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teenykins's review
3.0
'...we’re all ghosts here, except those who manage to escape.'
Soooo... undoubtedly Riley Nash is a master of angst, the emotional scars from the Water, Air, Earth, Fire series I still carry with me. But here... here we skirted along the angst, we skirted along the romance and we skirted along the BDSM aspects of the story, that really didn't feel like it worked with Roman's trauma.
Riley's portrayal of Roman's selective mutism, was done really well. I loved how Scout's group adopted Roman, they never stumbled in accepting him talking through sign language and learning themselves so they can communicate.
“I see you, Roman. No one else does, but I do. You want to fight until you’re worn out, and then you want to be so good.”
Scout was certainly sweet and at the start was really putting effort in building trust but then steps were jumped over. I found that Scout assuming Roman was a sub and projecting that idea onto Roman, someone mentally and emotionally scarred, in a constant abuse and having to walk on eggshells through another's emotions, wasn't in the right frame of mind to look into himself and find that part of himself. Not only that, but Scout also decided on having it on camera, without even having a trial off of it.
'Is it a Dom thing to feel your sub’s fingers deep in your chest, prying it apart until—even though he’s the one kneeling and collared—you’re the one who’s humbled and broken open?'
Along those lines plus the seemingly little time that they actually spend together on practically the first half of the book, if not easily the 3/4ths we also had a romance that was at its beginning and not the ILUs that were said.
Anyways... the writing was incredible and it really showed in the best secondary characters ever, Beck and Dallas. They really were the highlight of the story!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
Soooo... undoubtedly Riley Nash is a master of angst, the emotional scars from the Water, Air, Earth, Fire series I still carry with me. But here... here we skirted along the angst, we skirted along the romance and we skirted along the BDSM aspects of the story, that really didn't feel like it worked with Roman's trauma.
Riley's portrayal of Roman's selective mutism, was done really well. I loved how Scout's group adopted Roman, they never stumbled in accepting him talking through sign language and learning themselves so they can communicate.
“I see you, Roman. No one else does, but I do. You want to fight until you’re worn out, and then you want to be so good.”
Scout was certainly sweet and at the start was really putting effort in building trust but then steps were jumped over. I found that Scout assuming Roman was a sub and projecting that idea onto Roman, someone mentally and emotionally scarred, in a constant abuse and having to walk on eggshells through another's emotions, wasn't in the right frame of mind to look into himself and find that part of himself. Not only that, but Scout also decided on having it on camera, without even having a trial off of it.
'Is it a Dom thing to feel your sub’s fingers deep in your chest, prying it apart until—even though he’s the one kneeling and collared—you’re the one who’s humbled and broken open?'
Along those lines plus the seemingly little time that they actually spend together on practically the first half of the book, if not easily the 3/4ths we also had a romance that was at its beginning and not the ILUs that were said.
Anyways... the writing was incredible and it really showed in the best secondary characters ever, Beck and Dallas. They really were the highlight of the story!
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book.
gloriaworlikar's review against another edition
4.0
Riley Nash is a king of how well he writes stories and makes us fall in love with the characters.
This book depicts a heartbreakingly beautiful story about kink exploration, experiencing trauma and finding the family who will be with you through thick and thin.
Scout & Roman were such a beautiful couple. Scout was bratty, possessive and always thinking to protect the happiness of his people. I loved how Scout was protective of Roman from the time he had his eyes on Roman and also how Roman usually just spoke with Scout. I loved how Roman was scared but deep down he knew Scout will never hurt him or lie to him. Even the BDSM scenes were so well written; I could feel the hurt while reading the flogging scene; Scout's emotions and why Roman felt the need to do his part as a Sub so he could give more money to Scout for his dreams.
Beck & Dallas were my favourites and Tubbs; his relationship with Roman was amazing. I loved their found family.
Can't wait for Beck's & Dallas's books.
This book depicts a heartbreakingly beautiful story about kink exploration, experiencing trauma and finding the family who will be with you through thick and thin.
Scout & Roman were such a beautiful couple. Scout was bratty, possessive and always thinking to protect the happiness of his people. I loved how Scout was protective of Roman from the time he had his eyes on Roman and also how Roman usually just spoke with Scout. I loved how Roman was scared but deep down he knew Scout will never hurt him or lie to him. Even the BDSM scenes were so well written; I could feel the hurt while reading the flogging scene; Scout's emotions and why Roman felt the need to do his part as a Sub so he could give more money to Scout for his dreams.
Beck & Dallas were my favourites and Tubbs; his relationship with Roman was amazing. I loved their found family.
Can't wait for Beck's & Dallas's books.
kaydanielsromance's review against another edition
5.0
My heart is wrecked! I'm blown away by this overwhelming, touching story!!
This is the first book I've read by Riley Nash and I'm reeling in the feels right now. I honestly did not expect the overwhelming depth and heartache mixed in with the love and friendship that I experienced while reading this book. I am floored by the rollercoaster ride I just went on and I am loving it!
Roman, the young man that bruised and battered my heart in the best way, is such a dichotomy when it came to his character. Roman has been abused by his older brother, who is a dirty cop, for years. On top of the physical abuse his brother emotionally abuses him by manipulating and beating his psyche down because Roman is emotionally mute. Living the life he does doesn't help Roman's condition and it breaks my heart on how he truly thinks about himself. It's not until Roman meets Scout and really let's go with him that the beauty of who he is, who he's meant to be really shines through. I wanted to weep so often for Roman, but luckily he had Scout who, even though he's had a tough life, shines bright for everyone around him.
Scout is such a unique individual. Living in a dumpy trailer, camming to support himself, and yet his perspective on life is always upbeat and positive. He is exactly what Roman needs. Scout doesn't have family, except for his best friends and they are absolutely fantastic. I loved their openness and quick friendship especially when Roman couldn't grasp that concept. Roman had been beaten and abused for so long, told he was worthless and no one would want him or like him, trusting Scout and his friends didn't come easy. Break my heart.
The underlying plot of the book is that Scout is looking for a sub to cam with and Roman is the perfect guy. There is so much more to this book than two guys discovering the ins and outs of BDSM, but it was also a beautiful thing to read about both of them walking the path together because it was new.
I really can't get over how touching and emotional this book is. However, it is full of lots of darkness to get to that point, but that is what made it so good. I know already that this book will top one of the best books I'll read this year, it hit that hard. If you are looking to wreck your heart, don't miss it.
This is the first book I've read by Riley Nash and I'm reeling in the feels right now. I honestly did not expect the overwhelming depth and heartache mixed in with the love and friendship that I experienced while reading this book. I am floored by the rollercoaster ride I just went on and I am loving it!
Roman, the young man that bruised and battered my heart in the best way, is such a dichotomy when it came to his character. Roman has been abused by his older brother, who is a dirty cop, for years. On top of the physical abuse his brother emotionally abuses him by manipulating and beating his psyche down because Roman is emotionally mute. Living the life he does doesn't help Roman's condition and it breaks my heart on how he truly thinks about himself. It's not until Roman meets Scout and really let's go with him that the beauty of who he is, who he's meant to be really shines through. I wanted to weep so often for Roman, but luckily he had Scout who, even though he's had a tough life, shines bright for everyone around him.
Scout is such a unique individual. Living in a dumpy trailer, camming to support himself, and yet his perspective on life is always upbeat and positive. He is exactly what Roman needs. Scout doesn't have family, except for his best friends and they are absolutely fantastic. I loved their openness and quick friendship especially when Roman couldn't grasp that concept. Roman had been beaten and abused for so long, told he was worthless and no one would want him or like him, trusting Scout and his friends didn't come easy. Break my heart.
The underlying plot of the book is that Scout is looking for a sub to cam with and Roman is the perfect guy. There is so much more to this book than two guys discovering the ins and outs of BDSM, but it was also a beautiful thing to read about both of them walking the path together because it was new.
I really can't get over how touching and emotional this book is. However, it is full of lots of darkness to get to that point, but that is what made it so good. I know already that this book will top one of the best books I'll read this year, it hit that hard. If you are looking to wreck your heart, don't miss it.
bookswithjen's review against another edition
4.0
I love rileys writing.
Things i loved about this book:
The found family trope
Romans shy demeanor
scouts hilarious banter
Beck & Dallas
However i did feel somewhat confused on their relationship, one moment they met and the next their filming. I wouldve loved to read the build up to the travis beat down. He was such a pos that watching him get his felt like i missed something.
I hope we get a beck and dallas book! Otherwise this was a good book i enjoyed it
Things i loved about this book:
The found family trope
Romans shy demeanor
scouts hilarious banter
Beck & Dallas
However i did feel somewhat confused on their relationship, one moment they met and the next their filming. I wouldve loved to read the build up to the travis beat down. He was such a pos that watching him get his felt like i missed something.
I hope we get a beck and dallas book! Otherwise this was a good book i enjoyed it
book_bermi's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I can’t… I don’t even… there are no words. Seriously, I hecking loved everything about this book. The hurt/comfort. The process of finding your words. The found family. TUBBS. It was just so good. 😍😍😍
gmarie03's review
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
booksafety's review against another edition
4.0
Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.
Roman is another one of those characters I just want to wrap up, hug tight and keep safe for all eternity. He can live in my closet with all the other characters that make me cry every time they utter a single sentence or think about how they'll just have to live a shitty situation because there's nothing better on the horizon for them. Those characters have a direct line to my tear ducts, and they yank on it fucking constantly. I know I cry easily, but damn. He's just the sweetest muscled teddy bear that goes absolutely feral when cornered, and has a habit of biting while angry, stressed, horny or happy. I think we can just say 'he has a habit of biting' after laying it out like that, lol. I still love him though. And I super enjoyed his interactions with Tubs (I think that's the dogs name, anyway), as well as Becks and Dallas. Their blossoming friendship and their acceptance of Roman and everything about him was some of my favorite bits.
“He saw it as soon as he looked at me. I let people do whatever they want to me while I just kneel down and take it. It doesn’t matter that I have a strong body when it’s my head that’s weak.”
This friend group is amazing. None of them have all that much when it comes to material possessions, they're involved in gangs, they live in falling-apart-at-the-seams trailers, they steal and vandalize cars, but they are nothing if not loyal to each other. There's just a blanket acceptance of all that they are. It just goes to show that it doesn't cost a damn thing to be nice, accepting and tolerant of others. it did take me a little while to connect with Scout, but we got there in the end. Even though he's new to the D/s lifestyle and made some (quite serious) mistakes along the way in the scenes with Roman, he wasn't a bad person at all. Just young and inexperienced.
I'm constantly going back and forth with my thoughts on the D/s dynamic with Roman and Scout in this book. One of my thoughts is that these boys shouldn't partake in a power exchange relationship at all. Lack of aftercare, the submissive pushing himself way past the threshold for safewording, etc. If this was done because of a lack of knowledge or understanding by the author, this would either be a DNF or extremely low rating, but I know it's done this way on purpose. These boys are inexperienced, and they make mistakes. That's the point. It's just highly uncomfortable reading it at times. Their D/s relationship, especially the sexual parts, is executed badly, but written well. I honestly confuse myself trying to explain it all. On the other side of this highly confusing coin, I do appreciate reading about a BDSM relationship that isn't based in some rich-person-only kink club. Kink should be for everyone.
I really enjoyed the underlying theme of being willing to do just about anything in order to better your situation. Scout had a really tragic backstory, but he was determined to make it a better one, and he wanted to take his friends with him as he did. Maybe he wasn't quite polished on the outside, but his soul was without a doubt really pure and sweet.
In fear of ending up with a several pages long review, I'll end with this: I love D/s dynamics that fall outside of the 'norm' in terms of perception. In this case, the size difference is reversed from what we often see in these kinds of relationships. Roman is a submissive, as well as being a large man. Scout is a dom, and he's smaller than Roman. Love it. Oh, and I loved the audiobook. Highly recommend.
⚠️ Spoiler alert ⚠️
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 20 and 21
TW/CW
Violence
Drug dealing
Grief
BDSM
Restraints
Impact play
Safewording
Online sex work
Stealing
Poverty
Food insecurity
Vomiting
Physical and verbal abuse
Bullying of a neurodivergent character
Death of a family member (off page)
Mentions of a neglected animal
Tropes & tags
Trailer park
Reverse size difference
Smaller dom, bigger sub
Neurodivergent MC
Online sex work
Found family
Poverty
BDSM
Secret relationship
Power exchange
Pet dog
Abusive family
Hurt/comfort
Roman is another one of those characters I just want to wrap up, hug tight and keep safe for all eternity. He can live in my closet with all the other characters that make me cry every time they utter a single sentence or think about how they'll just have to live a shitty situation because there's nothing better on the horizon for them. Those characters have a direct line to my tear ducts, and they yank on it fucking constantly. I know I cry easily, but damn. He's just the sweetest muscled teddy bear that goes absolutely feral when cornered, and has a habit of biting while angry, stressed, horny or happy. I think we can just say 'he has a habit of biting' after laying it out like that, lol. I still love him though. And I super enjoyed his interactions with Tubs (I think that's the dogs name, anyway), as well as Becks and Dallas. Their blossoming friendship and their acceptance of Roman and everything about him was some of my favorite bits.
“He saw it as soon as he looked at me. I let people do whatever they want to me while I just kneel down and take it. It doesn’t matter that I have a strong body when it’s my head that’s weak.”
This friend group is amazing. None of them have all that much when it comes to material possessions, they're involved in gangs, they live in falling-apart-at-the-seams trailers, they steal and vandalize cars, but they are nothing if not loyal to each other. There's just a blanket acceptance of all that they are. It just goes to show that it doesn't cost a damn thing to be nice, accepting and tolerant of others. it did take me a little while to connect with Scout, but we got there in the end. Even though he's new to the D/s lifestyle and made some (quite serious) mistakes along the way in the scenes with Roman, he wasn't a bad person at all. Just young and inexperienced.
I'm constantly going back and forth with my thoughts on the D/s dynamic with Roman and Scout in this book. One of my thoughts is that these boys shouldn't partake in a power exchange relationship at all. Lack of aftercare, the submissive pushing himself way past the threshold for safewording, etc. If this was done because of a lack of knowledge or understanding by the author, this would either be a DNF or extremely low rating, but I know it's done this way on purpose. These boys are inexperienced, and they make mistakes. That's the point. It's just highly uncomfortable reading it at times. Their D/s relationship, especially the sexual parts, is executed badly, but written well. I honestly confuse myself trying to explain it all. On the other side of this highly confusing coin, I do appreciate reading about a BDSM relationship that isn't based in some rich-person-only kink club. Kink should be for everyone.
I really enjoyed the underlying theme of being willing to do just about anything in order to better your situation. Scout had a really tragic backstory, but he was determined to make it a better one, and he wanted to take his friends with him as he did. Maybe he wasn't quite polished on the outside, but his soul was without a doubt really pure and sweet.
In fear of ending up with a several pages long review, I'll end with this: I love D/s dynamics that fall outside of the 'norm' in terms of perception. In this case, the size difference is reversed from what we often see in these kinds of relationships. Roman is a submissive, as well as being a large man. Scout is a dom, and he's smaller than Roman. Love it. Oh, and I loved the audiobook. Highly recommend.
⚠️ Spoiler alert ⚠️
Book safety
Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 20 and 21
TW/CW
Violence
Drug dealing
Grief
BDSM
Restraints
Impact play
Safewording
Online sex work
Stealing
Poverty
Food insecurity
Vomiting
Physical and verbal abuse
Bullying of a neurodivergent character
Death of a family member (off page)
Mentions of a neglected animal
Tropes & tags
Trailer park
Reverse size difference
Smaller dom, bigger sub
Neurodivergent MC
Online sex work
Found family
Poverty
BDSM
Secret relationship
Power exchange
Pet dog
Abusive family
Hurt/comfort
mila_readsmm's review against another edition
3.0
***3.0 rating***
"I wish I could know them long enough to become their friend, for them to hear my voice. But the good people in your life disappear before you can say goodbye, while the bad ones last forever"
So this was my first read by Riley Nash. I haven't read their previous books before, therefore I wasn't sure what to expect going into this. It's always that way for me when I start a series by an author whose books I've never read.
So what was the verdict?
This book was full of hurt/comfort and angst. I liked that aspect of the book. Roman was a broken man who has been abused by his "brother" most of his life and when Scout comes into his life, he begins to believe that perhaps there could be more for him out there, more than this miserable life that his abuser has created for him. However, while the angst was captured well, I found the romance lacking.
Scout and his BDSM relationship with Roman felt shallow (in the beginning) and even later on in the book, when the author tried to portray their "deep bond". I failed to connect with them and their romance. Was Scout a shining beacon of hope for Roman? Absolutely but the romance still felt lacking. The BDSM concept of the relationship also just felt like a subplot. As a reader, I didn't quite understand Scout's need to be a Dom or why he preferred BDSM other than to fulfill his sexual needs. The book felt more about Roman than Scout. I would have liked to know more about Scout than just a guy that lives in a trailer parker and occasionally jerks off on camera for horny men.
Beck and Dallas were a nice addition to the series. The gang subplot certainly could have been explored more. Either way, I am still going to continue with the series because Dallas has intrigued me. The boys and their friendship were the highlight of the book for me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
"I wish I could know them long enough to become their friend, for them to hear my voice. But the good people in your life disappear before you can say goodbye, while the bad ones last forever"
So this was my first read by Riley Nash. I haven't read their previous books before, therefore I wasn't sure what to expect going into this. It's always that way for me when I start a series by an author whose books I've never read.
So what was the verdict?
This book was full of hurt/comfort and angst. I liked that aspect of the book. Roman was a broken man who has been abused by his "brother" most of his life and when Scout comes into his life, he begins to believe that perhaps there could be more for him out there, more than this miserable life that his abuser has created for him. However, while the angst was captured well, I found the romance lacking.
Scout and his BDSM relationship with Roman felt shallow (in the beginning) and even later on in the book, when the author tried to portray their "deep bond". I failed to connect with them and their romance. Was Scout a shining beacon of hope for Roman? Absolutely but the romance still felt lacking. The BDSM concept of the relationship also just felt like a subplot. As a reader, I didn't quite understand Scout's need to be a Dom or why he preferred BDSM other than to fulfill his sexual needs. The book felt more about Roman than Scout. I would have liked to know more about Scout than just a guy that lives in a trailer parker and occasionally jerks off on camera for horny men.
Beck and Dallas were a nice addition to the series. The gang subplot certainly could have been explored more. Either way, I am still going to continue with the series because Dallas has intrigued me. The boys and their friendship were the highlight of the book for me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
ryann_eliza's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25