Sara

Connor Riley writes the hottest erotica

Reviewed: 05-22-24

And this ones the best!! Hope to see tons more of his stuff released on audible! 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

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Loved first half and then it lost me

Reviewed: 05-15-24

I love Willow Dixons story telling, characters, and relationship development and love the majority of her books.

The first book in this series is amazing! The 2nd one was not for me. This one started out strong and I thought I was gonna love it nearly as much as book 1, but then it just kind of went downhill for me. It's me, not the book. Just not my jam when 1 of the MCs is needy or more outwardly invested than another. Noah went from cool and composed to a super cringey situation and needy and it just ruined it for me. To be clear, it was not due to the MH challenges, I really love that she makes mental health a topic in her books and accurately portrays it. The changes with how he started being needy and clingy with Z were not attributed to his mental health issues, the doubt, yes, but not the rest.

I still think most will love this and understand the high rating. It just wasn't for me after Noah's character pulled a 180.

Also, a new friend group was kind of brought in and while we still got some hang time with the crimson crew there were alot of scenes with some random friend group who seemed very highschoolish and it just didnt make sense to me. All of those scenes couldve occured with the friend group we already know. It just seemed weird and none of them were interesting.

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One of my favorites in the series!

Reviewed: 05-07-24

This is my 2nd favorite of the series, right after Face Offs & Cheap Shots!

This is my 3rd or so relisten and it's just as good as the first time!

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DNF w/ 2hr remaining

Reviewed: 04-28-24

There wasn't anything particularly wrong with this book, I was just bored and wasn't invested at all.

DNF with 2hr remaining because I just couldn't do it.

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Not as good as the 1st

Reviewed: 04-28-24

I really liked the 1st book in this series and this one was a miss for me.

It felt a bit too OTT, predictable, and a bit corny.

It wasn't bad. Just wasn't great imo.

I'm still going to continue this series and can't wait for the next release!

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Really loved!! 4.5*

Reviewed: 04-28-24

I really liked this one!

While it was missing the taboo aspect I go into step roms expecting, I didn't think it took away from the story at all.

I usually almost always end up not liking 1 of the MCs initially in an enemies-lovers rom but also not the case here. I liked both MCs from the start!

Most importantly here, for me anyways, was the dual POV. If we didnt get Grays POV I would probably hate him. Hed seem like a bully and I'm not a lover of bully romance, in fact i hate it (normally because the other MC is almost always a doormat) but I absolutely ADORED Gray and Caleb. Gray is super abrasive to Caleb but Caleb gives it right back to him and I love that he views this as G being "bratty" because once he said it, it totally fit. Again, dont be put off. Gray has the biggest heart and is the sweetest guy. He cuddles his bestie who craves cuddles/touch constantly (his and his BFF, Nick, relationship is also my absolute favorite so BONUS. I loooove seeing men super affectionate with one another on a completely platonic level) ..I mean, need I say more?

I just fell in love with the MCs very quickly and became invested right away! Their relationship development was on point; oraganic, sincere, and paced quickly enough that you dont get impatient/bored, but not so quickly it's unrealistic.

Definitely recommend!

2nd Bonus: I have a praise kink and theres so much praise and daddy/brat (unofficially they dont have a D/s kink or relationship) moments that happen organically during the spicey scenes with these two and those just so happen to be my top 2 kinks so I absolutely LOVED the spice. All of it.

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1 person found this helpful

DNF-Insanely weak/pathetic MC

Reviewed: 04-24-24

H1 is gay and denial and self hating. After a year of being with H2 as teens and absolutely in love he not only breaks up with him and breaks his heart when his homophobic dad found out but he PHYSICALLY assaulted H2.

12yr later he pops up and I'm thinking H2 will have some resolve because he has an inner monologue about how horrible H1 treated him but he has zero resolve! H1 pops up and he's like sure come to home without even saying a single word yet and the instant you apologize we'll sleep together.

There was no groveling. No nothing. Just "I'm sorry for what happened (12yr ago when he beat and said atrocious things to the man he was in love with). Followed by I'm not gay you were just a phase and Leo wilts like a weak little pathetic flower and instantly forgives him and loves him again and is the one to stop H1 from leaving and initiates sex.

Then H1 keeps showing up at H2 house randomaly and goes on about how he hates himself for being there, excessively carries on about how not gay he is and loved the woman he was with and the MCs werent real and H2 just sits there. Doesnt make him leave. Just sits there and gets mushy the instead H1 says anything not crappy to him. smh

This couldve been saved if H2 put up any resistance. He shouldve shut him down and shut him out until H1 groveled and chased and begged.

I have absolutely no tolerance for weak MCs who don't make others earn their forgiveness or make amends before before pathetically taking them back or in this case being even more pathetic by being the one to CHASE AND PURSUE THE PERSON WHO WRONGED THEM .

I love alot of Riley Harts books but the books of her i dont love, I absolutely hate because she writes some insanely weak characters sometimes.

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Ruined what could've been 5* by making 1 MC a weak doormat

Reviewed: 04-21-24

This book would've been amazing I think if not for H1 being a complete and utter weak a** doormat. I absolutely loved Josh and his heart. I loved his forgiving spirit, but he could've been ALL of those things and also not been some weak, needy, pathetic, doormat.

Here's the thing. H2 (Ezra) issues were totally understandable as was him projecting all of it. He really wasn't a terrible person inherently. He was however a terrible person TO H1.

H1 (Josh) forgiving him for everything would've been palatable IF H2 had ever once apologized and actually ASKED for forgiveness. He doesn't though (up to the 6hr mark anyways). He treats him like utter trash. Is completely cruel. Degrades him while getting him off and not in a Dom sort of way in order to turn them both on (I'm ALL about degradation when the end goal is pleasure), but no, he wants to make H1 feel horrible for being gay, he wants to ensure H1 can't fully enjoy it. Calls him gay slurs (literally calls him a F*****T) and without pause or even missing a beat H1 (Josh) is instantly there acting like nothing happened. It seriously enrages me that this book was completely ruined for me all because this author took an otherwise amazing character and made him a weak doormat. His nature was beautiful. Him still caring and being there when it mattered was also beautiful and understandable. An integral part of who he was. All of that would've been totally okay if the author had just had H1 be the one to cut off H2 until H2 deserved otherwise. But no Ezra(H2) is the one who initially "ends" things. I kept waiting for Josh to just go in and turn on his light or knock on his door to wake him up or at the very least to make him STOP when Ezra was getting him off and for H2 to realize how much he needed that comfort and be the one to pursue things, but NO again this situation was used to make H1 weak and pathetic.

Every SINGLE time it seems like Josh (DG/H1) grows a backbone and is going to have some resolve, he immediately caves without Ezra even attempting. Example, immediately after Ezra "ends things" on their way to a party telling him it was just a lapse and he was only playing games with him, Josh's inner monologue is about how he's now done with him and will find a different way home from the party and moving forward is just done with Ezra. But during said party Ezra is all over OW (it is fake to make a guy jealous for her, but Josh doesn't know that and Ezra deliberately is OTT with her to upset him) he goes into a dark room to rest, H2 follows him in and says he looks tired so he's going to take him home and instead of having an ounce of resolve and having the hot guy who actually treats him well and is openly gay take him home or any single 1 of his dozens of friends, or ubering, or ANYTHING other than riding home with the guy who just told you you're absolutely nothing to him (he literally tells him that he's nothing to him OTW to this party) he just gets up and rides home with him without question. Then proceeds to let him get in bed with him like nothing ever happened. Yes, Ezra clearly doesn't mean any of the things he says and Josh is aware of that, but that doesn't mean you proceed as if nothing even happened and he's already apologized for those "things he didn't mean" and groveled.

This sums up the entire book - he has this inner monologue and I already knew during it that he would immediately lose all resolve for absolutely no reason and no effort on Ezras part without any lapse in weakness.

"I feel a prickle of guilt over sending Ezra away. But why tf is that? I need to let go of him. Stop pretending that letting him give me hate blowjobs is a special thing. Or meaningful in any damn way"

This entire book was self aware inner monologues like that followed immediately by Josh not sticking to a single sentence in that monologue.

I CANNOT stand when the push/pull is constantly the more vulnerable/kinder/emotionally invested of the 2 is CONSTANTLY the one pulling and being pushed away.

What a waste of an otherwise good story.

P.S. 20 HOURS?!?!? I absolutely looooove super long books but contemporary romances should never be 20hr long!

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Really enjoyed this!

Reviewed: 04-12-24

Based on the summary I didn't think I'd like this one alot, but I really liked it. It was cute and sweet!

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Lived up to the hype!

Reviewed: 04-12-24

I've started and dnfd this so many times because it just seemed so "frat" and "spoiled rich kids " but after seeing it recommended on list after list I decided I've try and listen to it once more and promised to give it at least until the half way mark and I'm so glad I did!!

I absolutely loved this story, the MCs, and even the gf! FYI there are no mmf scenes in this so if you're worried about that, you're safe.

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