 Low angst
This is a sweet, low angst romance. There's very little drama (which I appreciated). My only complaint about the story was honestly that the book only needed one narrator. Javi Wilder would have been the superior choice.
October 21, 2021
Awhh that was such a sweet read and I especially LOVED the cover omfg it's my most favorite right now no cap.
November 2, 2021
Pretty typical of this author. Cute but forgettable.
October 3, 2021
It says at the end of this book, R, Cayden writes steamy M/M Romance...
This is beyond steamy and wonderful!
This is beyond steamy and wonderful!
February 20, 2022
Hot AF fake dating, brother's-best-friend romance between a nerdy biologist and a bad-boy music producer. Not a lot to say about it, it was a satisfying read.
May 11, 2022
Couldn't really connect to these characters at all, too much telling, not enough showing I guess.
October 25, 2021
I loved this book. Owen is just so sweet and geeky but without being over the top and Fox is a bad boy hiding a soft centre. I loved how both had issues in their past that made them guarded but that they were able to support each other to work through it all. I would have liked to have had more from Owen’s brother Reggie but it didn’t detract from the story for me. It was amazing how they both helped bolster each other as well and I found I just couldn’t put it down.
September 24, 2021
Filthy and sweet .
October 12, 2021
4.75 Stars
Filthy Sweet by R. Cayden is a contemporary rom-com filled with loads of laughs, embarrassing happenings, and sugary sweet moments. It contains quite a few tropes but most notably best friends' brother and geek/bad boy. This story is high heat with a side of delicious filth.
Biologist Dr. Owen Lavigne moves to Seattle to work at a local Natural History Museum. While moving some things into his brother's apartment, he has an unfortunate incident. A dildo and some panties fall out of a box in front of his longtime crush and brother's best friend, Fox. After their embarrassing first encounter in many years, Owen can't seem to get Fox out of his head.
Fox always tried to outrun his past and escape feelings of worthlessness and built up walls to keep everyone out. He works in the music industry, representing some of the hottest bands. Some negative publicity forces him to clean up his image. Owen agrees to be his fake boyfriend. One particularly spicy evening, they attend a rather adult party, and their hook-up begins. They have off-the-chart chemistry.
After trying to tell Owen's brother, Reggie, about their hooking up, a real relationship forms. Reggie never got the letter Owen wrote, and it was a rather unfortunate answering of a phone call that got them called out.
Honestly, this book is packed full of storylines and plot development. It wasn't exactly my type of kink, but it was impressively written. I think most people would enjoy spending their weekend reading this. I recommend it to anyone who likes smexy men and a little kink in their books. It is worth spending a weekend with this one.
***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement. ***
Filthy Sweet by R. Cayden is a contemporary rom-com filled with loads of laughs, embarrassing happenings, and sugary sweet moments. It contains quite a few tropes but most notably best friends' brother and geek/bad boy. This story is high heat with a side of delicious filth.
Biologist Dr. Owen Lavigne moves to Seattle to work at a local Natural History Museum. While moving some things into his brother's apartment, he has an unfortunate incident. A dildo and some panties fall out of a box in front of his longtime crush and brother's best friend, Fox. After their embarrassing first encounter in many years, Owen can't seem to get Fox out of his head.
Fox always tried to outrun his past and escape feelings of worthlessness and built up walls to keep everyone out. He works in the music industry, representing some of the hottest bands. Some negative publicity forces him to clean up his image. Owen agrees to be his fake boyfriend. One particularly spicy evening, they attend a rather adult party, and their hook-up begins. They have off-the-chart chemistry.
After trying to tell Owen's brother, Reggie, about their hooking up, a real relationship forms. Reggie never got the letter Owen wrote, and it was a rather unfortunate answering of a phone call that got them called out.
Honestly, this book is packed full of storylines and plot development. It wasn't exactly my type of kink, but it was impressively written. I think most people would enjoy spending their weekend reading this. I recommend it to anyone who likes smexy men and a little kink in their books. It is worth spending a weekend with this one.
***Copy provided to Bayou Book Junkie for my reading pleasure. A review wasn’t a requirement. ***
October 4, 2021
Owen looked sweet, but I love that he has this really filthy side to him. It's almost innocently filthy, if that makes sense. He really just wants to find love with someone who is willing to accept all parts of him, no matter what. I really like Owen a lot.
I really related to Fox. Not that I have his background or anything, but there is just something about him that I can really just feel in me. I like how well he connects with Owen, and how well Owen accepts all parts of Fox and supports him.
I really related to Fox. Not that I have his background or anything, but there is just something about him that I can really just feel in me. I like how well he connects with Owen, and how well Owen accepts all parts of Fox and supports him.
March 11, 2022
This is so insanely cute, I feel like my teeth are going to squeak. And it’s nasty, and funny, and also a teensy bit crazy. Owen is his own cup of cake. I had never known such a character in a book before. Fox is very lovely, how he supports Owen, to find and accept himself and his sexuality.
June 4, 2023
Filthy Sweet (Love Unexpected Book 1
Fox Wilder has fought through all the hard knocks that life threw at him with the only supports he had left, Reggie and Owen Lavigne.
Reggie has been his best friend since they all lived in Ohio, then Fox had run away after some Incident in their town and ended up in LA. He’s ashamed of the life he lived there, of what he had to do so survive on the streets. But he learned to survive by learning from those he served in the music industry and now he has his own business and Bands that he has brought into the music scene in Seattle where he now lives and has been back in touch with Reggie Lavigne.
He drops by Reggie’s place to give him some concert tickets and comes face to face with little Owen Lavigne, only he isn’t so little now.
Owen has always had a big crush on Fox Wilder, seeing him standing there in the street made him so nervous he dropped the box of his belongings he was about to carry into his brother’s place.
Dying of embarrassment he tries to stuff everything back into the box, but it was too late, Fox saw everything, the lace panties, a range of colourful dildos, fluffy pink handcuffs. 🤭🫣😂.
This incident was the catalyst for the friendship that developed between Owen and Fox. Until it turned into so much more very quickly.
Both of them are worried what Big Brother Reggie will say if he finds out Fox is showing Owen everything he knows. Surprisingly, Owen has kinks of his own and between them ‘ Filthy Sweet’ has steam burning off the pages in every Chapter.
‘ Filthy Sweet’ was exactly what I needed to read today, it was funny and heartwarming without any angsty interfering third parties. Owen is such an adorable, kind, sunshiny person, just what Fox needs. He just needs to remove the bricks in the wall that Fox has put up to protect himself.
If you want to read something that won’t wreck you emotionally this might be just right for you.
Fox Wilder has fought through all the hard knocks that life threw at him with the only supports he had left, Reggie and Owen Lavigne.
Reggie has been his best friend since they all lived in Ohio, then Fox had run away after some Incident in their town and ended up in LA. He’s ashamed of the life he lived there, of what he had to do so survive on the streets. But he learned to survive by learning from those he served in the music industry and now he has his own business and Bands that he has brought into the music scene in Seattle where he now lives and has been back in touch with Reggie Lavigne.
He drops by Reggie’s place to give him some concert tickets and comes face to face with little Owen Lavigne, only he isn’t so little now.
Owen has always had a big crush on Fox Wilder, seeing him standing there in the street made him so nervous he dropped the box of his belongings he was about to carry into his brother’s place.
Dying of embarrassment he tries to stuff everything back into the box, but it was too late, Fox saw everything, the lace panties, a range of colourful dildos, fluffy pink handcuffs. 🤭🫣😂.
This incident was the catalyst for the friendship that developed between Owen and Fox. Until it turned into so much more very quickly.
Both of them are worried what Big Brother Reggie will say if he finds out Fox is showing Owen everything he knows. Surprisingly, Owen has kinks of his own and between them ‘ Filthy Sweet’ has steam burning off the pages in every Chapter.
‘ Filthy Sweet’ was exactly what I needed to read today, it was funny and heartwarming without any angsty interfering third parties. Owen is such an adorable, kind, sunshiny person, just what Fox needs. He just needs to remove the bricks in the wall that Fox has put up to protect himself.
If you want to read something that won’t wreck you emotionally this might be just right for you.
September 30, 2021
Fox and Owen have known each other for awhile. Fox is best friends with Owen’s brother.
Owen has had a crush on Fox forever. He doesn’t have the opportunity to act in it until he starts to hang out with Fox more.
This book was slightly angsty and very hot! Both characters has molten hot chemistry. I enjoyed their exploration of kink.
The story was believable. Fox needed someone like Owen and vice versa. They made a good balance.
September 30, 2021
Fox is a music exec. Own is a researcher for a museum. Fox is Reggie's best friend. Reggie is Owen's brother. It has all the making of a really good Brother's Best Friend book, but it just didn't end up that way. The writing was fine, the pacing was good, but I just had a hard time believing the relationship between the two. I saw the Filthy, but not so much the Sweet.
did-not-finish
December 9, 2021DNF @ 51%
I find Owen adorable. Fox, on the other hand, is so annoying. I didn't find him endearing at all. The dialogue made me cringe as well. I've been forcing myself to finish less than entertaining books but no more. So I called it quits at the halfway point. I'm also gonna skip the series as a whole.
I find Owen adorable. Fox, on the other hand, is so annoying. I didn't find him endearing at all. The dialogue made me cringe as well. I've been forcing myself to finish less than entertaining books but no more. So I called it quits at the halfway point. I'm also gonna skip the series as a whole.
September 13, 2025
I was told this was high heat, so I had expectations. I was annoyed at 30% when there had still been no sex. The men had been aroused, we had discussed the bad experience in bed 3 or 4 times, and one of the characters had a wank, but not even a kiss between them. Then suddenly they are at an orgy (oh gee, I didn’t know it was that kind of party) and they decide it’s the best time and place for a meaningful and emotionally charged first time. It would be possible if the author had set the characters up for that, but this came out of left field and felt cold. After that I began to skim and lost interest the further I read. Yeah, it gets pretty steamy. The steam feels completely disconnected from the emotional side of the relationship, though. The sex scenes felt performative, like the author added them for a a high steam rating, but had no idea how sex and romance are intertwined. Just didn’t work for me.
October 27, 2021
This book delivers on its title, that's for sure. Owen is sweet, but also filthy - whereas Fox seems like a typical filthy playboy - but he also has a marshmallow center. Add in the sweetest dude-bro himbo best friend/brother and its a great short smutty read.
June 3, 2023
Older brother’s hot friend and the once nerdy younger brother of friend trope. GOOD writing and characters, pulled me in enough to continue series and glad I did, next book is one of my faves (sweet obliviots).
May 9, 2022
2.5
I read the first book in this series and I loved it, but unfortunately this book fell short for me, it started very well but then the story just went nowhere, a lot of sweetness but nothing more.
I read the first book in this series and I loved it, but unfortunately this book fell short for me, it started very well but then the story just went nowhere, a lot of sweetness but nothing more.
September 24, 2021
Fox and Owen’s story definitely lives up to the title - it’s a little bit filthy and a little bit sweet. Filthy Sweet is an easy read; I blew through it quickly, but I didn’t feel like I was invested in their story as much as I could have been.
Owen is moving to Seattle to start a new job, ready to explore a new side of himself and finally be open about his sexuality. He’s so sweet, extremely intelligent and dedicated to his career, but he’s been so dedicated to getting to where he is today that he hasn’t had much fun. After an unfortunate picture hits Instagram, he finds himself getting really cozy with his brother’s best friend, Fox, who he’s had a crush on since childhood. Fox is a famous music executive who has been caught in more than one questionable situation. He’s running from his past and doing everything in his power to make sure it doesn’t catch up with him. While he puts up a tough exterior, he’s really a sweet guy underneath it all, but doesn’t feel like he deserves his happiness (at least not yet).
Owen and Fox start a fake relationship to help improve Fox’s image. But, somewhere along the way, it becomes more...more intimate, more complicated, more everything. Once they start to open up to each other, their relationship really starts to flourish and grow. But, I felt like there was something missing from their relationship...it was really sweet, a little filthy and maybe a little too easy? I’m not sure what was missing, but I wanted more from them.
I also wanted more between them and Reggie - he felt like a plot device more than a real character a lot of the time when he could have been a big part of the story. Overall this was a good read, but I just didn’t love it.
Owen is moving to Seattle to start a new job, ready to explore a new side of himself and finally be open about his sexuality. He’s so sweet, extremely intelligent and dedicated to his career, but he’s been so dedicated to getting to where he is today that he hasn’t had much fun. After an unfortunate picture hits Instagram, he finds himself getting really cozy with his brother’s best friend, Fox, who he’s had a crush on since childhood. Fox is a famous music executive who has been caught in more than one questionable situation. He’s running from his past and doing everything in his power to make sure it doesn’t catch up with him. While he puts up a tough exterior, he’s really a sweet guy underneath it all, but doesn’t feel like he deserves his happiness (at least not yet).
Owen and Fox start a fake relationship to help improve Fox’s image. But, somewhere along the way, it becomes more...more intimate, more complicated, more everything. Once they start to open up to each other, their relationship really starts to flourish and grow. But, I felt like there was something missing from their relationship...it was really sweet, a little filthy and maybe a little too easy? I’m not sure what was missing, but I wanted more from them.
I also wanted more between them and Reggie - he felt like a plot device more than a real character a lot of the time when he could have been a big part of the story. Overall this was a good read, but I just didn’t love it.
September 24, 2021
OH Yes.. this book lives up to it's title perfectly! We have Owen our shy geeky PHD graduate with very little experience, and we have our bad boy music executive Fox.. who happens to be Owen's brother's best friend! When Owen and Fox get to know each other again after quite a few years.. the Chemistry is undeniable! They dance around each other a bit at first, but once they hook up.. Steamy sparks fly! Owen brings out the hidden sweet side of Fox and Fox most definitely brings out the dirty side of Owen! They are both the perfect combination of both though really! I received an ARC of this book and I recommend for those who like a pretty angst free, super steamy .. and of course best friend's little brother romance!
September 27, 2022
I'll be honest– This book? It definitely wasn't the best. I liked the story and all. But there were certain parts that could have been written better. Such as the smut scenes. I'm not convinced that the author even knows anything about sex between two men. It doesn't seem accurate. Not very close compared to the mm books I've read before (and I've read a lot).
November 25, 2025
3.5 stars.
I like both the MCs and enjoyed both their perspectives, but I didn’t feel a ton of romantic or sexual chemistry between them. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t really present for me either. It was fine. The book overall was very sweet, and maybe a little too sweet for my tastes given some of the topics covered. Also a bit too much of the “defiling the young and innocent and (nearly) virginal” MC thing. Not as much as I’d have expected but more than I enjoy (which to be fair is none, so that’s more of a me-thing).
Because Owen wasn’t actually a helpless virginal damsel and actually cared for and protected himself and those around him, and because he had a personality and didn’t cry at everything, and because Fox treated him pretty much like an adult, I’m rounding up.
I don’t think I’ll read Reggie’s book. I didn’t hate him but he doesn’t at all seem like a human person. I would not enjoy a book with him as protagonist.
Fox is a 32 year old cis white bisexual man. Hes got dark hair and is moderately muscular and a close-trimmed beard. He’s a music executive and made his career by recognizing and fighting for talented and unusual bands. He’s know he was bi since high school. He’s always liked Owen but never had feelings for him (due to the age gap) until the start of the book.
Owen is a 26 year old cis white gay man. He’s fair and slender and also has a close-trimmed beard. He’s always kind of tried to ignore his sexuality and initially considered maybe he was bi (because all guys like girls deep down somewhere right? And losing his virginity to a girl at 19 may have been unmemorable and not very enjoyable but that was normal right?) but eventually in college realized he’s gay. He’s just graduated from getting his doctorate and will be working in a museum. He’s always had a huge crush on Fox, though hasn’t necessarily been pining after him until recently.
Both MCs have their insecurities. Owen feels inexperienced having just come out, and has always felt like he’s too nerdy and quiet for anyone to truly enjoy being around him too much. Fox had struggled his whole childhood being a “Wilder boy,” because his family was known for drinking too much and cheating people and being untrustworthy, and he internalized how people treated him as a child. Fox also has a lot of anxiety around his fear that Owen and Reggie will “realize” that he’s not worth their time.
Contains:
—gay mc x bi mc
—best friend’s younger brother / older brother’s best friend
—neither MC has ever had a relationship
—size difference
—sexually experienced mc x sexually inexperienced mc
—gay mc exploring his homosexuality after coming out
—mc who has a kink for cum on him and also eating it
—sexually inexperienced MC is shockingly skilled at sex
—kind of random role play in the epilogue
—wearing anal plug secretly in public
—gay mc comes out, bi mc has pretty much always been out
—instalove vibes (it’s not technically instant but we don’t get a lot of development)
—friends with benefits vibes
—Fox was a sex worker from age 17-22
It’s actually really hot that Fox has had so much sexual experience. It turns me on, like how he’s so confident, just saying he’s into panties and threesomes. I can’t imagine how good it must feel to be wanted by him, to feel his hands all over my body, let him come inside me over and over until he’s spent…
Oh shit. I’m into Reggie’s little brother.
But how I want Owen is different. It scares me. I want him a thousand different ways at once. I want to get him in trouble and take care of him and fuck him. I want to do stuff with him that doesn’t make any fucking sense.
Owen smiles. Then the hesitancy returns to his voice. “I don’t want you to think I’m confused. I don’t think that you’re, like, into me or anything. But if you ever want to have a hookup again, just sex,” he licks his lips, “I’d be into that.”
I guess we’re hooking up, and I did my best to make it clear to him that I’m not asking for anything more. I’m not delusional enough to think Fox will want to be my boyfriend, and even if that were in the realm of possibility, the thought is so overwhelming, my head spins.
Fox grins. “The thing is—I don’t have a thing for panties, either.”
I blink. “But you kept insisting they were hot!”
He strokes my cheek. “Because I thought you were into lingerie! I was trying to make you feel better.”
The thought settles into my brain, and instead of feeling humiliated, I just erupt in a loud laugh, then throw my hands over my mouth. “Oh my god,” I say, still laughing. “Neither of us have a panty thing!”
Fox chuckles, still eyeing me. “Keep prancing around in lingerie, and I might start to develop one.”
I’m not scared and insecure anymore. I know Fox is into me, and I know what I like. I used to fear I’d never get here, but I’ve landed somewhere so much more exciting than I’d dare imagined.
We sit facing each other, still holding hands. “We’ll be monogamous,” Owen says, nodding. “And even if you don’t want a long-term partner, I’m still going to work hard to make sure you’re happy, and that I treat you right while we are together.”
I like both the MCs and enjoyed both their perspectives, but I didn’t feel a ton of romantic or sexual chemistry between them. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t really present for me either. It was fine. The book overall was very sweet, and maybe a little too sweet for my tastes given some of the topics covered. Also a bit too much of the “defiling the young and innocent and (nearly) virginal” MC thing. Not as much as I’d have expected but more than I enjoy (which to be fair is none, so that’s more of a me-thing).
Because Owen wasn’t actually a helpless virginal damsel and actually cared for and protected himself and those around him, and because he had a personality and didn’t cry at everything, and because Fox treated him pretty much like an adult, I’m rounding up.
I don’t think I’ll read Reggie’s book. I didn’t hate him but he doesn’t at all seem like a human person. I would not enjoy a book with him as protagonist.
Fox is a 32 year old cis white bisexual man. Hes got dark hair and is moderately muscular and a close-trimmed beard. He’s a music executive and made his career by recognizing and fighting for talented and unusual bands. He’s know he was bi since high school. He’s always liked Owen but never had feelings for him (due to the age gap) until the start of the book.
Owen is a 26 year old cis white gay man. He’s fair and slender and also has a close-trimmed beard. He’s always kind of tried to ignore his sexuality and initially considered maybe he was bi (because all guys like girls deep down somewhere right? And losing his virginity to a girl at 19 may have been unmemorable and not very enjoyable but that was normal right?) but eventually in college realized he’s gay. He’s just graduated from getting his doctorate and will be working in a museum. He’s always had a huge crush on Fox, though hasn’t necessarily been pining after him until recently.
Both MCs have their insecurities. Owen feels inexperienced having just come out, and has always felt like he’s too nerdy and quiet for anyone to truly enjoy being around him too much. Fox had struggled his whole childhood being a “Wilder boy,” because his family was known for drinking too much and cheating people and being untrustworthy, and he internalized how people treated him as a child. Fox also has a lot of anxiety around his fear that Owen and Reggie will “realize” that he’s not worth their time.
Contains:
—gay mc x bi mc
—best friend’s younger brother / older brother’s best friend
—neither MC has ever had a relationship
—size difference
—sexually experienced mc x sexually inexperienced mc
—gay mc exploring his homosexuality after coming out
—mc who has a kink for cum on him and also eating it
—sexually inexperienced MC is shockingly skilled at sex
—kind of random role play in the epilogue
—wearing anal plug secretly in public
—gay mc comes out, bi mc has pretty much always been out
—instalove vibes (it’s not technically instant but we don’t get a lot of development)
—friends with benefits vibes
—Fox was a sex worker from age 17-22
It’s actually really hot that Fox has had so much sexual experience. It turns me on, like how he’s so confident, just saying he’s into panties and threesomes. I can’t imagine how good it must feel to be wanted by him, to feel his hands all over my body, let him come inside me over and over until he’s spent…
Oh shit. I’m into Reggie’s little brother.
But how I want Owen is different. It scares me. I want him a thousand different ways at once. I want to get him in trouble and take care of him and fuck him. I want to do stuff with him that doesn’t make any fucking sense.
Owen smiles. Then the hesitancy returns to his voice. “I don’t want you to think I’m confused. I don’t think that you’re, like, into me or anything. But if you ever want to have a hookup again, just sex,” he licks his lips, “I’d be into that.”
I guess we’re hooking up, and I did my best to make it clear to him that I’m not asking for anything more. I’m not delusional enough to think Fox will want to be my boyfriend, and even if that were in the realm of possibility, the thought is so overwhelming, my head spins.
Fox grins. “The thing is—I don’t have a thing for panties, either.”
I blink. “But you kept insisting they were hot!”
He strokes my cheek. “Because I thought you were into lingerie! I was trying to make you feel better.”
The thought settles into my brain, and instead of feeling humiliated, I just erupt in a loud laugh, then throw my hands over my mouth. “Oh my god,” I say, still laughing. “Neither of us have a panty thing!”
Fox chuckles, still eyeing me. “Keep prancing around in lingerie, and I might start to develop one.”
I’m not scared and insecure anymore. I know Fox is into me, and I know what I like. I used to fear I’d never get here, but I’ve landed somewhere so much more exciting than I’d dare imagined.
We sit facing each other, still holding hands. “We’ll be monogamous,” Owen says, nodding. “And even if you don’t want a long-term partner, I’m still going to work hard to make sure you’re happy, and that I treat you right while we are together.”
Displaying 1 - 30 of 169 reviews