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Unexpected #1
Whit
Straight guys don’t have crushes on other dudes, right?
Except my roommate, Whit, is intriguing, and I find myself watching him constantly. He’s a mystery I can’t figure out. And these feelings I’m having about him are confusing.
Then, one night, I find myself wrapped around him, and after that, I can't get enough.
But Whit has secrets. He doesn’t let people in, and the more I fall for him, the less I know.
I can't let him go, though.
Until I realize I’m going to be the one broken at the end of our story.
This is a sexual-awakening MM romance book with sexually explicit material suitable only for adults. It's generally a sweet romance, but some content is not suitable for some readers. Trigger warnings include mentions of abuse, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and the death of a loved one. Please take this into account before reading.
Except my roommate, Whit, is intriguing, and I find myself watching him constantly. He’s a mystery I can’t figure out. And these feelings I’m having about him are confusing.
Then, one night, I find myself wrapped around him, and after that, I can't get enough.
But Whit has secrets. He doesn’t let people in, and the more I fall for him, the less I know.
I can't let him go, though.
Until I realize I’m going to be the one broken at the end of our story.
This is a sexual-awakening MM romance book with sexually explicit material suitable only for adults. It's generally a sweet romance, but some content is not suitable for some readers. Trigger warnings include mentions of abuse, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, and the death of a loved one. Please take this into account before reading.
8 pages, Audible Audio
First published April 21, 2022
1180 people are currently reading
8976 people want to read
About the author
Cora Rose
45 books2,798 followersCora Rose loves any kind of romance and consumes way too many books each year. She currently lives in the U.S. and spends her days daydreaming about the characters inside her head.
You can email her at CoraRoseRomance@gmail.com or visit her website at www.coraroseromance.com
You can email her at CoraRoseRomance@gmail.com or visit her website at www.coraroseromance.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,014 reviews
September 30, 2022
y'all are tripping. this was SO bad
February 8, 2023
DNF at 40%
What the actual frack did I just read?
Is this what MM has come to?
Really?
THIS is the book that has been all over SM for being AMAZING? THIS is the book everyone is giving 5 stars and rereading?
I'm not writing a proper review.
Suffice to say, these are the kinds of books/plots/clichés that are making me steer away from MM lately.
What a waste of time.
What the actual frack did I just read?
Is this what MM has come to?
Really?
THIS is the book that has been all over SM for being AMAZING? THIS is the book everyone is giving 5 stars and rereading?
I'm not writing a proper review.
Suffice to say, these are the kinds of books/plots/clichés that are making me steer away from MM lately.
What a waste of time.
August 2, 2024
Whit, the debut novel by Cora Rose is a wonderfully sweet romance with a clueless main character, Caleb who has no idea that his needy and possessiveness toward his roommate is completely not what a "straight guy" would do, which I absolutely loved.
Whit comes across as standoffish, but underneath his cold exterior is someone wanting a connection just as desperately as Caleb, making their love story completely believable, natural and authentic given their specific situation.
What I loved the most about Whit is its almost fairytale like tone and story progression. I felt that Caleb and Whit were in their own little bubble, only seeing and feeling each other, which was such a joy to see develop.
This story was such a delight to read that I was able to forgive any editing errors, which did not detract from my enjoyment at all. I loved these characters, and I thought the GFY trope was handled well given this uniquely specific scenario.
Caleb's golden retriever attitude was such a joy and I loved how dumb founded Whit was that he just couldn't resist his magnetic pull.
Whit comes across as standoffish, but underneath his cold exterior is someone wanting a connection just as desperately as Caleb, making their love story completely believable, natural and authentic given their specific situation.
What I loved the most about Whit is its almost fairytale like tone and story progression. I felt that Caleb and Whit were in their own little bubble, only seeing and feeling each other, which was such a joy to see develop.
This story was such a delight to read that I was able to forgive any editing errors, which did not detract from my enjoyment at all. I loved these characters, and I thought the GFY trope was handled well given this uniquely specific scenario.
Caleb's golden retriever attitude was such a joy and I loved how dumb founded Whit was that he just couldn't resist his magnetic pull.
June 7, 2022
One-dimensional characters; no real plot; massive holes in Whit's backstory; too many repetitive sex scenes (Caleb is a slut for Whit, only Whit, no one but Whit, blah blah); zero relationship development (the MCs have nothing in common; all they do is fuck); weak romance, just childish antics and tired banter.
May 22, 2022
I'll start off by saying, as with all books, this one will not be for everyone. There are some stereotypes, and issues that should have been better explored, weren't. So why am I giving it 4.5 stars? Because honestly, it's fiction and in my humble opinion, sometimes authors can take creative liberties for the entertainment factor that characterizes this genre - as long as it's not spreading hate. This was hella entertaining 😆
Also if you know my tastes by now, you know I'm a sucker for needy, possessive, mine-mine-mine themes in my MM romance. They just tickle all my fancies. And this one was the perfect dose of that. This is a roommates-to-lovers romance that is so heavily centered around the relationship development (and sexual exploration 😏) between Whit and Caleb. A relationship that is built solely on CUDDLES. SO MANY CUDDLES!! Almost everything about this was OTT but did I care? Nahhhh
I loved how open and honest Caleb was. It never felt like he was hiding anything, so unapologetically goofy, and the epitome of a golden retriever character. I loved how Whit was this quiet strength, and although he'd never received love, once he opened himself up to the possibility, he allowed it to fully envelop him. I really admired his strength, and I think the aspect of his mental health was handled with such grace (this was not tagged as a high angst read so I never expected a deep dive into this aspect, please heed the trigger warnings though!). To me, the aspect of Whit's mental health gave depth to his character, and it provided reasons for his motivations. And a special shoutout to Caleb's family!! I loved how open and accepting they were of Whit.
The last 10% broke me. I honestly don't know why I cried. Ugh I blame PMS 🙈 all in all, we get a swoony story of the brand of love (albeit low-key toxic 👀) that takes a person by surprise and makes them question their entire life. I. Loved. It.
"He teases me by just existing."
Sem and Magnus better have a book next or my Canadian ass is calling the FBI 😌
Also if you know my tastes by now, you know I'm a sucker for needy, possessive, mine-mine-mine themes in my MM romance. They just tickle all my fancies. And this one was the perfect dose of that. This is a roommates-to-lovers romance that is so heavily centered around the relationship development (and sexual exploration 😏) between Whit and Caleb. A relationship that is built solely on CUDDLES. SO MANY CUDDLES!! Almost everything about this was OTT but did I care? Nahhhh
I loved how open and honest Caleb was. It never felt like he was hiding anything, so unapologetically goofy, and the epitome of a golden retriever character. I loved how Whit was this quiet strength, and although he'd never received love, once he opened himself up to the possibility, he allowed it to fully envelop him. I really admired his strength, and I think the aspect of his mental health was handled with such grace (this was not tagged as a high angst read so I never expected a deep dive into this aspect, please heed the trigger warnings though!). To me, the aspect of Whit's mental health gave depth to his character, and it provided reasons for his motivations. And a special shoutout to Caleb's family!! I loved how open and accepting they were of Whit.
The last 10% broke me. I honestly don't know why I cried. Ugh I blame PMS 🙈 all in all, we get a swoony story of the brand of love (albeit low-key toxic 👀) that takes a person by surprise and makes them question their entire life. I. Loved. It.
"He teases me by just existing."
Sem and Magnus better have a book next or my Canadian ass is calling the FBI 😌
![Profile Image for Imme [trying to crawl out of hiatus] van Gorp.](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1700013408i%2F101358081._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
June 25, 2024
|| 3.0 stars ||
My favourite part about this book was how absolutely needy Caleb was. He wanted to touch and cuddle Whit every second of every minute of every day. He was insatiable, and every time he had the opportunity to crawl on top of Whit, he made excessive use of it. It was very cute and endearing.
Caleb and Whit are very much opposites when it comes to their personalities. Whit is stoic, grumpy and always in control, while Caleb is energetic, chaotic and extrovert. They match surprisingly well together, and their personality-clash results in quite a few humorous interactions between them.
Whit is also the more dominant one between them, while Caleb is happy to submit a little, which is interesting since Caleb is bigger and bulkier than Whit. This size-difference was also quite cute when it came to Caleb always wanting to cuddle up to Whit, since it meant that he was kind of crushing the guy in the process. Nonetheless, Whit was always all too happy to oblige.
The reason I didn’t love this, though, was because the more serious stuff wasn’t really well-developed. Whit’s history of abuse, self-harm and suicide attempts were not only glossed over by the book itself, but also by Caleb. This did not sit right with me, and really gave the book a strong superficial feel to it. It seemed to me that it was lacking some much needed depth.
The same thing could be said about Caleb and Whit’s relationship in general: they did not have a super strong emotional connection, and it was mostly just obsession and lust between them. I didn’t mind it too much, but I would have preferred it if the obsession was coupled with a little more depth rather than sex.
I definitely liked the beginning of this book more than the end. Their dynamic got a little repetitive after a while, and the story also became a bit too dramatic and over-the-top for my liking.
'Unexpected' series:
1. Whit - 3.0 stars
2. Sem - 3.5 stars
3. Emery - 4.5 stars
4. Luke - 1.5 stars
My favourite part about this book was how absolutely needy Caleb was. He wanted to touch and cuddle Whit every second of every minute of every day. He was insatiable, and every time he had the opportunity to crawl on top of Whit, he made excessive use of it. It was very cute and endearing.
Caleb and Whit are very much opposites when it comes to their personalities. Whit is stoic, grumpy and always in control, while Caleb is energetic, chaotic and extrovert. They match surprisingly well together, and their personality-clash results in quite a few humorous interactions between them.
Whit is also the more dominant one between them, while Caleb is happy to submit a little, which is interesting since Caleb is bigger and bulkier than Whit. This size-difference was also quite cute when it came to Caleb always wanting to cuddle up to Whit, since it meant that he was kind of crushing the guy in the process. Nonetheless, Whit was always all too happy to oblige.
The reason I didn’t love this, though, was because the more serious stuff wasn’t really well-developed. Whit’s history of abuse, self-harm and suicide attempts were not only glossed over by the book itself, but also by Caleb. This did not sit right with me, and really gave the book a strong superficial feel to it. It seemed to me that it was lacking some much needed depth.
The same thing could be said about Caleb and Whit’s relationship in general: they did not have a super strong emotional connection, and it was mostly just obsession and lust between them. I didn’t mind it too much, but I would have preferred it if the obsession was coupled with a little more depth rather than sex.
I definitely liked the beginning of this book more than the end. Their dynamic got a little repetitive after a while, and the story also became a bit too dramatic and over-the-top for my liking.
'Unexpected' series:
1. Whit - 3.0 stars
2. Sem - 3.5 stars
3. Emery - 4.5 stars
4. Luke - 1.5 stars
August 14, 2022
Tropes:
Found family
GFY
Roommates
Sunshine/grump
Caleb is your golden retriever character
Rich boy/“poor” boy
Jock type/studious type
Super love-able and supportive side characters
Needy/clingy
Possessive
“There’s only one bed”
Hope Sem gets his own book! 🤞🏼
It’s not all light and sweet so please check the CWs.
Found family
GFY
Roommates
Sunshine/grump
Caleb is your golden retriever character
Rich boy/“poor” boy
Jock type/studious type
Super love-able and supportive side characters
Needy/clingy
Possessive
“There’s only one bed”
Hope Sem gets his own book! 🤞🏼
It’s not all light and sweet so please check the CWs.
July 27, 2022
Folks, it's official. I am not just a clown, I'm the clowniest clown who's ever clowned. Pennywise has NOTHING on me. That bitch would ugly cry by the size of my red nose.
Yalllllllllllll, I feel like only my bestie knows my embarrassing history with this book. And well, let's just say, once upon a time, a dumb, utterly pigheaded girl once picked up this gorgeous book, read the first line and thought, nah, I can't do this shit, I can do better than this and good god is she so fucking dumb.
All jokes aside,
Y'ALL IM SO DUMB.
Like, bestie, are you reading this with me and seeing those fucking five stars and LAUGHING WITH ME???? because I'm staring my ceiling and contemplating my entire existence because holy fuck, THE AUDACITY OF MY BRAIN, THE NERVE I HAVE TO DNF THIS BOOK IS NOTHING SHORT OF APPALING. Like, that bitch is cancelled and she is digging her own grave because she's TRASH.
I owe cora rose one MASSIVE APOLOGY.
so, onto the actual book, I read emery's book earlier this month, loved it and welllll, having a good experience with that book made me look at her backlist and well, of course Whit rises to the top. I kept seeing people love whit, well, since the day the book was published (soooo much respect for cora because whoever marketed this book knew their fucking shit) and I said screw it all and added this book back to my tbr and now that I've finally read it, yes, you all can slap your foreheads at me.
I'm telling you, the size of my red nose is No Joke.
God I love this book. I fucking love Whit and just want to hold him and hug him and just cherish him. That preciousness deserves all the good and beautiful things in the world. I think the only way this book lacked is, I dunno, I felt like there was not enough.... details, I guess or just exploration into Whit's history. It was very briefly mentioned and well, the thought went through my head but the louder voice of loving Whit and Caleb and their everythingness was louder sooooo 👉👈
And Caleb? My dude GREW ON ME (like a fungus) 🥰🤭 kidding lol. There was a bit of friction with me and him, cus you know, Mariam just has SUCH a stick up her ass but eventually she took a chill pill and embraced and adored the glory that was Caleb. My dude treated Whit fucking right and that was 100% absolutely, in Whit's terms, ridiculously. ❤️
I don't have a lot of annotations because there was not a second I was thriving reading this book and ignoring everything but living the life of a couch potato. I was debating giving a 4.5 or a 5 star over the last 20% of this book, but then I went thru the last epilogue of this book and ❤️ (spoiler) the fact that Caleb put Whit thru law school i-
🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧
brb sobbing because after this book, I am NEVER trusting myself EVER again
Yalllllllllllll, I feel like only my bestie knows my embarrassing history with this book. And well, let's just say, once upon a time, a dumb, utterly pigheaded girl once picked up this gorgeous book, read the first line and thought, nah, I can't do this shit, I can do better than this and good god is she so fucking dumb.
All jokes aside,
Y'ALL IM SO DUMB.
Like, bestie, are you reading this with me and seeing those fucking five stars and LAUGHING WITH ME???? because I'm staring my ceiling and contemplating my entire existence because holy fuck, THE AUDACITY OF MY BRAIN, THE NERVE I HAVE TO DNF THIS BOOK IS NOTHING SHORT OF APPALING. Like, that bitch is cancelled and she is digging her own grave because she's TRASH.
I owe cora rose one MASSIVE APOLOGY.
You happen to be something I didn’t expect to want
so, onto the actual book, I read emery's book earlier this month, loved it and welllll, having a good experience with that book made me look at her backlist and well, of course Whit rises to the top. I kept seeing people love whit, well, since the day the book was published (soooo much respect for cora because whoever marketed this book knew their fucking shit) and I said screw it all and added this book back to my tbr and now that I've finally read it, yes, you all can slap your foreheads at me.
I'm telling you, the size of my red nose is No Joke.
God.
This guy.
God I love this book. I fucking love Whit and just want to hold him and hug him and just cherish him. That preciousness deserves all the good and beautiful things in the world. I think the only way this book lacked is, I dunno, I felt like there was not enough.... details, I guess or just exploration into Whit's history. It was very briefly mentioned and well, the thought went through my head but the louder voice of loving Whit and Caleb and their everythingness was louder sooooo 👉👈
And Caleb? My dude GREW ON ME (like a fungus) 🥰🤭 kidding lol. There was a bit of friction with me and him, cus you know, Mariam just has SUCH a stick up her ass but eventually she took a chill pill and embraced and adored the glory that was Caleb. My dude treated Whit fucking right and that was 100% absolutely, in Whit's terms, ridiculously. ❤️
I don't have a lot of annotations because there was not a second I was thriving reading this book and ignoring everything but living the life of a couch potato. I was debating giving a 4.5 or a 5 star over the last 20% of this book, but then I went thru the last epilogue of this book and ❤️ (spoiler) the fact that Caleb put Whit thru law school i-
🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧🤧
brb sobbing because after this book, I am NEVER trusting myself EVER again
December 31, 2022
Audiobook - 4 Stars
Story - 2.5 stars for the sex
Went in with low expectations. Got what I expected.
Ugh another book that had potential but was ruined by all the mm/mf clichés. 😩
Caleb gave and gave, Whit gave nothing, he just took and took. 😖 It was tolerable at first but it became boring so fast.
Anyhoo the sex was hot, but if you replace Caleb with Casey, you wouldn't know the difference. Read like MF, good thing I read MF these days, that being said, MM deserves better. 😭😞
I might read/listen to book 2 because of Magnus.
Story - 2.5 stars for the sex
Went in with low expectations. Got what I expected.
Ugh another book that had potential but was ruined by all the mm/mf clichés. 😩
Caleb gave and gave, Whit gave nothing, he just took and took. 😖 It was tolerable at first but it became boring so fast.
Anyhoo the sex was hot, but if you replace Caleb with Casey, you wouldn't know the difference. Read like MF, good thing I read MF these days, that being said, MM deserves better. 😭😞
I might read/listen to book 2 because of Magnus.
June 3, 2022
erm, this was a book. that i read...
...mostly.
i have already forgotten everything about this book. i was truly losing the will to live.
...mostly.
i have already forgotten everything about this book. i was truly losing the will to live.
May 14, 2022
4.5 I can't keep my hands off this book, stars.
Is this really the author's debut novel? Yes, it is, and wow, I am still speechless a week later. I first saw this book in one of my favorite MM author's stories and had to read this book.
Whit and Caleb are college roommates. Whit is grumpy and keeps people at arm's length. Caleb is sunshine, caring and straight. However, Caleb questions his attraction to Whit, and Whit has a dark secret. After an event, the dynamics between the two change.
Whit is A comical, steamy, emotional, and heart-wrenching book. Side note Caleb's family will make you laugh a time ot two.
A little warning when reading this book, make sure to take care of all your responsibilities ahead of time. Whit is addicting and refreshing. I couldn't put the book down. These two stole my heart. They’re so freaking cute together and oh so steamy. I can't forget that.
I hope Sem and Magnus have a book of their own. I can't thank Baily Nicole enough for putting this book under my radar. As I am typing this review; I now want to reread 𝖨𝗍.
Is this really the author's debut novel? Yes, it is, and wow, I am still speechless a week later. I first saw this book in one of my favorite MM author's stories and had to read this book.
Whit and Caleb are college roommates. Whit is grumpy and keeps people at arm's length. Caleb is sunshine, caring and straight. However, Caleb questions his attraction to Whit, and Whit has a dark secret. After an event, the dynamics between the two change.
Whit is A comical, steamy, emotional, and heart-wrenching book. Side note Caleb's family will make you laugh a time ot two.
A little warning when reading this book, make sure to take care of all your responsibilities ahead of time. Whit is addicting and refreshing. I couldn't put the book down. These two stole my heart. They’re so freaking cute together and oh so steamy. I can't forget that.
I hope Sem and Magnus have a book of their own. I can't thank Baily Nicole enough for putting this book under my radar. As I am typing this review; I now want to reread 𝖨𝗍.
January 13, 2024
Sigh. I think I need to stop reading debut novels.
Full of stereotypes and problematic language. I wish authors understood that it is possible to write a gay/bi awakening WITHOUT the awakening guy having problematic thoughts, say problematic things, or have internalized homophobia. Frankly I’m tired of reading it. The language used toward Magnus was the worst.
The writing was strange and having 80% of it be from Caleb’s perspective with random short bouts with Whit’s perspective made it totally off balance.
There is copious amounts of sex but it’s really repetitive and the balance of it and the dialogue and the drama later was off.
It was rolling pretty fluffy then The Big Conflict happens and it’s so OTT and Whit REALLY needs help. A relationship where one is about to unalive himself because of their break up shouldn’t be romanticized. And he didn’t “because it would hurt Caleb.” These are thoughts happening in the last 10% of the book! At least throw in there “and he got therapy” in the epilogue. Sigh.
I don’t like secrets and lies and that’s pretty much all Whit had.
Also self harm scars aren’t “sexy.” Ew.
Anyway. Another book I’m baffled by it’s popularity.
Full of stereotypes and problematic language. I wish authors understood that it is possible to write a gay/bi awakening WITHOUT the awakening guy having problematic thoughts, say problematic things, or have internalized homophobia. Frankly I’m tired of reading it. The language used toward Magnus was the worst.
The writing was strange and having 80% of it be from Caleb’s perspective with random short bouts with Whit’s perspective made it totally off balance.
There is copious amounts of sex but it’s really repetitive and the balance of it and the dialogue and the drama later was off.
It was rolling pretty fluffy then The Big Conflict happens and it’s so OTT and Whit REALLY needs help. A relationship where one is about to unalive himself because of their break up shouldn’t be romanticized. And he didn’t “because it would hurt Caleb.” These are thoughts happening in the last 10% of the book! At least throw in there “and he got therapy” in the epilogue. Sigh.
I don’t like secrets and lies and that’s pretty much all Whit had.
Also self harm scars aren’t “sexy.” Ew.
Anyway. Another book I’m baffled by it’s popularity.
September 5, 2025
4.25**** stars
Honestly, I’m glad I read "Whit“ last. These people are crazy. All of them. In a total adorkable way. And at this point - after "Sem“ and "Emery“, that is - I don’t even question any of it anymore. I only enjoy.
I loved Whit and Caleb. ♡ End of story.
I said it before to a number of ppl already but I say it again: Cora Rose’s stories and characters are so different and refreshing. You totally need to suspend your disbelief and just go with it. Then you can have the bestest time with all these kinds of crazy.
And really… isn’t this van Beek family just the greatest? Could laugh myself silly over them. Love each one of them, including aunt Del.
Chapter sixteen wrecked me. It was heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. He cared so much. I thought he would give in. I was so proud and simultaneously on the verge of tears when he didn’t.
A big thanks to all my fellow readers for raving about this series since the beginning and finally convincing me to start it. ♡♡♡
***********
Unexpected Series
Book 1 - Whit - 4.25 stars
Book 2 - Sem - 4.5 stars ♡
Book 3 - Emery - 4.5 stars
Book 4 - Luke - 3.5 stars
Book 5 - Lex - dnf
Book 6 - Colin - 4.5 stars ♡
Book 7 - Diablo
Book 8 - Ben - 3.0 stars
He teases me by just existing.
Honestly, I’m glad I read "Whit“ last. These people are crazy. All of them. In a total adorkable way. And at this point - after "Sem“ and "Emery“, that is - I don’t even question any of it anymore. I only enjoy.
I loved Whit and Caleb. ♡ End of story.
“Fine. I want to cuddle. With you. Now move.”
I said it before to a number of ppl already but I say it again: Cora Rose’s stories and characters are so different and refreshing. You totally need to suspend your disbelief and just go with it. Then you can have the bestest time with all these kinds of crazy.
And really… isn’t this van Beek family just the greatest? Could laugh myself silly over them. Love each one of them, including aunt Del.
“It’s like I’m in the mafia,” I mutter. “The only way out is death.”
“I didn’t drive all the way here for you to fuck all day!”
“You live ten minutes away!”
“Don’t tell me this has happened before.”
Aunt Del rolls her eyes. “I have a to-go bag in my car for occasions such as this.”
Chapter sixteen wrecked me. It was heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. He cared so much. I thought he would give in. I was so proud and simultaneously on the verge of tears when he didn’t.
A big thanks to all my fellow readers for raving about this series since the beginning and finally convincing me to start it. ♡♡♡
***********
Unexpected Series
Book 1 - Whit - 4.25 stars
Book 2 - Sem - 4.5 stars ♡
Book 3 - Emery - 4.5 stars
Book 4 - Luke - 3.5 stars
Book 5 - Lex - dnf
Book 6 - Colin - 4.5 stars ♡
Book 7 - Diablo
Book 8 - Ben - 3.0 stars
September 11, 2022
meh. whit is one lying filthy bitch.
May 15, 2022
BR with my girl Cass!
I would rank this with Without You by Marley Valentine. It gave me all the feels and emotions. I laughed, I cried, I swooned like nobody’s business.
This book is freaking adorable! I love needy men. I love GFY! And these two are perfection!
The dynamics, the fact that Caleb is bigger but Whit is more dominant. Hot AF!
Both characters were fantastic in their own way. I adored how unsure Caleb was but that he was willing to step out of his comfort zone every time. I loved how calm, cool and collected Whit is. Caleb is incredibly sweet, his need for comfort is so cute. Whit’s dominance is hot af.
I don’t think I’ve ever been more sad to see a book end. I’d happily live as a fly on the wall for the duration of their life together.
I would rank this with Without You by Marley Valentine. It gave me all the feels and emotions. I laughed, I cried, I swooned like nobody’s business.
This book is freaking adorable! I love needy men. I love GFY! And these two are perfection!
The dynamics, the fact that Caleb is bigger but Whit is more dominant. Hot AF!
Both characters were fantastic in their own way. I adored how unsure Caleb was but that he was willing to step out of his comfort zone every time. I loved how calm, cool and collected Whit is. Caleb is incredibly sweet, his need for comfort is so cute. Whit’s dominance is hot af.
I don’t think I’ve ever been more sad to see a book end. I’d happily live as a fly on the wall for the duration of their life together.
September 7, 2025
⭐️ 5/5 — An adorably beautiful love story that cracked my chest open and stitched it back together with cuddles. 🥹🫂
🌶 3/5 — Subby jock + dominant studious type roommate—sweet, hot, and way too addictive 🫦🔥
My first Cora Rose book, and the kind that made me go, “THIS. This is exactly why I love MM romance so much.” All the feels this gave me were just BEAUTIFUL—it made me feel... ✨ ALIVE ✨. Like, non-stop giggling, heart racing, chest aching, smiling through tears—alive. I laughed, I swooned, I cried ugly, then I laughed while still crying (don’t ask me how 🙂↔️), and then cried happy tears because these boys deserved the fucking world. 🥹😭💙🩵🥰
⚖️💪🏻 THE MCs ⚖️💪🏻
Whit → My reserved dom king who pretends he’s stone-cold but blushes like a soft little boy every time Caleb opens his mouth. He only wears dark clothes like he’s auditioning for “Emo Boyfriend of the Year,” and he glowers for sport. BUT he’s also the world’s gentlest dom with all the tender caretaking. And when he finally opens up about the years of abuse and suffering he endured from his parents just for being gay, the scars he carries hit like a punch to the gut. 😭💔
Caleb → My chaotic sunshine Golden Retriever himbo 🤣💛. A walking thirst trap with nipple piercings, big muscles, and zero impulse control. He’s out here flexing for Whit’s attention, obsessing like it’s his damn major, owning his shamelessness, and NEEDING touch like he’ll combust if Whit doesn’t have his hands on him. My good, needy, clingy boy. 🤭
🪑 Unbothered: A Whit & Caleb Lap Saga
Scene 1: The Apartment
Whit reads his Kindle in his chair while Sem + Luke occupy the only small couch in the apartment.
Quote:
Luke: “Don’t stand there fidgeting, Caleb. You’re making this damn awkward. You know we’re accepting motherfuckers. You’re gay. No big deal. Sit on your boyfriend’s lap, for god’s sake.”
Sem: “Go on.”
Caleb: “Oh, for fucks sake.” (Proceeds to plant his big ass on Whit's lap)
Caleb: “I have to be crushing you.”
Whit: “I’m used to it.”
Caleb: “That so?”
Whit: “Feel free to move if you’re concerned.”
Caleb: “…is that a passive way of asking me to move?”
Whit: “No.”
💭 And that’s it—Whit, completely unbothered, with Caleb basically establishing permanent residence in his lap. 🔑🔓 Perma-lap UNLOCKED. 🔑🔓
💭 Two hours later, Caleb’s half-dozing through a cooking show, and Whit’s still reading like it’s perfectly normal to have Caleb—who's bigger than him—perched in his lap. 🤣
---
Scene 2: Aunt Del & Uncle Daniel’s House
Uncle Daniel’s recliner is claimed, and Sem + Luke hog the couch, leaving Caleb stranded.
Quote:
Caleb: “One of you should move onto the floor.”
Sem: “Just sit on his lap like before.”
Whit: (spreads his legs slightly)
Caleb: “Fine.” (drops into Whit’s lap)
Aunt Del: “They’re meant for each other, don’t you think? You two are so cute.”
Sem: “How can you stand him on top of you all the time?”
Whit: “I enjoy it.”
Caleb: (snidely, head on Whit’s shoulder) “He enjoys it.” 😏
💭 Not only unbothered—but apparently fully endorsed by the family. Perma-lap status: accepted, encouraged, and canonized. 😂 The perma-lap throne remains 🏆 UNDEFEATED 🏆
🐨💞 Koala Cuddles Chronicles – The Birth of the Koala Cuddles
There’s this running bit where Caleb latches onto Whit like a damn koala—arms, legs, the whole package—and refuses to let go. Caleb says he'll get it out of his system in a few days... 😏
✨ How it started:
Whit: “Caleb, are you okay?”
Caleb: “I’m so…fucking cold. Can’t…stop shaking.”
Whit: “Come here.”
Caleb: “I’m naked.”
Also Caleb, literally two seconds later: slides in anyway, wraps himself around Whit like cling wrap 🫂😂
✨ The aftermath:
Caleb wakes up later, realizes he’s literally plastered on top of Whit like a needy little vine.
Caleb (panicking internally): “You probably want your bed back, huh?”
Whit (chill as hell): “I gave up on that about three days ago. When you wouldn’t leave.”
Caleb: “I can get a little clingy. I have attachment issues.”
Whit: “It’s fine.”
💭 And just like that, the legendary Koala Cuddle was born. Caleb might’ve thought it was just fever delirium, but Whit? He fully leaned into it. Three days of being smothered, and he didn’t complain once. 🙂↔️ Boy’s already whipped. 🥹💘
💭 Spoiler: it NEVER stopped at three days, it's practically a trope inside the book. 😆 And that's how Whit became Caleb's permanent eucalyptus tree. 🌿🐨😏 THESE TWO LITERALLY CANNOT STOP CLINGING. And no, that wasn't an exaggeration—Caleb clung like a koala on caffeine. 🐨☕️💀
💔😭 Shattered Pieces 💔😭
For all the laughter and sweetness, this book also WRECKED me. Whit’s past isn’t just sad—it’s brutal. The abuse, the trauma, the self-harm… the scars he carries from trying to end his life because the people who should’ve loved him the most—the ones who should’ve protected him—hated him for simply being gay. 💔😭 Those pages gutted me, and I could feel every ounce of his pain like it was carved into my own heart. 🫠🩸
And then came the third-act breakup. God, it was EXCRUCIATING. AGONIZING. It wasn’t just a little rift in their love—it was a full-on shattering. 💔 I was sobbing, chest tight, hands shaking, whispering “please, no” as if my words could change what was happening. 😭💔 The pain was so sharp I had to stop, close the book, and just breathe because it felt like my heart couldn’t take any more. 😫😖
✨ The Secondary Characters I’m Obsessed With ✨️
One of the things I adore most about this book is how it gifted me with so many incredible secondary characters—each one so alive and lovable that I immediately started craving their own stories. 🥺💛
Caleb’s family stole my heart: Aunt Del and Uncle Daniel with all their warmth, plus Caleb’s cousins—Sem, Luke, and Liam—and Liam’s wife, Anne. Then there’s Caleb’s best friend Mal and his girlfriend Bree, who brought so much light and banter into the story. 👩🏼🦱🧔🏻🧑🏼🧑🏻👱🏻👩🏻🦰👦🏻👱🏻♀️👨🏻🦰🧡
And then we have Whit’s friend/ex-fuck-buddy Magnus. Ughhh, I loathed him the second he stepped onto the page—like, “bitch, get your hands off of Whit" and "bitch, you did NOT just kiss Whit on the cheek!” 🤬 But then somehow, against all odds, he wormed his way into my heart and now I’m sitting here like a clown begging for his book too. 🤡❤️
I swear, I need Sem and Magnus’ books like YESTERDAY. ⏳🔥 I’m not even asking politely at this point. Just TAKE MY MONEY, throw the books at me, and let me scream into the void while reading them. 📚🗣♾️
🏁 The Ending 🏁
❤️🔥 ”For you. I can't live without you, it seems.”
Those words stitched my heart back together. Whit laying it all down—no games, no defenses—just for you. I was gone.
💞 “I love you!” Caleb blurting it like a dumb puppy, Whit blinking back like, “What? You do?” I screamed into my pillow.
💍 The ring. THE FUCKING RING. My jaw dropped, my soul left my body, and I ascended straight to book heaven.
❄️ Winter wedding: filthy kisses in tuxes, Caleb being a smug bastard about it (and yes, I loved every second).
⏳ Five years later: broke-but-happy, turning scrapyard grit into law firm grind, still worshipping each other.
👑 And Whit, my dom king, closes the book with just one word: “Kneel.”
I mean… what the actual fuck. That’s not just an ending, that’s D/s perfection. I’m never recovering.
📝 TLDR 📝
Pick this one up if you love:
✨ MM college romance with roommates-to-lovers
💙 Gay for you & sexual awakening
🐶 × 🐈⬛️ Golden retriever needy clingy boy × stoic caretaker black cat
💔 Mental health + past trauma wrapped in soft found family moments
🫂 Hurt/comfort, grumpy/sunshine, and all the feels
🔥 Steamy, explicit, and deliciously messy
Pick this one up. Seriously. Now. 🫵🏻🫵🏻🫵🏻
-
Quotes:
This fucker has some serious color palate issues.
I have a serious urge to sneak a pair of colorful socks into his drawer and watch him lose his shit.
Not that he loses his shit. He usually just glowers.
-
I’m pretty sure I am not wearing pants. Glancing down, I realize I’m not.
Too sick to care, though.
What’s a little cock when you’re dying?
-
I want to argue, but how can I when he took care of me for three whole fucking days. When he let me smother him night after night? Day in and day out.
-
When I finally wake from my mini-coma, Whit is asleep beneath me. I’m wrapped around him like a koala on a tree.
I don’t even want to tell him I’m awake because he feels so nice underneath me.
But I should move. I don’t even know how long I’ve been suffocating him. He probably wants me out of here. Wants me out of his life.
God.
-
“Probably want your bed back, huh?”
“I gave up on that about three days ago. When you wouldn’t leave.”
“I can get a little clingy. I have attachment issues.”
“It’s fine.”
-
“Oh, for fucks sake,” I mutter. I know they won’t let up on it. They will harp about it incessantly. The best thing is to just give them what they want. So, I make up my mind, walk over to Whit, and lower myself roughly onto his lap. He grunts from the impact of my ass on his thighs.
Good.
-
“It’s like I’m in the mafia,” I mutter. “The only way out is death.”
-
“How are you okay with this?”
“It’s harmless.”
“Harmless? I am never going to live this down. My family is insane. No matter what I tell them, they will stubbornly believe we’re together.”
“It’s sweet.”
“It’s obnoxious. Next thing you know, you’ll be marrying me and wondering what happened!”
“This is fine.”
“Is it, though?” I ask, getting the impression he’s uncomfortable for some reason.
Probably because I’m needy, and he can tell I want him to come over here so I can snuggle.
I’ve never snuggled in my entire life until this dude. I’m slightly addicted to it.
“It’s fine.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, get over here, Whit.”
-
I can tell because he’s been on a cleaning spree. The apartment shines. I’m scared to even brew a cup of coffee for fear he’ll lose his mind if I make a mess. And don’t even get me started on my bed. He’s made it for me the past four days. Don’t know what’s up with that, but it’s an issue.
I make sure to rumple it just to irritate him.
If he starts ironing my socks, I might lose my shit entirely.
-
“That looks painful, Caleb.”
“Your fingers are infuriating. You shouldn’t have touched me like that back there.”
“Perhaps you should take care of it. You should be the one taking care of it, asshole. You caused it.”
“I always take responsibility for the problems I create.”
“Oh fuck.”
-
I’m not close enough to him. I want to crawl inside of him, to put up permanent residence.
Caleb lives here.
Pushing myself up, I move on top of him, so I’m entirely sprawled across him. He grunts under my weight but doesn’t push me off.
-
“I didn’t say you could go.”
“Fuuuuuck.”
“How soon will this be over?”
“Screw you.”
“Caleb, I think we both know that I’d be the one screwing you.”
-
“I’ll stay back and help your aunt cook dinner,” I tell Caleb, threading my fingers through his hair, and he almost purrs against me.
He’s a big guy, muscular and tall, and he nearly crushes me when he crawls on top of me, but I…well, like it is one word for it.
-
“What’s wrong?”
“Who says something’s wrong?”
“You’re not talking or fiddling with the music or….”
“Or what?”
“Touching me.”
“Just trying to give you a break.”
“Who said I wanted a break?”
-
I don’t understand this guy. How he can be so controlling in the bedroom and yet blushes like a schoolgirl when he sees just a bit of my stomach? It’s confusing and yet so endearing.
-
“If you must know, I was thinking how handsome you look today.”
“That so, Mr. Cristian?”
“Yes, that’s so.”
“I like the hat. It…does things to me.”
“That so? Tell me more.”
“I think you should wear it next time we’re alone. Backwards and with you completely nude.”
-
“I don’t let people in. Ever.”
“I got that.”
“I never meant to go so far with you, but…it got out of hand. You’re just irresistible. It’s obnoxious, really.”
“Thanks?”
“When we first met and you decided to move in, I thought it would be the perfect arrangement. You were straight and someone I’d never be interested in. You were messy and too masculine for my tastes.”
“Okay…”
“But then you just…grew on me. And I couldn’t look away.”
-
”Seems you still do want me despite being angry.”
“Don’t be a smug asshole. You already know I’m constantly hard around you and willing to do just about anything. No need to rub it in. I already feel pathetic.”
“Don’t. I love it. How needy you are for it.”
“Do you?”
“Yeah.”
-
This is getting a little ridiculous. I’ve never been so enamored with another person in my entire life. When I first met Caleb, I’d assumed he’d be a typical bigoted asshole, but he’s proved me wrong so many times. He’s so different than I expected him to be. The way he lets me hold him, how he nuzzles my neck, how he begs for it.
I’m obsessed.
-
“Whit, what the hell are you doing?”
“I need to distract myself.”
“By cleaning?”
“I need to…I need space to breathe, or else I’m going to fuck you into a coma. Your aunt would kill me. Your cousins would bury me alive.”
-
“When we get home, I’m going to spank that ass red again and then fuck you into the mattress. Maybe I’ll even find another one of your deplorable plastic bags and tie you up with it, so you’ll have no choice but to let me do whatever I want to you.”
Oh shit.
-
“You do amazing things with your tongue. I’m going to be dreaming about it for years to come.”
“Hopefully, more like decades with how much you screamed.”
“Shut up, man. Never had my asshole licked before. It was transcendent. Saw Jesus for a moment there.”
-
“I’m very serious, Caleb. I told you to stop being reckless, but you didn’t listen. You didn’t even wear your seatbelt. Touch yourself today, and I won’t fuck you for a week.”
“You can’t be serious!”
“Try me.”
-
"Can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
“How much was in that trust, babe?”
“Millions.”
“Shit. Will you resent me for it? Ten years down the road? When you’re stuck with poor ol’ me?”
“Never. You are worth more than all of that money combined.”
-
“I love you.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I. Love. You.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
This guy.
“Because you’re strong and smart, and you put up with my family. Because you deserve it after everything, you deserve to be loved. Because I just do, Whit. I’ve been in love with you for ages.”
He blinks rapidly at me like he can’t comprehend what I’m saying.
“Did I break you?”
“No… I love you too.”
-
“You’re killing me here, Whit! It’s been a whole fucking day, and I’m literally dying. My balls are way too blue. I think it's becoming a condition.”
-
“I love you.”
“I know. I love you too,”
“Kneel,” he says, and I do.
-
⚠️ Detailed spoiler below ⛔️
RC and MCs:
⚖️💪🏻 MM, strict roles with one switch scene at the end
⚖️💪🏻 Whit Stafford Cristian 22yo and Caleb Carter van Beek 21yo
⚖️💪🏻 Whit: Law major
⚖️💪🏻 Caleb: Business major. Works at his uncle's scrap yard.
⚖️💪🏻 Whit: Top, dom, gay, introvert, dark brown eyes, dark hair, slender, slightly taller than Caleb, only wears dark colors clothes
⚖️💪🏻 Caleb: Bottom, sub, straight to GFY, extrovert, blue eyes, blond hair, stubble, muscular, pierced nipples
Genre and tropes:
⚖️💪🏻 MM contemporary romance
⚖️💪🏻 College romance background
⚖️💪🏻 Roommates to lovers
⚖️💪🏻 Sexual-awakening
⚖️💪🏻 Opposites attract
⚖️💪🏻 Grumpy/sunshine
⚖️💪🏻 Golden Retriever energy MC (Caleb)
⚖️💪🏻 Black cat energy MC (Whit)
⚖️💪🏻 Hurt/comfort
⚖️💪🏻 Found family
⚖️💪🏻 Caretaker MC (Whit)
⚖️💪🏻 Needy, clingy MC (Caleb)
⚖️💪🏻 Tactile kings (Whit less than Caleb, but tactile all the same—but only with Caleb)
⚖️💪🏻 Nuanced codependency and separation anxiety (not in a toxic way)
⚖️💪🏻 Gay for you
⚖️💪🏻 J/P MCs
⚖️💪🏻 Mine
⚖️💪🏻 Only one bed (forced proximity)
⚖️💪🏻 Rich boy/poor boy dynamic (Whit/Caleb)
⚖️💪🏻 Jock/studious (Caleb/Whit)
⚖️💪🏻 Emotional and sexual exploration
⚖️💪🏻 D/s dynamics
⚖️💪🏻 First times
⚖️💪🏻 Cuddles and nuzzles for daysss
⚖️💪🏻 Skinship is the plot 😂
⚖️💪🏻 Caleb is bigger than Whit, but he sits on Whit's lap A LOT, and Whit enjoys it 😆😏
⚖️💪🏻 Whit takes care of Caleb when he's sick, gives him meds, feeds him soup and toast, and he even brushes the crumbs off of Caleb's lips. GAH!!!
⚖️💪🏻 Pet names: Baby, babe
Safety info:
⚖️💪🏻 Angst: Medium
⚖️💪🏻 OW/OM drama: Caleb sees Magnus (Whit's debate club team-mate) kiss Whit on the cheek
⚖️💪🏻 Cheating/sharing: Before meeting Caleb, Whit is already engaged. He's set to marry a woman he's never met or known purely for formality, so that he can get his trust fund. However, Whit then broke off his engagement.
⚖️💪🏻 Third act breakup: Yes
⚖️💪🏻 Ending: HEA
⚖️💪🏻 Epilogue: Yes (1 and 5 years later)
⚖️💪🏻 POV: Dual, 1st person
⚖️💪🏻 Series structure: Interconnected standalone
Spice and kinks:
Cuddles and snuggles for days, nipple play (Whit plays with Caleb's pierced nipples under a blanket in the middle of a family convo), handjob, dry humping to completion, cum in pants, spanking, jerking off each other, solo jerk off, mild marking (bite marks, hickeys), bareback, praise (good boy), mild degradation, coming hands-free, aftercare, rimming (off-page), blowjob, D/s dynamics, coming untouched (off-page, Caleb), edging, orgasm control
CW/TW:
Explicit sexual content, past trauma, brief mentions of abuse, self-harm (past, off-page), scars, mentions of suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts, mentions of the death of a parent, grief, alcohol consumption, single vehicle accident, injuries, anxiety, firearms use
🌶 3/5 — Subby jock + dominant studious type roommate—sweet, hot, and way too addictive 🫦🔥
My first Cora Rose book, and the kind that made me go, “THIS. This is exactly why I love MM romance so much.” All the feels this gave me were just BEAUTIFUL—it made me feel... ✨ ALIVE ✨. Like, non-stop giggling, heart racing, chest aching, smiling through tears—alive. I laughed, I swooned, I cried ugly, then I laughed while still crying (don’t ask me how 🙂↔️), and then cried happy tears because these boys deserved the fucking world. 🥹😭💙🩵🥰
⚖️💪🏻 THE MCs ⚖️💪🏻
Whit → My reserved dom king who pretends he’s stone-cold but blushes like a soft little boy every time Caleb opens his mouth. He only wears dark clothes like he’s auditioning for “Emo Boyfriend of the Year,” and he glowers for sport. BUT he’s also the world’s gentlest dom with all the tender caretaking. And when he finally opens up about the years of abuse and suffering he endured from his parents just for being gay, the scars he carries hit like a punch to the gut. 😭💔
Caleb → My chaotic sunshine Golden Retriever himbo 🤣💛. A walking thirst trap with nipple piercings, big muscles, and zero impulse control. He’s out here flexing for Whit’s attention, obsessing like it’s his damn major, owning his shamelessness, and NEEDING touch like he’ll combust if Whit doesn’t have his hands on him. My good, needy, clingy boy. 🤭
🪑 Unbothered: A Whit & Caleb Lap Saga
Scene 1: The Apartment
Whit reads his Kindle in his chair while Sem + Luke occupy the only small couch in the apartment.
Quote:
Luke: “Don’t stand there fidgeting, Caleb. You’re making this damn awkward. You know we’re accepting motherfuckers. You’re gay. No big deal. Sit on your boyfriend’s lap, for god’s sake.”
Sem: “Go on.”
Caleb: “Oh, for fucks sake.” (Proceeds to plant his big ass on Whit's lap)
Caleb: “I have to be crushing you.”
Whit: “I’m used to it.”
Caleb: “That so?”
Whit: “Feel free to move if you’re concerned.”
Caleb: “…is that a passive way of asking me to move?”
Whit: “No.”
💭 And that’s it—Whit, completely unbothered, with Caleb basically establishing permanent residence in his lap. 🔑🔓 Perma-lap UNLOCKED. 🔑🔓
💭 Two hours later, Caleb’s half-dozing through a cooking show, and Whit’s still reading like it’s perfectly normal to have Caleb—who's bigger than him—perched in his lap. 🤣
---
Scene 2: Aunt Del & Uncle Daniel’s House
Uncle Daniel’s recliner is claimed, and Sem + Luke hog the couch, leaving Caleb stranded.
Quote:
Caleb: “One of you should move onto the floor.”
Sem: “Just sit on his lap like before.”
Whit: (spreads his legs slightly)
Caleb: “Fine.” (drops into Whit’s lap)
Aunt Del: “They’re meant for each other, don’t you think? You two are so cute.”
Sem: “How can you stand him on top of you all the time?”
Whit: “I enjoy it.”
Caleb: (snidely, head on Whit’s shoulder) “He enjoys it.” 😏
💭 Not only unbothered—but apparently fully endorsed by the family. Perma-lap status: accepted, encouraged, and canonized. 😂 The perma-lap throne remains 🏆 UNDEFEATED 🏆
🐨💞 Koala Cuddles Chronicles – The Birth of the Koala Cuddles
There’s this running bit where Caleb latches onto Whit like a damn koala—arms, legs, the whole package—and refuses to let go. Caleb says he'll get it out of his system in a few days... 😏
✨ How it started:
Whit: “Caleb, are you okay?”
Caleb: “I’m so…fucking cold. Can’t…stop shaking.”
Whit: “Come here.”
Caleb: “I’m naked.”
Also Caleb, literally two seconds later: slides in anyway, wraps himself around Whit like cling wrap 🫂😂
✨ The aftermath:
Caleb wakes up later, realizes he’s literally plastered on top of Whit like a needy little vine.
Caleb (panicking internally): “You probably want your bed back, huh?”
Whit (chill as hell): “I gave up on that about three days ago. When you wouldn’t leave.”
Caleb: “I can get a little clingy. I have attachment issues.”
Whit: “It’s fine.”
💭 And just like that, the legendary Koala Cuddle was born. Caleb might’ve thought it was just fever delirium, but Whit? He fully leaned into it. Three days of being smothered, and he didn’t complain once. 🙂↔️ Boy’s already whipped. 🥹💘
💭 Spoiler: it NEVER stopped at three days, it's practically a trope inside the book. 😆 And that's how Whit became Caleb's permanent eucalyptus tree. 🌿🐨😏 THESE TWO LITERALLY CANNOT STOP CLINGING. And no, that wasn't an exaggeration—Caleb clung like a koala on caffeine. 🐨☕️💀
💔😭 Shattered Pieces 💔😭
For all the laughter and sweetness, this book also WRECKED me. Whit’s past isn’t just sad—it’s brutal. The abuse, the trauma, the self-harm… the scars he carries from trying to end his life because the people who should’ve loved him the most—the ones who should’ve protected him—hated him for simply being gay. 💔😭 Those pages gutted me, and I could feel every ounce of his pain like it was carved into my own heart. 🫠🩸
And then came the third-act breakup. God, it was EXCRUCIATING. AGONIZING. It wasn’t just a little rift in their love—it was a full-on shattering. 💔 I was sobbing, chest tight, hands shaking, whispering “please, no” as if my words could change what was happening. 😭💔 The pain was so sharp I had to stop, close the book, and just breathe because it felt like my heart couldn’t take any more. 😫😖
✨ The Secondary Characters I’m Obsessed With ✨️
One of the things I adore most about this book is how it gifted me with so many incredible secondary characters—each one so alive and lovable that I immediately started craving their own stories. 🥺💛
Caleb’s family stole my heart: Aunt Del and Uncle Daniel with all their warmth, plus Caleb’s cousins—Sem, Luke, and Liam—and Liam’s wife, Anne. Then there’s Caleb’s best friend Mal and his girlfriend Bree, who brought so much light and banter into the story. 👩🏼🦱🧔🏻🧑🏼🧑🏻👱🏻👩🏻🦰👦🏻👱🏻♀️👨🏻🦰🧡
And then we have Whit’s friend/ex-fuck-buddy Magnus. Ughhh, I loathed him the second he stepped onto the page—like, “bitch, get your hands off of Whit" and "bitch, you did NOT just kiss Whit on the cheek!” 🤬 But then somehow, against all odds, he wormed his way into my heart and now I’m sitting here like a clown begging for his book too. 🤡❤️
I swear, I need Sem and Magnus’ books like YESTERDAY. ⏳🔥 I’m not even asking politely at this point. Just TAKE MY MONEY, throw the books at me, and let me scream into the void while reading them. 📚🗣♾️
🏁 The Ending 🏁
❤️🔥 ”For you. I can't live without you, it seems.”
Those words stitched my heart back together. Whit laying it all down—no games, no defenses—just for you. I was gone.
💞 “I love you!” Caleb blurting it like a dumb puppy, Whit blinking back like, “What? You do?” I screamed into my pillow.
💍 The ring. THE FUCKING RING. My jaw dropped, my soul left my body, and I ascended straight to book heaven.
❄️ Winter wedding: filthy kisses in tuxes, Caleb being a smug bastard about it (and yes, I loved every second).
⏳ Five years later: broke-but-happy, turning scrapyard grit into law firm grind, still worshipping each other.
👑 And Whit, my dom king, closes the book with just one word: “Kneel.”
I mean… what the actual fuck. That’s not just an ending, that’s D/s perfection. I’m never recovering.
📝 TLDR 📝
Pick this one up if you love:
✨ MM college romance with roommates-to-lovers
💙 Gay for you & sexual awakening
🐶 × 🐈⬛️ Golden retriever needy clingy boy × stoic caretaker black cat
💔 Mental health + past trauma wrapped in soft found family moments
🫂 Hurt/comfort, grumpy/sunshine, and all the feels
🔥 Steamy, explicit, and deliciously messy
Pick this one up. Seriously. Now. 🫵🏻🫵🏻🫵🏻
-
Quotes:
This fucker has some serious color palate issues.
I have a serious urge to sneak a pair of colorful socks into his drawer and watch him lose his shit.
Not that he loses his shit. He usually just glowers.
-
I’m pretty sure I am not wearing pants. Glancing down, I realize I’m not.
Too sick to care, though.
What’s a little cock when you’re dying?
-
I want to argue, but how can I when he took care of me for three whole fucking days. When he let me smother him night after night? Day in and day out.
-
When I finally wake from my mini-coma, Whit is asleep beneath me. I’m wrapped around him like a koala on a tree.
I don’t even want to tell him I’m awake because he feels so nice underneath me.
But I should move. I don’t even know how long I’ve been suffocating him. He probably wants me out of here. Wants me out of his life.
God.
-
“Probably want your bed back, huh?”
“I gave up on that about three days ago. When you wouldn’t leave.”
“I can get a little clingy. I have attachment issues.”
“It’s fine.”
-
“Oh, for fucks sake,” I mutter. I know they won’t let up on it. They will harp about it incessantly. The best thing is to just give them what they want. So, I make up my mind, walk over to Whit, and lower myself roughly onto his lap. He grunts from the impact of my ass on his thighs.
Good.
-
“It’s like I’m in the mafia,” I mutter. “The only way out is death.”
-
“How are you okay with this?”
“It’s harmless.”
“Harmless? I am never going to live this down. My family is insane. No matter what I tell them, they will stubbornly believe we’re together.”
“It’s sweet.”
“It’s obnoxious. Next thing you know, you’ll be marrying me and wondering what happened!”
“This is fine.”
“Is it, though?” I ask, getting the impression he’s uncomfortable for some reason.
Probably because I’m needy, and he can tell I want him to come over here so I can snuggle.
I’ve never snuggled in my entire life until this dude. I’m slightly addicted to it.
“It’s fine.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, get over here, Whit.”
-
I can tell because he’s been on a cleaning spree. The apartment shines. I’m scared to even brew a cup of coffee for fear he’ll lose his mind if I make a mess. And don’t even get me started on my bed. He’s made it for me the past four days. Don’t know what’s up with that, but it’s an issue.
I make sure to rumple it just to irritate him.
If he starts ironing my socks, I might lose my shit entirely.
-
“That looks painful, Caleb.”
“Your fingers are infuriating. You shouldn’t have touched me like that back there.”
“Perhaps you should take care of it. You should be the one taking care of it, asshole. You caused it.”
“I always take responsibility for the problems I create.”
“Oh fuck.”
-
I’m not close enough to him. I want to crawl inside of him, to put up permanent residence.
Caleb lives here.
Pushing myself up, I move on top of him, so I’m entirely sprawled across him. He grunts under my weight but doesn’t push me off.
-
“I didn’t say you could go.”
“Fuuuuuck.”
“How soon will this be over?”
“Screw you.”
“Caleb, I think we both know that I’d be the one screwing you.”
-
“I’ll stay back and help your aunt cook dinner,” I tell Caleb, threading my fingers through his hair, and he almost purrs against me.
He’s a big guy, muscular and tall, and he nearly crushes me when he crawls on top of me, but I…well, like it is one word for it.
-
“What’s wrong?”
“Who says something’s wrong?”
“You’re not talking or fiddling with the music or….”
“Or what?”
“Touching me.”
“Just trying to give you a break.”
“Who said I wanted a break?”
-
I don’t understand this guy. How he can be so controlling in the bedroom and yet blushes like a schoolgirl when he sees just a bit of my stomach? It’s confusing and yet so endearing.
-
“If you must know, I was thinking how handsome you look today.”
“That so, Mr. Cristian?”
“Yes, that’s so.”
“I like the hat. It…does things to me.”
“That so? Tell me more.”
“I think you should wear it next time we’re alone. Backwards and with you completely nude.”
-
“I don’t let people in. Ever.”
“I got that.”
“I never meant to go so far with you, but…it got out of hand. You’re just irresistible. It’s obnoxious, really.”
“Thanks?”
“When we first met and you decided to move in, I thought it would be the perfect arrangement. You were straight and someone I’d never be interested in. You were messy and too masculine for my tastes.”
“Okay…”
“But then you just…grew on me. And I couldn’t look away.”
-
”Seems you still do want me despite being angry.”
“Don’t be a smug asshole. You already know I’m constantly hard around you and willing to do just about anything. No need to rub it in. I already feel pathetic.”
“Don’t. I love it. How needy you are for it.”
“Do you?”
“Yeah.”
-
This is getting a little ridiculous. I’ve never been so enamored with another person in my entire life. When I first met Caleb, I’d assumed he’d be a typical bigoted asshole, but he’s proved me wrong so many times. He’s so different than I expected him to be. The way he lets me hold him, how he nuzzles my neck, how he begs for it.
I’m obsessed.
-
“Whit, what the hell are you doing?”
“I need to distract myself.”
“By cleaning?”
“I need to…I need space to breathe, or else I’m going to fuck you into a coma. Your aunt would kill me. Your cousins would bury me alive.”
-
“When we get home, I’m going to spank that ass red again and then fuck you into the mattress. Maybe I’ll even find another one of your deplorable plastic bags and tie you up with it, so you’ll have no choice but to let me do whatever I want to you.”
Oh shit.
-
“You do amazing things with your tongue. I’m going to be dreaming about it for years to come.”
“Hopefully, more like decades with how much you screamed.”
“Shut up, man. Never had my asshole licked before. It was transcendent. Saw Jesus for a moment there.”
-
“I’m very serious, Caleb. I told you to stop being reckless, but you didn’t listen. You didn’t even wear your seatbelt. Touch yourself today, and I won’t fuck you for a week.”
“You can’t be serious!”
“Try me.”
-
"Can I ask you something?"
"Anything."
“How much was in that trust, babe?”
“Millions.”
“Shit. Will you resent me for it? Ten years down the road? When you’re stuck with poor ol’ me?”
“Never. You are worth more than all of that money combined.”
-
“I love you.”
“What?”
“You heard me. I. Love. You.”
“You do?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
This guy.
“Because you’re strong and smart, and you put up with my family. Because you deserve it after everything, you deserve to be loved. Because I just do, Whit. I’ve been in love with you for ages.”
He blinks rapidly at me like he can’t comprehend what I’m saying.
“Did I break you?”
“No… I love you too.”
-
“You’re killing me here, Whit! It’s been a whole fucking day, and I’m literally dying. My balls are way too blue. I think it's becoming a condition.”
-
“I love you.”
“I know. I love you too,”
“Kneel,” he says, and I do.
-
⚠️ Detailed spoiler below ⛔️
RC and MCs:
⚖️💪🏻 MM, strict roles with one switch scene at the end
⚖️💪🏻 Whit Stafford Cristian 22yo and Caleb Carter van Beek 21yo
⚖️💪🏻 Whit: Law major
⚖️💪🏻 Caleb: Business major. Works at his uncle's scrap yard.
⚖️💪🏻 Whit: Top, dom, gay, introvert, dark brown eyes, dark hair, slender, slightly taller than Caleb, only wears dark colors clothes
⚖️💪🏻 Caleb: Bottom, sub, straight to GFY, extrovert, blue eyes, blond hair, stubble, muscular, pierced nipples
Genre and tropes:
⚖️💪🏻 MM contemporary romance
⚖️💪🏻 College romance background
⚖️💪🏻 Roommates to lovers
⚖️💪🏻 Sexual-awakening
⚖️💪🏻 Opposites attract
⚖️💪🏻 Grumpy/sunshine
⚖️💪🏻 Golden Retriever energy MC (Caleb)
⚖️💪🏻 Black cat energy MC (Whit)
⚖️💪🏻 Hurt/comfort
⚖️💪🏻 Found family
⚖️💪🏻 Caretaker MC (Whit)
⚖️💪🏻 Needy, clingy MC (Caleb)
⚖️💪🏻 Tactile kings (Whit less than Caleb, but tactile all the same—but only with Caleb)
⚖️💪🏻 Nuanced codependency and separation anxiety (not in a toxic way)
⚖️💪🏻 Gay for you
⚖️💪🏻 J/P MCs
⚖️💪🏻 Mine
⚖️💪🏻 Only one bed (forced proximity)
⚖️💪🏻 Rich boy/poor boy dynamic (Whit/Caleb)
⚖️💪🏻 Jock/studious (Caleb/Whit)
⚖️💪🏻 Emotional and sexual exploration
⚖️💪🏻 D/s dynamics
⚖️💪🏻 First times
⚖️💪🏻 Cuddles and nuzzles for daysss
⚖️💪🏻 Skinship is the plot 😂
⚖️💪🏻 Caleb is bigger than Whit, but he sits on Whit's lap A LOT, and Whit enjoys it 😆😏
⚖️💪🏻 Whit takes care of Caleb when he's sick, gives him meds, feeds him soup and toast, and he even brushes the crumbs off of Caleb's lips. GAH!!!
⚖️💪🏻 Pet names: Baby, babe
Safety info:
⚖️💪🏻 Angst: Medium
⚖️💪🏻 OW/OM drama: Caleb sees Magnus (Whit's debate club team-mate) kiss Whit on the cheek
⚖️💪🏻 Cheating/sharing: Before meeting Caleb, Whit is already engaged. He's set to marry a woman he's never met or known purely for formality, so that he can get his trust fund. However, Whit then broke off his engagement.
⚖️💪🏻 Third act breakup: Yes
⚖️💪🏻 Ending: HEA
⚖️💪🏻 Epilogue: Yes (1 and 5 years later)
⚖️💪🏻 POV: Dual, 1st person
⚖️💪🏻 Series structure: Interconnected standalone
Spice and kinks:
Cuddles and snuggles for days, nipple play (Whit plays with Caleb's pierced nipples under a blanket in the middle of a family convo), handjob, dry humping to completion, cum in pants, spanking, jerking off each other, solo jerk off, mild marking (bite marks, hickeys), bareback, praise (good boy), mild degradation, coming hands-free, aftercare, rimming (off-page), blowjob, D/s dynamics, coming untouched (off-page, Caleb), edging, orgasm control
CW/TW:
Explicit sexual content, past trauma, brief mentions of abuse, self-harm (past, off-page), scars, mentions of suicide attempts, suicidal thoughts, mentions of the death of a parent, grief, alcohol consumption, single vehicle accident, injuries, anxiety, firearms use
August 4, 2022
This one's going on my favorites shelf.
The emotions I felt while reading this book!! It had me laughing out loud in public, crying into my pillow, softly smiling at my Kindle, seeing red and going on a cooking spree to calm myself down and finally talking the ears off anyone who'd listen.
Whit, our beautiful, sweet, gentle, precious boy, is a reader, studying pre-law and looking for a roommate. And who better to answer to this call than a muscular, blonde, over-six-foot giant with muscles for days and blue eyes that make stoic boys blush. Add to that, that Caleb is like a golden retriever with Whit; shameless about his love and desire and this book was perfect!!
Even the side-characters of the story were perfectly adorable, fiercely loyal, kind and protective. Now I wanna know Sem and Mag's story. :")
The emotions I felt while reading this book!! It had me laughing out loud in public, crying into my pillow, softly smiling at my Kindle, seeing red and going on a cooking spree to calm myself down and finally talking the ears off anyone who'd listen.
Whit, our beautiful, sweet, gentle, precious boy, is a reader, studying pre-law and looking for a roommate. And who better to answer to this call than a muscular, blonde, over-six-foot giant with muscles for days and blue eyes that make stoic boys blush. Add to that, that Caleb is like a golden retriever with Whit; shameless about his love and desire and this book was perfect!!
Even the side-characters of the story were perfectly adorable, fiercely loyal, kind and protective. Now I wanna know Sem and Mag's story. :")
September 30, 2022
3.5 Stars
Whit & Caleb, both are the same age, walking around the same campus but opposite in almost every way. Caleb can read people but he can’t get a read on Whit; he’s like a sealed vault. He’s quiet and brilliant. Caleb can’t understand his fascination with Whit but if only he knew in the end he’s the one with a broken heart…
Told in dual POV, 1st person, it’s the first installment in the "Unexpected" series and can be read as a standalone. This is my first read by this author and I quite enjoyed it. I liked both MCs and also the secondary characters and can’t wait to read their stories. It’s an easy read, low angsty and funny. It made me smile a few times. All in all, I had a good time reading it and hope you enjoy it as well!
Whit & Caleb, both are the same age, walking around the same campus but opposite in almost every way. Caleb can read people but he can’t get a read on Whit; he’s like a sealed vault. He’s quiet and brilliant. Caleb can’t understand his fascination with Whit but if only he knew in the end he’s the one with a broken heart…
Told in dual POV, 1st person, it’s the first installment in the "Unexpected" series and can be read as a standalone. This is my first read by this author and I quite enjoyed it. I liked both MCs and also the secondary characters and can’t wait to read their stories. It’s an easy read, low angsty and funny. It made me smile a few times. All in all, I had a good time reading it and hope you enjoy it as well!
Read
May 23, 2022Adding this to my “no-thanks” shelf since apparently it romanticizes suicide. Any book that does that is a hard no for me
May 22, 2022
2.5 ⭐
It started well but soon it became surrealist and the last 10% of the book was chaotic, hurried, dramatic and exaggerated.
But i want to say a few good things I liked:
-The cuddles scenes
-The possessive scenes/moments
-Moments with family and friends
-The sweet scenes
-The sex scenes were hot BUT-
My issues:
-They were A LOT sex scenes and became repetitive and by the end i was just skimmed.
-The main characters were dimensional.
There is not much development about them and it became difficult for me to connect with them.
-i would like to know when they fall in love🧐🧐
-I feel like the suicide wasn't treated quite right. It was just there, it was mentioned, something happened and it was set aside. I think the author made a mistake by not giving the same balance in the POVs during the book. There are many chapters with Caleb POV and few with Whit, and Whit's are short and don't give much.
And it's not just about suicide, there are other things that happen, which end up being the reason why the couple breaks up and then the resolution is so easy and not well handled. Ugh.
For many it worked, sadly, for me not so much. 🙃
I'm going to read the next one? I want to try, but i don't have many expectations. 🤞🏻☹️
It started well but soon it became surrealist and the last 10% of the book was chaotic, hurried, dramatic and exaggerated.
But i want to say a few good things I liked:
-The cuddles scenes
-The possessive scenes/moments
-Moments with family and friends
-The sweet scenes
-The sex scenes were hot BUT-
My issues:
-They were A LOT sex scenes and became repetitive and by the end i was just skimmed.
-The main characters were dimensional.
There is not much development about them and it became difficult for me to connect with them.
-i would like to know when they fall in love🧐🧐
-I feel like the suicide wasn't treated quite right. It was just there, it was mentioned, something happened and it was set aside. I think the author made a mistake by not giving the same balance in the POVs during the book. There are many chapters with Caleb POV and few with Whit, and Whit's are short and don't give much.
And it's not just about suicide, there are other things that happen, which end up being the reason why the couple breaks up and then the resolution is so easy and not well handled. Ugh.
For many it worked, sadly, for me not so much. 🙃
I'm going to read the next one? I want to try, but i don't have many expectations. 🤞🏻☹️
December 14, 2022
I can see why a lot of people find this problematic and also a lot of ppl love it. For me it had some Alessandra Hazard’s feel but it lacked of something and had tooooo much sex, also the first 40% was mostly wtf happening here. Anyhow my friend said the next book is brilliant so I’m picking that up. We will see how’s that.
August 5, 2022
Re-read August 2022
I'm going with 4 stars this time. I had a bit more trouble connecting with these boys on my second read.
-------------------------------------
This was really amazing. I had no idea what it would be about since I hadn’t read the blurb and I didn’t read any reviews. For some reason I thought this would be a dark romance, but it was anything but.
I absolutely loved Caleb and his obsession with Whit. He was so open about it too.
And the way this started with Caleb being sick and him basically claiming Whit as his cuddle-mate, I absolutely loved it.
I also loved how Caleb was never really afraid of being out, or to show anyone what Whit meant to him. He took it all in stride, even though he always thought himself straight before he met Whit.
I could even handle the little bit of angst near the end, because it didn’t feel fabricated. And neither did anything unforgivable, so they could just make up and live happily ever after.
This felt like a happy book, even though there were some things in Whit’s past (and present) that were pretty heavy. But the romance in this just shone. There was so much love and sex, let’s not forget about the sex. It’s been a very long time since I’ve read a book where I didn’t skip the sex scenes because they are so meh. Not here, here they were interesting, and hot!
Overall I really liked this and I’m looking forward to the rest of the books in this series.
I'm going with 4 stars this time. I had a bit more trouble connecting with these boys on my second read.
-------------------------------------
This was really amazing. I had no idea what it would be about since I hadn’t read the blurb and I didn’t read any reviews. For some reason I thought this would be a dark romance, but it was anything but.
I absolutely loved Caleb and his obsession with Whit. He was so open about it too.
And the way this started with Caleb being sick and him basically claiming Whit as his cuddle-mate, I absolutely loved it.
I also loved how Caleb was never really afraid of being out, or to show anyone what Whit meant to him. He took it all in stride, even though he always thought himself straight before he met Whit.
I could even handle the little bit of angst near the end, because it didn’t feel fabricated. And neither did anything unforgivable, so they could just make up and live happily ever after.
This felt like a happy book, even though there were some things in Whit’s past (and present) that were pretty heavy. But the romance in this just shone. There was so much love and sex, let’s not forget about the sex. It’s been a very long time since I’ve read a book where I didn’t skip the sex scenes because they are so meh. Not here, here they were interesting, and hot!
Overall I really liked this and I’m looking forward to the rest of the books in this series.
November 20, 2022
"His thumb brushes my lips, and they positively burn from the contact. I blame the fever. I'm delusional and apparently gay when I'm sick. Never happened before, but I guess I've developed a condition."
Whit is the debut novel from Cora Rose and I absolutely loved it! So many of my favourite tropes, including:
🌶️Bi-awakening/GFY
🌶️Opposites attract
🌶️College roommates
🌶️Forced proximity
🌶️Found family
🌶️Jock/academic
🌶️"Mine"
🌶️Steamy
🌶️HEA
There are some TWs, so make sure you read the author's blurb.
Recommended.
4.5 steamy, romantic stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Whit is the debut novel from Cora Rose and I absolutely loved it! So many of my favourite tropes, including:
🌶️Bi-awakening/GFY
🌶️Opposites attract
🌶️College roommates
🌶️Forced proximity
🌶️Found family
🌶️Jock/academic
🌶️"Mine"
🌶️Steamy
🌶️HEA
There are some TWs, so make sure you read the author's blurb.
Recommended.
4.5 steamy, romantic stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐
![Profile Image for Megan [At The Cottage].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1634561405i%2F25103878._UY200_CR50%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
September 5, 2023
ReRead: September 4-5 2023
Audiobook Narrators: Alexander Cendese and Liam DiCosimo: 5 Stars ⭐️
Updated Rating: 2 Stars ⭐️
This is one of those books that I instinctively knew I should not try to reread even in audiobook form because I wasn’t so sure the first time around what I felt about it. However, I’ve always thought of it fondly and it’s really the only book by this author that I’ve liked so when I had the chance to listen to the audiobook I went with it. Unfortunately, despite the narrators doing a fabulous job, I absolutely hate this in audiobook and I am choosing to DNF it right before their relationship goes to shit. I found Caleb overbearing reading it so AC’s frat boy voice mixed with that is just not working for me. I have gotten used to AC’s voice and have grown to like him in books like Eden Finley’s Hockey & Fake Boyfriend Series because his voice is perfect for frat bros and dumb athletes and it should be perfect for Caleb but instead it just annoys me. I think it might be because Caleb is 80% of the chapters and there’s just no escaping him but I’m not sure I would have liked this if I reread the book either because I’m just not a fan of this author and this book felt like all her other books that I haven’t enjoyed. 🤷🏻♀️
*Note: I don’t change my ratings after rereads but if I did, this would get 2 Stars ⭐️ from me.
Original Review Below
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MM Romance
GFY Opposites Attract Roommates
3.5 I have no idea how to rate this stars ⭐️
It’s been a struggle trying to figure out how to rate this book. I liked the couple especially Caleb and his golden retriever like personality, the relationship between them, the cuddling, the neediness and some of the sex scenes were red hot BUT the writing style and overall storyline was a bit of a mess. The majority of this book is from Caleb’s POV after he becomes completely and utterly obsessed with his roommate Whit. There are a few chapters from Whit’s POV, thankfully, because otherwise he would be too mysterious and this wasn’t that type of book. However, I’m not actually sure what this book wanted to be. It was heavy on the sexual exploration making it appear low angst yet Whit had a pretty harrowing backstory when it came to his mental health and after some of the things that happened it was another one of those books that made it seem like Caleb was the solution. Caleb definitely gave Whit a different outlook on what his life could be and helped him get there but it all a bit glossed over for me.
That being said, had I rated this immediately after I read it, I would have 5 starred not for any other reason but the sheer enjoyment I had reading this. I couldn’t put this book down and I have no idea why because the writing had typos, grammatical errors and other issues galore but I was obsessed with the cuddly neediness these two had with one another. And the sex scenes, LOL, Caleb reminded me of Tyler from AH’s Just A Bit Gay because he was insatiable when it came to Whit’s cock like he needed it in him at all times. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t put this down? Because I liked that neediness in AH’s book too. There are a ridiculous amount of sex scenes in this but since I found this in the gay erotica section of Amazon, I was not the least bit surprised. Therefore I’m going to give this 3.5 but round to 4 because while the writing may have been a bit rough, I have read a lot of shit books this year that have made me want to die of boredom but this one held my attention and made me swoony even if it shouldn’t have. Oh and the last 10% made me all teary eyed 😂😂 I am absolutely ridiculous.
Audiobook Narrators: Alexander Cendese and Liam DiCosimo: 5 Stars ⭐️
Updated Rating: 2 Stars ⭐️
This is one of those books that I instinctively knew I should not try to reread even in audiobook form because I wasn’t so sure the first time around what I felt about it. However, I’ve always thought of it fondly and it’s really the only book by this author that I’ve liked so when I had the chance to listen to the audiobook I went with it. Unfortunately, despite the narrators doing a fabulous job, I absolutely hate this in audiobook and I am choosing to DNF it right before their relationship goes to shit. I found Caleb overbearing reading it so AC’s frat boy voice mixed with that is just not working for me. I have gotten used to AC’s voice and have grown to like him in books like Eden Finley’s Hockey & Fake Boyfriend Series because his voice is perfect for frat bros and dumb athletes and it should be perfect for Caleb but instead it just annoys me. I think it might be because Caleb is 80% of the chapters and there’s just no escaping him but I’m not sure I would have liked this if I reread the book either because I’m just not a fan of this author and this book felt like all her other books that I haven’t enjoyed. 🤷🏻♀️
*Note: I don’t change my ratings after rereads but if I did, this would get 2 Stars ⭐️ from me.
Original Review Below
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
MM Romance
GFY Opposites Attract Roommates
3.5 I have no idea how to rate this stars ⭐️
It’s been a struggle trying to figure out how to rate this book. I liked the couple especially Caleb and his golden retriever like personality, the relationship between them, the cuddling, the neediness and some of the sex scenes were red hot BUT the writing style and overall storyline was a bit of a mess. The majority of this book is from Caleb’s POV after he becomes completely and utterly obsessed with his roommate Whit. There are a few chapters from Whit’s POV, thankfully, because otherwise he would be too mysterious and this wasn’t that type of book. However, I’m not actually sure what this book wanted to be. It was heavy on the sexual exploration making it appear low angst yet Whit had a pretty harrowing backstory when it came to his mental health and after some of the things that happened it was another one of those books that made it seem like Caleb was the solution. Caleb definitely gave Whit a different outlook on what his life could be and helped him get there but it all a bit glossed over for me.
That being said, had I rated this immediately after I read it, I would have 5 starred not for any other reason but the sheer enjoyment I had reading this. I couldn’t put this book down and I have no idea why because the writing had typos, grammatical errors and other issues galore but I was obsessed with the cuddly neediness these two had with one another. And the sex scenes, LOL, Caleb reminded me of Tyler from AH’s Just A Bit Gay because he was insatiable when it came to Whit’s cock like he needed it in him at all times. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t put this down? Because I liked that neediness in AH’s book too. There are a ridiculous amount of sex scenes in this but since I found this in the gay erotica section of Amazon, I was not the least bit surprised. Therefore I’m going to give this 3.5 but round to 4 because while the writing may have been a bit rough, I have read a lot of shit books this year that have made me want to die of boredom but this one held my attention and made me swoony even if it shouldn’t have. Oh and the last 10% made me all teary eyed 😂😂 I am absolutely ridiculous.
May 6, 2022
One of the books that are very difficult to rate. Totally ridiculous, OTT, and nevertheless addictive.
I don’t even know how to tell you why I kept turning page after page. Apart from the smut ofc, which is pretty much on fire 🔥.
Caleb, who’s „trash without a trailer“, moves in with Whit. Whit, who’s obviously rich, has a one bedroom apartment and needs a roommate whom he shares the same bedroom with (albeit not the bed, at least not at first). Whit, who’s gay. Caleb is not, but who somehow ends up naked and cuddling in Whit’s bed anyway. Or sitting in his lap. Even before they actually start hooking up.
It’s… weird. But somehow interesting nevertheless, even though it’s pretty clear what the big secret is that Whit is hiding. And even with Caleb‘ huge overwhelmingly loving, trashy hillbilly family, who are as cliché as it gets, as well as Whit‘s very elusive, cold, homophobic parents.
It’s cool. It’s fun. And even though I skimmed a bit, I had genuine tears in my eyes when things got dramatic.
I’d rate it somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, rounded up because of all the feels.
I don’t even know how to tell you why I kept turning page after page. Apart from the smut ofc, which is pretty much on fire 🔥.
Caleb, who’s „trash without a trailer“, moves in with Whit. Whit, who’s obviously rich, has a one bedroom apartment and needs a roommate whom he shares the same bedroom with (albeit not the bed, at least not at first). Whit, who’s gay. Caleb is not, but who somehow ends up naked and cuddling in Whit’s bed anyway. Or sitting in his lap. Even before they actually start hooking up.
It’s… weird. But somehow interesting nevertheless, even though it’s pretty clear what the big secret is that Whit is hiding. And even with Caleb‘ huge overwhelmingly loving, trashy hillbilly family, who are as cliché as it gets, as well as Whit‘s very elusive, cold, homophobic parents.
It’s cool. It’s fun. And even though I skimmed a bit, I had genuine tears in my eyes when things got dramatic.
I’d rate it somewhere between 3 and 4 stars, rounded up because of all the feels.
September 3, 2023
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
God, this guy makes me feel like a fool for just existing. It’s a fantastic talent he has.
I actually don’t know who I loved more, Whit or Caleb. I loved them both so much! I know what I’ll reread if I need a cuddle fix. All the body-blankets, neck-nuzzling, back-stroking and hair-tugging. It was so lovely to read what felt like a book full of cuddles, haha. With a side of heartbreak, but you know we all love getting our hearts broken by fictional men. I may complain a little, but I secretly love it whenever a book makes me cry, haha.
Why couldn’t guys cuddle or hold hands? Who came up with that shit rule? Maybe we’d all be happier if we were able to show some affection every once in a while.
I love how Caleb went from ‘I’m not gay’ to the most c*ck hungry dude ever. Maybe it’s not a big mystery when he had a Whit in his life. I do love a dominant softie. That first scene when he showed his dominant streak to Caleb had me fanning myself. Oh boy.
Whit seems happy too. He hasn’t pulled his Kindle out once, and I’m feeling flattered.
I was hoping to get some more info about what was going on with Whit and his family, but it kinda worked keeping it all a mystery as well. I’m just too curious. I wanna know *everything* lol. There’s honestly not a lot going on in this book, but that worked for me this time. It was just sweet.
I don’t understand this guy. How he can be so controlling in the bedroom and yet blushes like a schoolgirl when he sees just a bit of my stomach? It’s confusing and yet so endearing.
I’m just gonna jump right into Sem. How could I not after this? Half of my highlights in Whit is about Maggie or Sem, lmao.
This book also has one of my favorite covers ever. So pretty.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
College age
Roommates
Sexual awakening
Secrets
So many cuddles
Found family
First time bottom
Past trauma
Size difference (bulk more than height)
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Grief
Self harm (off page, past)
Scars
Mentions of suicide attempts
Brief mentions of abuse
Mentions of the death of a parent
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM drama: A few situations of unfounded jealousy.
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
God, this guy makes me feel like a fool for just existing. It’s a fantastic talent he has.
I actually don’t know who I loved more, Whit or Caleb. I loved them both so much! I know what I’ll reread if I need a cuddle fix. All the body-blankets, neck-nuzzling, back-stroking and hair-tugging. It was so lovely to read what felt like a book full of cuddles, haha. With a side of heartbreak, but you know we all love getting our hearts broken by fictional men. I may complain a little, but I secretly love it whenever a book makes me cry, haha.
Why couldn’t guys cuddle or hold hands? Who came up with that shit rule? Maybe we’d all be happier if we were able to show some affection every once in a while.
I love how Caleb went from ‘I’m not gay’ to the most c*ck hungry dude ever. Maybe it’s not a big mystery when he had a Whit in his life. I do love a dominant softie. That first scene when he showed his dominant streak to Caleb had me fanning myself. Oh boy.
Whit seems happy too. He hasn’t pulled his Kindle out once, and I’m feeling flattered.
I was hoping to get some more info about what was going on with Whit and his family, but it kinda worked keeping it all a mystery as well. I’m just too curious. I wanna know *everything* lol. There’s honestly not a lot going on in this book, but that worked for me this time. It was just sweet.
I don’t understand this guy. How he can be so controlling in the bedroom and yet blushes like a schoolgirl when he sees just a bit of my stomach? It’s confusing and yet so endearing.
I’m just gonna jump right into Sem. How could I not after this? Half of my highlights in Whit is about Maggie or Sem, lmao.
This book also has one of my favorite covers ever. So pretty.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & tags ⚠️
College age
Roommates
Sexual awakening
Secrets
So many cuddles
Found family
First time bottom
Past trauma
Size difference (bulk more than height)
⚠️⚠️ Content warning ⚠️⚠️
Explicit sexual content
Grief
Self harm (off page, past)
Scars
Mentions of suicide attempts
Brief mentions of abuse
Mentions of the death of a parent
⚠️⚠️⚠️ Book safety ⚠️⚠️⚠️
Cheating: No
OM drama: A few situations of unfounded jealousy.
Third-act breakup: Yes
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Strict roles or versatile: Versatile
August 8, 2025
Tropes: roommates, grumpy/sunshine, hurt/comfort, only for you
Feels: 5/5
Steam*: 5/5
Kinks: edging
Angst: low
Triggers/potential icks: self harm, death of a parent
Aug. 7 2025 - 7th time rereading. Such a comfort reread.
Nov. 5 2024 - reread. Love them.
Jan. 7 2024 - reread. I regularly reread this book, love the emotion in it. The humour, the clingy touch-starved openness of Caleb. How prickly Whit is but he sucks in that affection from Caleb. Then the sad parts, that just have me wiping away tears.
I'm writing this review after my third time reading this book. And I've read all the books in this series (Colin's book was the last one published). And I just love the story. Caleb is a redneck student whose mom died a year ago. To get away from memories he moves in with Whit. Caleb has only ever been with women. Whit is a gay, rich, smart student who only took the renter to piss off his parents. Whit is silent and broody and Caleb is curious and intrigued.
Caleb gets sick with a flu and Whit takes care of him. Caleb is a tactile guy who is starving for affection and comfort. He lets his inhibitions go while he's sick and seeks snuggles with Whit. Slippery slopes are slippery. Next thing they know Caleb's family thinks they're a couple and they are unable to keep from finding platonic comfort cuddling each other. And it turns sexual. And they are jealous and possessive of each other. Oh my God these guys are hot together.
Caleb is such an appealing character. He's a big bear of a guy but he is a teddy bear. He just wants affection. He's so open with what he's feeling. There are so many moments where he just wears his heart on his sleeve. And Whit for various reasons has to keep this casual. There were so many moments where I just kept thinking 'oh Caleb's poor little heart'.
Whit is also a great character to me. He's so prickly and reserved. But still waters run deep with this guy and he is a kinky sexy beast with a very vulnerable side. He feels a lot but he's trying to protect himself and he has secrets.
Something funny about this book is how Caleb's interactions with Magnus evolve. It starts with him being jealous of Magnus and wanting to shot put him away. Then Magnus is shocked that Caleb is saying he's NOT gay and he's not got a thing going on with Whit. Then Caleb is carrying Magnus around like a sack of potatoes, bringing him home for video games. Then giving him a friendly warning Sem is going to stalk him. Then bffing post break up with Whit.
The side characters in Cora Rose's books are awesome. I love Aunt Del for example. She immediately leaps to shipping her straight nephew with Whit wanting to help Caleb keep him, wanting grandbabies and worrying about Whit possibly self-harming. Even the plastic bag featured in this book is a side character and I'm invested in its journey.
Some notable moments: (I know there's a lot. And keep this in mind I held myself back here)
"Maybe he’ll tuck me in. Run those long, delicate fingers through my hair. I’d really fucking like that."
I love how jealous Caleb was: "He’s much smaller than me. Smaller than Whit too. I could probably throw him out the window right now, just shot-put him right out there into the bushes."
It's crazy and hot how Whit throws himself into jerking Caleb off like it's his job. "The following morning, after waking up hard as hell, Whit arches an eyebrow at me as if to say, Really, again? Then he pushes me onto my back and jerks me off."
Caleb's poor little heart: "“But I feel like I’ve known you forever. It just works with us. So…if you insist on Harvard, I’m sure I could find work out there.” Whit tenses beneath me, and I meet his dark stare. My heart stutters in my chest, and my stomach clenches a little at what his silence means. He doesn’t want me out there. This is casual. He told me what to expect when this started. It has an end date. I was stupid to assume. So damn stupid."
Caleb is such a good guy even as his heart is breaking he wants to make sure Whit is still okay: "“Will you be safe if I leave?” Because even though I’m pissed, betrayed, and my entire life is falling apart around me, I don’t want him harming himself."
*FYI, I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
Feels: 5/5
Steam*: 5/5
Kinks: edging
Angst: low
Triggers/potential icks: self harm, death of a parent
Aug. 7 2025 - 7th time rereading. Such a comfort reread.
Nov. 5 2024 - reread. Love them.
Jan. 7 2024 - reread. I regularly reread this book, love the emotion in it. The humour, the clingy touch-starved openness of Caleb. How prickly Whit is but he sucks in that affection from Caleb. Then the sad parts, that just have me wiping away tears.
I'm writing this review after my third time reading this book. And I've read all the books in this series (Colin's book was the last one published). And I just love the story. Caleb is a redneck student whose mom died a year ago. To get away from memories he moves in with Whit. Caleb has only ever been with women. Whit is a gay, rich, smart student who only took the renter to piss off his parents. Whit is silent and broody and Caleb is curious and intrigued.
Caleb gets sick with a flu and Whit takes care of him. Caleb is a tactile guy who is starving for affection and comfort. He lets his inhibitions go while he's sick and seeks snuggles with Whit. Slippery slopes are slippery. Next thing they know Caleb's family thinks they're a couple and they are unable to keep from finding platonic comfort cuddling each other. And it turns sexual. And they are jealous and possessive of each other. Oh my God these guys are hot together.
Caleb is such an appealing character. He's a big bear of a guy but he is a teddy bear. He just wants affection. He's so open with what he's feeling. There are so many moments where he just wears his heart on his sleeve. And Whit for various reasons has to keep this casual. There were so many moments where I just kept thinking 'oh Caleb's poor little heart'.
Whit is also a great character to me. He's so prickly and reserved. But still waters run deep with this guy and he is a kinky sexy beast with a very vulnerable side. He feels a lot but he's trying to protect himself and he has secrets.
Something funny about this book is how Caleb's interactions with Magnus evolve. It starts with him being jealous of Magnus and wanting to shot put him away. Then Magnus is shocked that Caleb is saying he's NOT gay and he's not got a thing going on with Whit. Then Caleb is carrying Magnus around like a sack of potatoes, bringing him home for video games. Then giving him a friendly warning Sem is going to stalk him. Then bffing post break up with Whit.
The side characters in Cora Rose's books are awesome. I love Aunt Del for example. She immediately leaps to shipping her straight nephew with Whit wanting to help Caleb keep him, wanting grandbabies and worrying about Whit possibly self-harming. Even the plastic bag featured in this book is a side character and I'm invested in its journey.
Some notable moments: (I know there's a lot. And keep this in mind I held myself back here)
"Maybe he’ll tuck me in. Run those long, delicate fingers through my hair. I’d really fucking like that."
I love how jealous Caleb was: "He’s much smaller than me. Smaller than Whit too. I could probably throw him out the window right now, just shot-put him right out there into the bushes."
It's crazy and hot how Whit throws himself into jerking Caleb off like it's his job. "The following morning, after waking up hard as hell, Whit arches an eyebrow at me as if to say, Really, again? Then he pushes me onto my back and jerks me off."
Caleb's poor little heart: "“But I feel like I’ve known you forever. It just works with us. So…if you insist on Harvard, I’m sure I could find work out there.” Whit tenses beneath me, and I meet his dark stare. My heart stutters in my chest, and my stomach clenches a little at what his silence means. He doesn’t want me out there. This is casual. He told me what to expect when this started. It has an end date. I was stupid to assume. So damn stupid."
Caleb is such a good guy even as his heart is breaking he wants to make sure Whit is still okay: "“Will you be safe if I leave?” Because even though I’m pissed, betrayed, and my entire life is falling apart around me, I don’t want him harming himself."
*FYI, I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2022
3,5 ⭐
I honestly thought for a long time about how to rate this book.
First, I couldn't put the book down and finished it in one sitting. However, there have been many issues with this book for me.
- it needed a lot more editing (I didn't have a problem with that). Update: the book has been edited
- I had issues with how some characters were treated, especially how Caleb treated Whit initially, even though I tried to understand and see it from his point of view. (A lot may disagree with me here, but it was part of the comments Caleb did that just bothered me.)
- One part of this book can be found disturbing for some readers. (It was going to be for me too if I didn't realize and see what the author was trying to do and portray, for which I'm thankful to see such an approach. However, it wasn't made in the best way possible. This part would have used a bit more touch so that it wouldn't turn into something disturbing for some.) I sense the point, but it will be unsettling for many readers.
- the sex was a tad bit too much for me. Especially with the way Caleb acted all the time.
What I loved in this book:
- all the cuddles 🥰
- the smut was good 🤭
- Caleb's family 🙇
- Whit ❤️
- one of the chapters from Whit's point of view. It broke my heart in a way no other book had. The feelings and representation of (one thing from the TW) were so painfully accurate that my heart clenched!!!! 💔
- the moment Caleb asked that question before leaving, and for those who have read it, you know what Caleb did in that chapter, I mentioned from Whit's point of view. It broke my heart all over again how caring he was even when he felt the way he was then. 🥺
- the ending 😍
In conclusion, even though I had a few issues with the book, I loved a big part of it too.
I honestly thought for a long time about how to rate this book.
First, I couldn't put the book down and finished it in one sitting. However, there have been many issues with this book for me.
- it needed a lot more editing (I didn't have a problem with that). Update: the book has been edited
- I had issues with how some characters were treated, especially how Caleb treated Whit initially, even though I tried to understand and see it from his point of view. (A lot may disagree with me here, but it was part of the comments Caleb did that just bothered me.)
- One part of this book can be found disturbing for some readers. (It was going to be for me too if I didn't realize and see what the author was trying to do and portray, for which I'm thankful to see such an approach. However, it wasn't made in the best way possible. This part would have used a bit more touch so that it wouldn't turn into something disturbing for some.) I sense the point, but it will be unsettling for many readers.
- the sex was a tad bit too much for me. Especially with the way Caleb acted all the time.
What I loved in this book:
- all the cuddles 🥰
- the smut was good 🤭
- Caleb's family 🙇
- Whit ❤️
- one of the chapters from Whit's point of view. It broke my heart in a way no other book had. The feelings and representation of (one thing from the TW) were so painfully accurate that my heart clenched!!!! 💔
- the moment Caleb asked that question before leaving, and for those who have read it, you know what Caleb did in that chapter, I mentioned from Whit's point of view. It broke my heart all over again how caring he was even when he felt the way he was then. 🥺
- the ending 😍
In conclusion, even though I had a few issues with the book, I loved a big part of it too.
August 15, 2022
I feel like I am living in some parallel universe where everyone read a different book than me.
Not for me.
Ok, I want to be fair and elaborate on why this wasn’t for me.
I was initially intrigued by the mysterious Whit and despite the odd and choppy writing style persevered well past the point of enjoyment.
I’ve read a lot of books that are complete and utter fiction but there always seems to have been at least some level of plausibility there, at least in the characters behaviour. This, for me just felt very rough and unfinished . A lot of the issues and main plot points felt poorly explored and handled and I just couldn’t connect, at all.
Sorry, just not for me.
Not for me.
Ok, I want to be fair and elaborate on why this wasn’t for me.
I was initially intrigued by the mysterious Whit and despite the odd and choppy writing style persevered well past the point of enjoyment.
I’ve read a lot of books that are complete and utter fiction but there always seems to have been at least some level of plausibility there, at least in the characters behaviour. This, for me just felt very rough and unfinished . A lot of the issues and main plot points felt poorly explored and handled and I just couldn’t connect, at all.
Sorry, just not for me.
May 28, 2022
This was a fantastic debut. I don't think I've ever encountered a character quite like Caleb before. His openly jovial and enthusiastic personality won me over immediately. How could I not love and root for someone who so openly issues out cuddles and affection the way he does? Whit snorted, scoffed, and huffed his way into my heart as well.
This was an engaging story with great secondary characters. It was was easy to read and I'm already looking forward to reading Sem's story. 4.5 stars
This was an engaging story with great secondary characters. It was was easy to read and I'm already looking forward to reading Sem's story. 4.5 stars
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