What do you think?
Rate this book
Infidelity #1
The Good Liar
Six years ago, Jasper Des Moines traded in the only life he knew. In order to keep a promise and a secret, he walked from the only man he’d ever loved.
Now, he has a career in need of constant defending, a best friend who knows nothing about his past, and a husband he should love. He has the life he believes he deserves.
Until one day, the unfinished business he’d left behind catches up with him, and he’s faced with the one man he’d never been able to resist or forget.
Cole Kincaid arrives in New York City with ulterior motives, but good intentions. He simply wants a place in Jasper’s world again. And if Jasper is happy, then so is he. But as the truth of Jasper’s new life unfolds, the role Cole wants to play in it begins to shift.
He soon reminds himself that Jasper belongs to him, and no promises made before God to a man who isn’t him will ever change that.
Cole’s presence threatens the carefully constructed life of penance Jasper has created. And while Jasper is focused on maintaining the existence he’d rightfully earned, Cole tempts him with the existence he actually wants.
Tragedy might have torn them apart, but lies will bring them together again.
**The Good Liar is Book 1 in the Infidelity series. Each book features a new couple, can be read as a stand-alone, and ends with a HEA. Themes include possessiveness, jealousy, and second chances. Both MCs are consenting adults. Please use the “Look Inside” feature for a full list of tropes and trigger warnings.
Now, he has a career in need of constant defending, a best friend who knows nothing about his past, and a husband he should love. He has the life he believes he deserves.
Until one day, the unfinished business he’d left behind catches up with him, and he’s faced with the one man he’d never been able to resist or forget.
Cole Kincaid arrives in New York City with ulterior motives, but good intentions. He simply wants a place in Jasper’s world again. And if Jasper is happy, then so is he. But as the truth of Jasper’s new life unfolds, the role Cole wants to play in it begins to shift.
He soon reminds himself that Jasper belongs to him, and no promises made before God to a man who isn’t him will ever change that.
Cole’s presence threatens the carefully constructed life of penance Jasper has created. And while Jasper is focused on maintaining the existence he’d rightfully earned, Cole tempts him with the existence he actually wants.
Tragedy might have torn them apart, but lies will bring them together again.
**The Good Liar is Book 1 in the Infidelity series. Each book features a new couple, can be read as a stand-alone, and ends with a HEA. Themes include possessiveness, jealousy, and second chances. Both MCs are consenting adults. Please use the “Look Inside” feature for a full list of tropes and trigger warnings.
331 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 15, 2023
About the author
C.P. Harris
8 books770 followersWhen not writing, C.P. Harris can be found reading about the flawed, possessive characters often reflected in her own work. She prefers her love stories a tad complicated, with a happily ever after well worth the struggle it took to get there. If possessive, steamy, messy love is your jam, C.P. may be the author for you.
Sign up for her newsletter to stay up to date: https://www.cpharrisauthor.com/#newsl...
Join her Facebook group to take part in the fun: facebook.com/groups/CPSGRAYAREAS
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CPSGR...
IG: @authorCPharris
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/c-p-h...
Sign up for her newsletter to stay up to date: https://www.cpharrisauthor.com/#newsl...
Join her Facebook group to take part in the fun: facebook.com/groups/CPSGRAYAREAS
https://www.facebook.com/groups/CPSGR...
IG: @authorCPharris
https://www.bookbub.com/profile/c-p-h...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 501 reviews
March 17, 2023
others: *rounding up their ratings to be gracious*
me: *graciously slaps 1 star*
me: *graciously slaps 1 star*
![Profile Image for Lilly [Hiatus due to School] .](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1663899589i/10381707._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
March 15, 2023
“This love is a forever kind of thing, angel,” I quoted back to him. “And I love you so much my heart hurts with it.”
The Good Liar is the first book in C.P. Harris's new series Infidelity. Jasper and Cole were raised as brothers when Jasper's mother and Cole's father married. These two formed a bond deeper than brothers and deeper than lovers as they grew up together.
I loved the possessiveness between these two. They were so unhinged with their love for one another. Driving away anything and anyone that came near the other. It did not matter who. The jealousy was insane. I loved that they weren't enemies, that once as children they became close, their love as brothers evolved to something more. I am all for enemies to lovers, but when it comes to step brothers I really love it when they're already close.
"I’d always needed to be the source of Cole’s happiness. The sole object of his affection and desire. Even when we were apart. Even when I wouldn’t admit it to myself. And he’d always needed to feel like he was corrupting up an angel, dirtying me up and stealing my innocence from me."
Jasper is filled with guilt, self-loathing and is emotionally volatile despite being successful and married. His past still haunts him; despite appearing as a well adjusted adult on the outside, he is not whole. He balances different jobs and charities and teaches at at his alma mater. However, everything starts to become distorted when his brother, whom he left and disappeared on, reappears in his life. Cole is the successful heir to a mega-tech corporation that is branching out to different markets and fields. He moves the headquarters to New York City, bringing Jasper's husband's law firm in as he slowly re-enters his brother's life.
These two dance around one another. They want to be together, and you can see it in their eyes, the touching, that need to be within one another's grasp, even if it means having an affair. Their love for one another has not waned in their separation. It's still as strong but now weaved in are guilt, anger, and resentment.
The sex was animalistic and raw. The primal passion that ignites between these two is just…no words. Their lovemaking is rough, violent, kinky and all-consuming. Nothing holds these two back once they are in each other's arms. That first scene when they finally give into one another *chef kiss*. I also loved the variety of kinks, especially the scene with somnophilia! I discovered this kink last year, and I do not often come across it outside of specific erotic works, so it was a delight reading it! I can go on and on about C.P. Harris ability to write some of the best sex scenes I have read in a long time.
I also loved how caring and so sweet Cole was. Seriously Jasper had major issues but goodness Cole, as messed up as he was, he was always waiting and ready to take Jasper back. I wanted to shake him a few times to be honest.
Loved seeing the growth these two go through. They have dealt with trauma and loss, but both realize at their own pace, they need to get help and seek therapy to deal with the suffocating guilt that keeps them prisoner. I really like how that was addressed in this story. These boys, especially Jasper, needed to let go of that guilt before they could truly be together again.
The writing! I've stated this before but C.P. Harris has a gift. Their writing is amazing and keeps you riveted, making it hard to put their book down. One more chapter ends up being ten more in my case.
Also I'm curious to know what is happening with Leland and Franklin!? What is their history? What is their story!? I love the best friend's father trope so I absolutely can't wait for their book.
Finally, don't let the cheating stop you from picking up this amazing story. I normally do not read romance with cheating but I learned over time that if it's not between the MCs and their love story is compelling enough I can. These two were meant to be together no matter what, and despite Jasper being married, you will soon learn things aren't what they seem. So I would say give it a chance if cheating is not what you normally read.
"Lies may have brought us back together, but love would keep us bound."
Overall this was another wonderful story from C.P. Harris. If you enjoy possessive/jealous MCs, step brothers to lovers, second chances, light kink, and high steam, I can't recommend The Good Liar enough!
The Good Liar is the first book in C.P. Harris's new series Infidelity. Jasper and Cole were raised as brothers when Jasper's mother and Cole's father married. These two formed a bond deeper than brothers and deeper than lovers as they grew up together.
I loved the possessiveness between these two. They were so unhinged with their love for one another. Driving away anything and anyone that came near the other. It did not matter who. The jealousy was insane. I loved that they weren't enemies, that once as children they became close, their love as brothers evolved to something more. I am all for enemies to lovers, but when it comes to step brothers I really love it when they're already close.
"I’d always needed to be the source of Cole’s happiness. The sole object of his affection and desire. Even when we were apart. Even when I wouldn’t admit it to myself. And he’d always needed to feel like he was corrupting up an angel, dirtying me up and stealing my innocence from me."
Jasper is filled with guilt, self-loathing and is emotionally volatile despite being successful and married. His past still haunts him; despite appearing as a well adjusted adult on the outside, he is not whole. He balances different jobs and charities and teaches at at his alma mater. However, everything starts to become distorted when his brother, whom he left and disappeared on, reappears in his life. Cole is the successful heir to a mega-tech corporation that is branching out to different markets and fields. He moves the headquarters to New York City, bringing Jasper's husband's law firm in as he slowly re-enters his brother's life.
These two dance around one another. They want to be together, and you can see it in their eyes, the touching, that need to be within one another's grasp, even if it means having an affair. Their love for one another has not waned in their separation. It's still as strong but now weaved in are guilt, anger, and resentment.
The sex was animalistic and raw. The primal passion that ignites between these two is just…no words. Their lovemaking is rough, violent, kinky and all-consuming. Nothing holds these two back once they are in each other's arms. That first scene when they finally give into one another *chef kiss*. I also loved the variety of kinks, especially the scene with somnophilia! I discovered this kink last year, and I do not often come across it outside of specific erotic works, so it was a delight reading it! I can go on and on about C.P. Harris ability to write some of the best sex scenes I have read in a long time.
"I had been the body he improved his art on. I’d gotten to see and feel the changes as we both grew into our sexuality. There was power that came with that. A possessiveness, too. His abilities belonged to me. I drank to keep from launching myself at him."
"I needed to lose control, to have it stolen from me. I needed to be robbed of free will. I was a ball of repression, of pent up aggression, and he was pleasant, a tranquil sea, when what I needed was a fucking tornado to come through and rip everything down to its foundation, including me. I needed him to be Cole."
I also loved how caring and so sweet Cole was. Seriously Jasper had major issues but goodness Cole, as messed up as he was, he was always waiting and ready to take Jasper back. I wanted to shake him a few times to be honest.
“I’ll forgive every imaginable sin against me that your martyr's heart will conjure up. I’m telling you this now because I know how your mind works, Jasper. And when our time comes, I don’t want a moment of it wasted on you beating yourself up. There isn’t anything I couldn’t forgive you for. There is nothing to forgive.”
Loved seeing the growth these two go through. They have dealt with trauma and loss, but both realize at their own pace, they need to get help and seek therapy to deal with the suffocating guilt that keeps them prisoner. I really like how that was addressed in this story. These boys, especially Jasper, needed to let go of that guilt before they could truly be together again.
The writing! I've stated this before but C.P. Harris has a gift. Their writing is amazing and keeps you riveted, making it hard to put their book down. One more chapter ends up being ten more in my case.
Also I'm curious to know what is happening with Leland and Franklin!? What is their history? What is their story!? I love the best friend's father trope so I absolutely can't wait for their book.
Finally, don't let the cheating stop you from picking up this amazing story. I normally do not read romance with cheating but I learned over time that if it's not between the MCs and their love story is compelling enough I can. These two were meant to be together no matter what, and despite Jasper being married, you will soon learn things aren't what they seem. So I would say give it a chance if cheating is not what you normally read.
"Lies may have brought us back together, but love would keep us bound."
Overall this was another wonderful story from C.P. Harris. If you enjoy possessive/jealous MCs, step brothers to lovers, second chances, light kink, and high steam, I can't recommend The Good Liar enough!
May 11, 2023
***4.5 rating***
"A storm could've blown through the windows right then, and we'd kept fucking as shards of glass rained down on us. A war could have raged around us at that very moment, and we'd fuck to our deaths. Not even a fire burning through the building, scorching and tumbling the walls, burying us in its wreckage could've stopped the unbreakable reconnection we were forging. I'd have risked my life through it all to see things through."
Don't let your husband stop you from finding/reconnecting with your soulmate.😈😈
Summary:
Jasper Des Moines is an attractive lawyer who is "happily" married and lives with his husband, Daniel Ward, an ambitious attorney who will stop at nothing to make partner at his law firm in New York City. The two seem to have it all, the marriage, career, and status. However, their perfect bubble bursts when Daniel's firm, Parker & Mitchell, decides to work with the infamous tech corporation Nexom Global.
The CEO and heir to Nexom Global, Cole Kincaid, eventually meets Daniel's husband at a party. Unbeknownst to Daniel, who thinks he is reuniting the brothers, Jasper and Cole already know each other and are, in fact, more than just "brothers." Shocked by the turn of events, Jasper never thought he would see Cole again, much less at his husband's party. Jasper's past and present life collide, bringing back deep feelings and memories he wishes to forget.
Cole Kincaid, the broodingly handsome CEO, never thought he would see his former lover and stepbrother, Jasper, again. So when he was presented with the opportunity to see him under false pretenses, of course, he took the opportunity to see Jasper. Cole, after all, will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if that something happens to be someone's husband. He is ruthless both in his professional and private life. His company's collaboration with Daniel's firm is just a means to an end. It was sadly a tragedy and misunderstanding that tore these stepbrothers and lovers apart. Therefore, Cole wants Jasper and will do whatever it takes to have him.
With Cole back in his life, it is no wonder that Jasper gravitates toward Cole. The attraction, lust, and love are still there. Cole is everything he craves and missing from his life.
"Daniel wasn't domineering, jealous, or possessive. None of the unhealthy things I occasionally craved but didn't need. He was ambitious, funny, smart, and generous with me. I should've loved him. I did love him."
In fact, with Cole appearing at his job and every aspect of his life, it's hard to resist the temptation that is Cole Kincaid. Cole and Jasper's "affair" was inevitable, so much so that Daniel becomes an afterthought. Indeed to be ravaged and consumed by Cole is a life-altering experience. Their love and sex are chaotic, addictive, rough, and passionate.
Guilt and self-loathing consume Jasper, but not enough to stop him from seeing Cole. Likewise, Cole is enraged with jealousy and possessiveness, which makes him lose control and act irrationally. Cole despises Daniel, and the affair becomes too much for him to bear. He wants Jasper in public and private. He wants all of him, and not having him is causing both of them grief.
"I wanted him to surprise me at work in the middle of the day because he missed me, and simply because he could. I wanted the privilege of holding his hand around friends and strangers, of letting the world know he was mine. I may have had Jasper's heart, but Daniel got to share a life with him out loud, and it was killing me. I'd been a fool to think it wouldn't."
Evidently, no affair ends well. It becomes too much for both Jasper and Cole, but only some things are as it seems. Can these two finally be together, despite everything they have gone through? Affair and all? One may think so, even if it feels morally wrong at first. C.P. Harris takes the reader on a journey between two men that are stepbrothers who must fight for their love despite the obstacles that have kept them apart for so long.
Tropes: Stepbrothers, second chance, cheating, jealous & possessive MC's, pining, bondage, hurt/comfort, HEA
Thoughts on the Good Liar:
This was my first read by C.P. Harris. Usually, I am not a fan of cheating tropes, but C.P. Harris had me rooting for a cheater and his stepbrother for the first time. The story is exactly what it is about: infidelity, forgiveness, and grief.
As the reader, in the beginning, you feel odd rooting for them to have an affair, but as the story progresses and the motivations of some characters become apparent, you can't help but want Jasper and Cole together.
The way they are jealous, possessive, and consumed by each other is what I love about this book. They know what they are doing is morally "wrong," but it cannot be helped. Their affair isn't just sexual, but it's also heavily filled with angst and passion. There is no doubt that Jasper and Cole love one another, even though, at times, it feels like Cole loves Jasper more. Cole was ready to give it all up for Jasper but Jasper not so much, at least in the beginning. I won't lie; I found Jasper frustrating and annoying, but I know he has issues, and all parties involved need therapy. His guilt and self-loathing is his weakness. His selfishness brought Cole a lot of pain, so that was also frustrating. But despite it all, I wanted them together. For all the reasons they shouldn't be together, C.P. Harris's writing makes you want them together and does a great job at making the characters self-aware, and what they do does indeed have consequences. Every action has a reaction.
"I'd knowingly married a man I deeply cared for but wasn't in love with. I was an adulterer. And Cole was a man willing to take whatever he wanted, no matter the cost. There were hard lessons to be learned from this."
I also didn't feel bad for Daniel; the author will explain why. You won't either. So please don't fret, dear reader; all becomes clear in the end, and our MCs get their HEA.
I recommend this book to anyone that loves angst, second-chance romance, jealousy, and possessiveness. It's all crafted very well. You will not be disappointed. I look forward to reading the upcoming books in this series!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
"A storm could've blown through the windows right then, and we'd kept fucking as shards of glass rained down on us. A war could have raged around us at that very moment, and we'd fuck to our deaths. Not even a fire burning through the building, scorching and tumbling the walls, burying us in its wreckage could've stopped the unbreakable reconnection we were forging. I'd have risked my life through it all to see things through."
Don't let your husband stop you from finding/reconnecting with your soulmate.😈😈
Summary:
Jasper Des Moines is an attractive lawyer who is "happily" married and lives with his husband, Daniel Ward, an ambitious attorney who will stop at nothing to make partner at his law firm in New York City. The two seem to have it all, the marriage, career, and status. However, their perfect bubble bursts when Daniel's firm, Parker & Mitchell, decides to work with the infamous tech corporation Nexom Global.
The CEO and heir to Nexom Global, Cole Kincaid, eventually meets Daniel's husband at a party. Unbeknownst to Daniel, who thinks he is reuniting the brothers, Jasper and Cole already know each other and are, in fact, more than just "brothers." Shocked by the turn of events, Jasper never thought he would see Cole again, much less at his husband's party. Jasper's past and present life collide, bringing back deep feelings and memories he wishes to forget.
Cole Kincaid, the broodingly handsome CEO, never thought he would see his former lover and stepbrother, Jasper, again. So when he was presented with the opportunity to see him under false pretenses, of course, he took the opportunity to see Jasper. Cole, after all, will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if that something happens to be someone's husband. He is ruthless both in his professional and private life. His company's collaboration with Daniel's firm is just a means to an end. It was sadly a tragedy and misunderstanding that tore these stepbrothers and lovers apart. Therefore, Cole wants Jasper and will do whatever it takes to have him.
With Cole back in his life, it is no wonder that Jasper gravitates toward Cole. The attraction, lust, and love are still there. Cole is everything he craves and missing from his life.
"Daniel wasn't domineering, jealous, or possessive. None of the unhealthy things I occasionally craved but didn't need. He was ambitious, funny, smart, and generous with me. I should've loved him. I did love him."
In fact, with Cole appearing at his job and every aspect of his life, it's hard to resist the temptation that is Cole Kincaid. Cole and Jasper's "affair" was inevitable, so much so that Daniel becomes an afterthought. Indeed to be ravaged and consumed by Cole is a life-altering experience. Their love and sex are chaotic, addictive, rough, and passionate.
Guilt and self-loathing consume Jasper, but not enough to stop him from seeing Cole. Likewise, Cole is enraged with jealousy and possessiveness, which makes him lose control and act irrationally. Cole despises Daniel, and the affair becomes too much for him to bear. He wants Jasper in public and private. He wants all of him, and not having him is causing both of them grief.
"I wanted him to surprise me at work in the middle of the day because he missed me, and simply because he could. I wanted the privilege of holding his hand around friends and strangers, of letting the world know he was mine. I may have had Jasper's heart, but Daniel got to share a life with him out loud, and it was killing me. I'd been a fool to think it wouldn't."
Evidently, no affair ends well. It becomes too much for both Jasper and Cole, but only some things are as it seems. Can these two finally be together, despite everything they have gone through? Affair and all? One may think so, even if it feels morally wrong at first. C.P. Harris takes the reader on a journey between two men that are stepbrothers who must fight for their love despite the obstacles that have kept them apart for so long.
Tropes: Stepbrothers, second chance, cheating, jealous & possessive MC's, pining, bondage, hurt/comfort, HEA
Thoughts on the Good Liar:
This was my first read by C.P. Harris. Usually, I am not a fan of cheating tropes, but C.P. Harris had me rooting for a cheater and his stepbrother for the first time. The story is exactly what it is about: infidelity, forgiveness, and grief.
As the reader, in the beginning, you feel odd rooting for them to have an affair, but as the story progresses and the motivations of some characters become apparent, you can't help but want Jasper and Cole together.
The way they are jealous, possessive, and consumed by each other is what I love about this book. They know what they are doing is morally "wrong," but it cannot be helped. Their affair isn't just sexual, but it's also heavily filled with angst and passion. There is no doubt that Jasper and Cole love one another, even though, at times, it feels like Cole loves Jasper more. Cole was ready to give it all up for Jasper but Jasper not so much, at least in the beginning. I won't lie; I found Jasper frustrating and annoying, but I know he has issues, and all parties involved need therapy. His guilt and self-loathing is his weakness. His selfishness brought Cole a lot of pain, so that was also frustrating. But despite it all, I wanted them together. For all the reasons they shouldn't be together, C.P. Harris's writing makes you want them together and does a great job at making the characters self-aware, and what they do does indeed have consequences. Every action has a reaction.
"I'd knowingly married a man I deeply cared for but wasn't in love with. I was an adulterer. And Cole was a man willing to take whatever he wanted, no matter the cost. There were hard lessons to be learned from this."
I also didn't feel bad for Daniel; the author will explain why. You won't either. So please don't fret, dear reader; all becomes clear in the end, and our MCs get their HEA.
I recommend this book to anyone that loves angst, second-chance romance, jealousy, and possessiveness. It's all crafted very well. You will not be disappointed. I look forward to reading the upcoming books in this series!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
March 23, 2023
Oh boy... *cracks knuckles, reaches for a drink...* 🍸
If you loved this, feel free to ignore. Keep on keeping on.
If you're brave and want the tea, keep scrolling.
😐Rating: 3 stars ... I think.
Update: Nope. 2 stars. I can't stop thinking about it and not for good reasons 🤷🏼♀️
3/23: Look who made it to the basement. Welcome to the one star club bay-beee.
THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE. This is a possessive co-dependent over-wrought melodrama surrounding a Great Misunderstanding that stems from bad communication with some rough sex thrown in.
I'll just be over here ducking the wrenches being thrown at me 🔧🔧
Damn but I was so excited for this. 😫
In part, it's possible some of the disappointment is my fault in that I didn't realize that Cole and Jasper had already been together in the past. I don't consider this a spoiler since we find out pretty immediately that they've already been (very) sexually involved. Well. I can count on one hand the number of second chance type 'romances' I've actually liked. So that got me a little worried but I decided to soldier through because for sure the stepbrother thing was going to really take over and sweep me away. Right?
Uh. Not really *dies a little inside*
The heart of the matter is, the entire premise of this book stems, essentially, from a Great Misunderstanding. I HATE WHEN ADULTS DON'T USE THEIR WORDS. Something bad happened, and one of them ran away, then spent 3 years self-flagellating, which included getting married to someone he had no business being in a relationship with.
Leland is the smartest one in this whole book.
Thank you Leland.
I should probably just leave it at that.
...
...
...
...
But I won't, because I'm in a mood about it.
Jasper. He clearly was not getting what he needed in his marriage, on any level. No one deserves a partner that doesn't really care about them, always tries to change them, controls them, and doesn't deliver in the bedroom. Fucking awful and I did feel for him. But... he did also get himself into this situation, and it's hard for me to have sympathy for adults who make obviously dumb decisions.
The self-flagellation was too much for me. If you're that miserable get a damn divorce. Christ on a stale cracker.
Daniel. Holy crap I hate people like him. What a manipulative selfish bastard. But, since we were supposed to hate him (obviously), I don't count that as a negative. What I disliked was the glances back at his machinations. He was so transparent as the villain that this was totally unnecessary.
Cole. Supposedly brilliant, but can't bother to actually seek out this person he supposedly is so incapable of being separated from that as teens they "... walked each other to the bathroom hand in hand in the middle of the night, because we couldn't be apart for not even a minute. If that meant I'd have to hold his cock and aim, well then... We'd done what we had to do to remain connected. Always. " *
Until you became adults and LOST ALL REASON and became utterly unable to communicate?
I don't get it.
*also, bruh, that's...not normal, so maybe don’t brag about it 😬
To twist the knife further, we get very little insight into their younger years together and there's minimal on-page character development. I don't like the hand-wave-y they have a long history just go with it. Lazy imho.
I was also utterly unconvinced that both partners were totally invested in the type of sex they were having. It felt like Jasper needed it and Cole gave it to him because ... idk exactly? I mean, he was into it ... but also it seemed like he was swept up in the possession and knowing what buttons to push on Jasper's switchboard. To be clear I'm perfectly fine with someone being choked to within an inch of his life during raunchy rough sex if they both love it. But... to me, animalistic aggressive sex without emotion is just savagery.
So...
There were two brilliant, shining, beautiful jewels buried in this drama fest that I really did love:
♥️: The pinky-holding under the table.
♥️: Cole trying to develop a robotic heart because of what happened to Selene. *melts...*
Lovely. But sadly not enough to right the sinking ship.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I didn't count this in my low rating but BY GOD I hate it when men's hands are described as "thin" and "delicate". Blegh.
If you loved this, feel free to ignore. Keep on keeping on.
If you're brave and want the tea, keep scrolling.
😐
3/23: Look who made it to the basement. Welcome to the one star club bay-beee.
THIS IS NOT A ROMANCE. This is a possessive co-dependent over-wrought melodrama surrounding a Great Misunderstanding that stems from bad communication with some rough sex thrown in.
I'll just be over here ducking the wrenches being thrown at me 🔧🔧
Damn but I was so excited for this. 😫
In part, it's possible some of the disappointment is my fault in that I didn't realize that Cole and Jasper had already been together in the past. I don't consider this a spoiler since we find out pretty immediately that they've already been (very) sexually involved. Well. I can count on one hand the number of second chance type 'romances' I've actually liked. So that got me a little worried but I decided to soldier through because for sure the stepbrother thing was going to really take over and sweep me away. Right?
Uh. Not really *dies a little inside*
The heart of the matter is, the entire premise of this book stems, essentially, from a Great Misunderstanding. I HATE WHEN ADULTS DON'T USE THEIR WORDS. Something bad happened, and one of them ran away, then spent 3 years self-flagellating, which included getting married to someone he had no business being in a relationship with.
Leland is the smartest one in this whole book.
"So what if you two used to be stepbrothers? Bigger scandals have been over-come.... If that's what's keeping you two apart, you're both idiots."
Thank you Leland.
I should probably just leave it at that.
...
...
...
...
But I won't, because I'm in a mood about it.
Jasper. He clearly was not getting what he needed in his marriage, on any level. No one deserves a partner that doesn't really care about them, always tries to change them, controls them, and doesn't deliver in the bedroom. Fucking awful and I did feel for him. But... he did also get himself into this situation, and it's hard for me to have sympathy for adults who make obviously dumb decisions.
The self-flagellation was too much for me. If you're that miserable get a damn divorce. Christ on a stale cracker.
Daniel. Holy crap I hate people like him. What a manipulative selfish bastard. But, since we were supposed to hate him (obviously), I don't count that as a negative. What I disliked was the glances back at his machinations. He was so transparent as the villain that this was totally unnecessary.
Cole. Supposedly brilliant, but can't bother to actually seek out this person he supposedly is so incapable of being separated from that as teens they "... walked each other to the bathroom hand in hand in the middle of the night, because we couldn't be apart for not even a minute. If that meant I'd have to hold his cock and aim, well then... We'd done what we had to do to remain connected. Always. " *
Until you became adults and LOST ALL REASON and became utterly unable to communicate?
I don't get it.
*also, bruh, that's...not normal, so maybe don’t brag about it 😬
To twist the knife further, we get very little insight into their younger years together and there's minimal on-page character development. I don't like the hand-wave-y they have a long history just go with it. Lazy imho.
I was also utterly unconvinced that both partners were totally invested in the type of sex they were having. It felt like Jasper needed it and Cole gave it to him because ... idk exactly? I mean, he was into it ... but also it seemed like he was swept up in the possession and knowing what buttons to push on Jasper's switchboard. To be clear I'm perfectly fine with someone being choked to within an inch of his life during raunchy rough sex if they both love it. But... to me, animalistic aggressive sex without emotion is just savagery.
So...
There were two brilliant, shining, beautiful jewels buried in this drama fest that I really did love:
♥️: The pinky-holding under the table.
"I focused on what I could do to help Jasper right then, and discreetly slid the hand closest to him under the table, searching out his fingers, then hooking my pinky around his and squeezed."
♥️: Cole trying to develop a robotic heart because of what happened to Selene. *melts...*
Lovely. But sadly not enough to right the sinking ship.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I didn't count this in my low rating but BY GOD I hate it when men's hands are described as "thin" and "delicate". Blegh.
March 20, 2023
It almost physically hurts me and I had bad dreams last night when I subconsciously went through the book again, but more than two stars is not doable. My tendency was towards 3 stars most of the time, but the more I think about it, the worse I feel with a better rating.
For goodness sake, the rating is not directed at the author. I love C.P. Harris, his writing style and his crazy obsessed characters. But all that is unfortunately not enough for this book.
For all those who loved Bad Wrong Things, this doesn't match up, it's a lukewarm rehash at most. 😭😭😭
I'll start with what I liked, otherwise I'll forget that there were nice things:
❤️ Cole's unconditional support of Jasper's charitable commitment and his dreams is beautiful.
❤️ Cole's lack of control, his obsession when it comes to Jasper, his inexhaustible love for him.
BUT - it is also too much …
❤️ I loved the quieter moments between the two of them, when they were reminiscing over good memories, or pursuing their love of horses.
BUT - these moments were far too short
My ranting:
😤 DANIEL - Yes every good story needs a villain, but honestly, this character is so the worst ...
😤 The flashbacks from Daniel's POV - because completely superfluous and just annoying, they have hardly any content and the guiding, which they should probably give the plot, you understand even without these "hidden" hints.
😒 In this context, the shocking revelation at the end ... boring, because it was obvious.
😒 Jasper's constant whining about his guilt. Yes, I understand that we need that to understand the character, but it can be made shorter and doesn't need to be addressed in every chapter. His progression out of his guilt doesn't make for much authenticity either, because there was no hint of a positive progression earlier.
😡 Jasper's unconditional support of Daniel. Grrr. Jasper is portrayed as a man with a big heart, it's logical that he lets his husband get away with a lot and only wants to see the good in him - I had thought of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader ... but only briefly. But Daniel is such a huge scumbag, the "subtle" insults he throws at Jasper should make a person like Jasper think. After that statement by Daniel, I would have skinned him alive: “And hey,” he said, “at least when you can’t keep the lights on, because defending lowlifes who can’t afford to pay you doesn’t cover the bills, you can always pull at your brother’s purse strings.” - But Jasper jut sits there 😡😡😡
Let’s talk about the sex:
The first kiss, wow, obsessively perfect. Unfortunately Jasper was totally drunk.
The first sex scene, perfectly in the style of C.P. Harris. Therefore, what you can expect, animalistic and filthy.
Who knows me, smut is my middle name, I'm not squeamish either. But, what's this for Thanksgiving? Did I miss somewhere that this kind of kink was on the program? I was a little shocked and then irritated because it wasn't described in any sensible way at all. I think, that if I'm going to involve blood play (it’s in the trigger warnings, but it’s not a topic in the book before, I think) as an author, I should have the balls to show it off in detail. As it was, I didn't get what was actually going on. And the double penetration was completely off for me. I didn't feel it ... sorry.
I'll stop at this point because I don't like anymore.
For goodness sake, the rating is not directed at the author. I love C.P. Harris, his writing style and his crazy obsessed characters. But all that is unfortunately not enough for this book.
For all those who loved Bad Wrong Things, this doesn't match up, it's a lukewarm rehash at most. 😭😭😭
I'll start with what I liked, otherwise I'll forget that there were nice things:
❤️ Cole's unconditional support of Jasper's charitable commitment and his dreams is beautiful.
❤️ Cole's lack of control, his obsession when it comes to Jasper, his inexhaustible love for him.
BUT - it is also too much …
❤️ I loved the quieter moments between the two of them, when they were reminiscing over good memories, or pursuing their love of horses.
BUT - these moments were far too short
My ranting:
😤 DANIEL - Yes every good story needs a villain, but honestly, this character is so the worst ...
😤 The flashbacks from Daniel's POV - because completely superfluous and just annoying, they have hardly any content and the guiding, which they should probably give the plot, you understand even without these "hidden" hints.
😒 In this context, the shocking revelation at the end ... boring, because it was obvious.
😒 Jasper's constant whining about his guilt. Yes, I understand that we need that to understand the character, but it can be made shorter and doesn't need to be addressed in every chapter. His progression out of his guilt doesn't make for much authenticity either, because there was no hint of a positive progression earlier.
😡 Jasper's unconditional support of Daniel. Grrr. Jasper is portrayed as a man with a big heart, it's logical that he lets his husband get away with a lot and only wants to see the good in him - I had thought of Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader ... but only briefly. But Daniel is such a huge scumbag, the "subtle" insults he throws at Jasper should make a person like Jasper think. After that statement by Daniel, I would have skinned him alive: “And hey,” he said, “at least when you can’t keep the lights on, because defending lowlifes who can’t afford to pay you doesn’t cover the bills, you can always pull at your brother’s purse strings.” - But Jasper jut sits there 😡😡😡
Let’s talk about the sex:
The first kiss, wow, obsessively perfect. Unfortunately Jasper was totally drunk.
The first sex scene, perfectly in the style of C.P. Harris. Therefore, what you can expect, animalistic and filthy.
Who knows me, smut is my middle name, I'm not squeamish either. But, what's this for Thanksgiving? Did I miss somewhere that this kind of kink was on the program? I was a little shocked and then irritated because it wasn't described in any sensible way at all. I think, that if I'm going to involve blood play (it’s in the trigger warnings, but it’s not a topic in the book before, I think) as an author, I should have the balls to show it off in detail. As it was, I didn't get what was actually going on. And the double penetration was completely off for me. I didn't feel it ... sorry.
I'll stop at this point because I don't like anymore.
March 11, 2023
Cole and Jasper are stepbrothers. Their parents got married when they were young and they have always had a special bond. Eventually that bond turned into more. The possessiveness in this book is top tier. *chef's kiss*
When we were boys, we’d link our pinkies under the dinner table. I’d had to learn how to eat left-handed. When we were near it had been impossible not to touch, not to hold, not to love.
Unfortunately, when they were at home from college, their relationship was discovered and something tragic happened. Jasper blames himself for what occurred and decided that he had to go away from Cole.
It killed me to be this pathetic, this needy, this unfair and irrational. After everything I should’ve wanted him happy and content, but I could only muster up the imperfect part of me who wanted him stagnant and mine. Even if I couldn’t give him the same. I wanted him to say he’d never wanted anyone but me, ever.
I’d always needed to be the source of Cole’s happiness. The sole object of his affection and desire. Even when we were apart. Even when I wouldn’t admit it to myself.
To this day, all these years later, Jasper still doesn’t think he deserves any happiness. He lives in New York and he’s married to Daniel. Daniel is an attorney and his sole goal in life is to rise to the top and he’ll do anything to make that happen. Cole makes a business decision to move his company's headquarters to New York. In that process, he hires Daniel to help him with some legal matters and Daniel brings Cole back into Jasper’s life.
I’ve experienced more happiness here, even during moments of private misery, than I have in all the years I’ve spent without you.
There is so much tension between Cole and Jasper right from the start. They have so much history and feelings that were never properly dealt with from when they parted ways.
He was a slut, a virgin, the devil, and an angel rolled into one. A case study in contradictions, leaving my cock hard and my heart soft as putty. I wanted to break him, and then piece his fractured parts back together again.
Cole loves Jasper and wants him back, but he knows it has to be Jasper’s decision. They know one another better than anyone else.
I didn’t know how to touch him in a nonproprietary way. I didn’t know how to mate with him and not brand him, too. And he’d loved it. Wanted and needed it as much as I had.
Let me tell you, when they finally get together OMG. These two are hot as hell. Sooooo dirty. Lots of cum play. Have a fan nearby.
I shouldn't have found his constant harsh treatment of my body erotic. Shouldn’t have reveled in feeling like a piece of meat, or property. But I did, and I was helpless to do anything about it.
Eventually, a number of things happen and Jasper finally realizes he’s been tormenting himself for something that was out of his control.
I was never a fan of Daniel in this, but he really goes the extra mile to be a dick later on. Good riddance. And that scene towards the end, where he shows up at Cole’s. LOVED IT.
This book was INCREDIBLE. I’m obsessed with it. I can’t wait for the next one. This is definitely one of my favorites for the year.
*** I received an ARC of this book from the author and this is my honest opinion. ***
When we were boys, we’d link our pinkies under the dinner table. I’d had to learn how to eat left-handed. When we were near it had been impossible not to touch, not to hold, not to love.
Unfortunately, when they were at home from college, their relationship was discovered and something tragic happened. Jasper blames himself for what occurred and decided that he had to go away from Cole.
It killed me to be this pathetic, this needy, this unfair and irrational. After everything I should’ve wanted him happy and content, but I could only muster up the imperfect part of me who wanted him stagnant and mine. Even if I couldn’t give him the same. I wanted him to say he’d never wanted anyone but me, ever.
I’d always needed to be the source of Cole’s happiness. The sole object of his affection and desire. Even when we were apart. Even when I wouldn’t admit it to myself.
To this day, all these years later, Jasper still doesn’t think he deserves any happiness. He lives in New York and he’s married to Daniel. Daniel is an attorney and his sole goal in life is to rise to the top and he’ll do anything to make that happen. Cole makes a business decision to move his company's headquarters to New York. In that process, he hires Daniel to help him with some legal matters and Daniel brings Cole back into Jasper’s life.
I’ve experienced more happiness here, even during moments of private misery, than I have in all the years I’ve spent without you.
There is so much tension between Cole and Jasper right from the start. They have so much history and feelings that were never properly dealt with from when they parted ways.
He was a slut, a virgin, the devil, and an angel rolled into one. A case study in contradictions, leaving my cock hard and my heart soft as putty. I wanted to break him, and then piece his fractured parts back together again.
Cole loves Jasper and wants him back, but he knows it has to be Jasper’s decision. They know one another better than anyone else.
I didn’t know how to touch him in a nonproprietary way. I didn’t know how to mate with him and not brand him, too. And he’d loved it. Wanted and needed it as much as I had.
Let me tell you, when they finally get together OMG. These two are hot as hell. Sooooo dirty. Lots of cum play. Have a fan nearby.
I shouldn't have found his constant harsh treatment of my body erotic. Shouldn’t have reveled in feeling like a piece of meat, or property. But I did, and I was helpless to do anything about it.
Eventually, a number of things happen and Jasper finally realizes he’s been tormenting himself for something that was out of his control.
I was never a fan of Daniel in this, but he really goes the extra mile to be a dick later on. Good riddance. And that scene towards the end, where he shows up at Cole’s. LOVED IT.
This book was INCREDIBLE. I’m obsessed with it. I can’t wait for the next one. This is definitely one of my favorites for the year.
*** I received an ARC of this book from the author and this is my honest opinion. ***
Read
March 19, 2023***no rating***
dnf @50% and skimming through the rest
Well, this wasn’t for me. It’s an intense second chance romance —basically one of my favorite tropes bc it usually has everything I crave in my romances. Sadly this story wasn’t able to get me excited at all. I struggled hard to get into it and find a connection to the story as well as Jasper and Cole, our two main characters and former stepbrothers (and more) —and I honestly couldn’t make myself care about them or their love story.
I don’t like possessiveness and obsession and the irrational thinking and behavior that comes with it very much in my romances and Jasper and Cole's relationship with each other felt unhealthy and toxic to me.
The last nail in the coffin that was my enjoyment was Another trope I simply don’t like.
I guess there is nothing wrong with this book in general, but in the end, this wasn’t my cuppa. So, no rating.
************
Infidelity Series:
Book 1 - The Good Liar - dnf
Book 2 - The Infidelist - release 08/23
Book 3 - The Caretaker
dnf @50% and skimming through the rest
Well, this wasn’t for me. It’s an intense second chance romance —basically one of my favorite tropes bc it usually has everything I crave in my romances. Sadly this story wasn’t able to get me excited at all. I struggled hard to get into it and find a connection to the story as well as Jasper and Cole, our two main characters and former stepbrothers (and more) —and I honestly couldn’t make myself care about them or their love story.
I don’t like possessiveness and obsession and the irrational thinking and behavior that comes with it very much in my romances and Jasper and Cole's relationship with each other felt unhealthy and toxic to me.
The last nail in the coffin that was my enjoyment was Another trope I simply don’t like.
I guess there is nothing wrong with this book in general, but in the end, this wasn’t my cuppa. So, no rating.
************
Infidelity Series:
Book 1 - The Good Liar - dnf
Book 2 - The Infidelist - release 08/23
Book 3 - The Caretaker
Read
March 18, 2023DNF at around 30% - I’m sorry, I don’t care about the characters at all, even though I like the writing.
I mean - this book is all over goodreads right now, and you probably saw that people either love or hate it.
I’m not sure I’m what category I would have fallen into, had I pushed through. But I didn’t, that’s why I won’t rate it. Why, you ask?
First of all, the plot felt like a telenovela. And I don’t like telenovelas, like… AT ALL. They’re addictive (and the writing IS addictive), but all these extreme characters are… tiresome. Cole is INSANELY rich, Jasper is DEEPLY tormented (and doormatiest doormat possible), and Daniel, his husband, is ABSOLUTELY spineless and manipulative.
On top of that, there’s THE BIG TRAGEDY in the past that tore them apart, they didn’t talk AT ALL for years, and as soon as they meet again, they start holding pinky fingers under the table. And even though they haven’t seen each other in years, they’re both insanely possessive and jealous.
I’m sure the steamy scenes (they are about to happen) are hot, but I really struggled with the characters so far, that’s why I’ll call it quits. Maybe it’s just not the right book for my right now.
I mean - this book is all over goodreads right now, and you probably saw that people either love or hate it.
I’m not sure I’m what category I would have fallen into, had I pushed through. But I didn’t, that’s why I won’t rate it. Why, you ask?
First of all, the plot felt like a telenovela. And I don’t like telenovelas, like… AT ALL. They’re addictive (and the writing IS addictive), but all these extreme characters are… tiresome. Cole is INSANELY rich, Jasper is DEEPLY tormented (and doormatiest doormat possible), and Daniel, his husband, is ABSOLUTELY spineless and manipulative.
On top of that, there’s THE BIG TRAGEDY in the past that tore them apart, they didn’t talk AT ALL for years, and as soon as they meet again, they start holding pinky fingers under the table. And even though they haven’t seen each other in years, they’re both insanely possessive and jealous.
I’m sure the steamy scenes (they are about to happen) are hot, but I really struggled with the characters so far, that’s why I’ll call it quits. Maybe it’s just not the right book for my right now.
March 24, 2023
MM Romance
Stepbrothers Second Chance
1 Star ⭐️
I should have DNF’d this at 30% like I wanted to but for whatever reason I kept going back to it. I’m such a masochist but this book made me realize why I dislike so many stepbrother books despite loving the idea. I need to see them as stepbrothers! I don’t care if it’s in flashbacks or the prologue or through letters but I need to see how they fell in love. They were already in love in this book even though they had been apart for 6 years and they made off hand comments about their closeness as teens but I needed more. Instead of reading about them being so close as teens, always needing to be connected to each other so they’d walk dick in hand and help each other piss in the toilet just to be touching, I wanted backstory to how and why they got that way. And all they did was fuck in the present, they could not stay off each other but never talked about anything unless drunk.
I had no emotion reading this book whatsoever until I saw the note at the end saying to click a link for 10 bonus scenes from their past and then I was pissed. I’m not going to download them because they should be in the book! That is what is lacking, not having their past, and it’s just ridiculous and lazy to not include it but then offer it up as a bonus later. I might have loved this had it been included. To any authors who do this, we all love a bonus scene WHEN IT’S AN ACTUAL BONUS and not needed for the storyline.
And don’t get me started on the chapters with Daniel’s POV? Like why? They added nothing to the story, nothing! They were super vague and instead of them, this author could have included the 10 bonus scenes of their past and how they fell in love. I actually kept reading because I wanted to know why he had chapters and it was such a dumb outcome. I actually laughed out loud during some of it because it was so cliché. Oh evil husband, how could you? let me get out my tiny violin 🎻🤣
Stepbrothers Second Chance
1 Star ⭐️
I should have DNF’d this at 30% like I wanted to but for whatever reason I kept going back to it. I’m such a masochist but this book made me realize why I dislike so many stepbrother books despite loving the idea. I need to see them as stepbrothers! I don’t care if it’s in flashbacks or the prologue or through letters but I need to see how they fell in love. They were already in love in this book even though they had been apart for 6 years and they made off hand comments about their closeness as teens but I needed more. Instead of reading about them being so close as teens, always needing to be connected to each other so they’d walk dick in hand and help each other piss in the toilet just to be touching, I wanted backstory to how and why they got that way. And all they did was fuck in the present, they could not stay off each other but never talked about anything unless drunk.
I had no emotion reading this book whatsoever until I saw the note at the end saying to click a link for 10 bonus scenes from their past and then I was pissed. I’m not going to download them because they should be in the book! That is what is lacking, not having their past, and it’s just ridiculous and lazy to not include it but then offer it up as a bonus later. I might have loved this had it been included. To any authors who do this, we all love a bonus scene WHEN IT’S AN ACTUAL BONUS and not needed for the storyline.
And don’t get me started on the chapters with Daniel’s POV? Like why? They added nothing to the story, nothing! They were super vague and instead of them, this author could have included the 10 bonus scenes of their past and how they fell in love. I actually kept reading because I wanted to know why he had chapters and it was such a dumb outcome. I actually laughed out loud during some of it because it was so cliché. Oh evil husband, how could you? let me get out my tiny violin 🎻🤣
March 19, 2023
This is an all encompassing, needy, possessive, deep, passionate, intense kind of love.
Sucks you in to the point you are not just an innocent bystander.
Would make a great movie.
Moment of silence for all of Jasper’s clothes
Sucks you in to the point you are not just an innocent bystander.
Would make a great movie.
Moment of silence for all of Jasper’s clothes
October 6, 2023
5 stars, with another brilliant book from one of my favourite authors.
Swoon /5 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Angst /5 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
Steam /5 ♨️ ♨️♨️♨️♨️
Plot /5 🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐
LOLs /5 🤭🤭
Cole & Jasper are step-brothers, who knock down the accepted societal boundaries of intimacy when they’re young adults. A family tragedy tore them apart, & they haven’t had contact in many years. In the interim, Jasper has married Daniel, but both Jasper & Cole have never let go of their love for each other. When Daniel reunites them, the intensity of their need for each other returns & they can’t stay away from each other, even as Jasper drowns in guilt for cheating on his husband Daniel. It’s well written because the cheating doesn’t bother you because you can see they always should have been together.
There’s a really interesting & different structure to this book, with it being in triple first person POV between the two main protagonists, Cole & Jasper, as well as Jasper’s husband Daniel. There are flashbacks from Daniel, constructed in a unique way that go progressively further & further back in time, to reveal the answer to motivations we begin to question as the plot moves forward. So not only is it outstanding writing emotionally, it’s constructed in a really enticing way too, that pulls the thread of tension through the plot right to the end.
As expected from C.P.Harris, the pining is intense. When I look back through my notes on the book, I think I’ve written “Oh God, poor Cole - my heart is breaking for him” about 20 times. Because while they have both held a flame for each other, Cole has never given up on Jasper & has loved him completely the whole time. But when they finally reunite? JEEEEEEEEESUS, the steam is INSANE. Their s3xual connection is INTENSELY spicy, super dirty, and OMFG jaw-dropping in so many scenes. It reminds me of Clint & Raven from Bad Terrible Things, but not quite as nasty as some of their scenes were. Still obsessive, still riveting. Their kinks could never be called vanilla!
Anyway, THANK GOD poor Cole & Jasper get their HEA.
It’s hard earned & just beautiful. And I can’t WAIT for further books in this series, especially the story between their father & Leland!
Check out my reviews and MM content on Instagram, Facebook & Bookbub, all under the same name! I gratefully received an advance copy and this is my honest review.
Swoon /5 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰
Angst /5 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
Steam /5 ♨️ ♨️♨️♨️♨️
Plot /5 🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐
LOLs /5 🤭🤭
Cole & Jasper are step-brothers, who knock down the accepted societal boundaries of intimacy when they’re young adults. A family tragedy tore them apart, & they haven’t had contact in many years. In the interim, Jasper has married Daniel, but both Jasper & Cole have never let go of their love for each other. When Daniel reunites them, the intensity of their need for each other returns & they can’t stay away from each other, even as Jasper drowns in guilt for cheating on his husband Daniel. It’s well written because the cheating doesn’t bother you because you can see they always should have been together.
There’s a really interesting & different structure to this book, with it being in triple first person POV between the two main protagonists, Cole & Jasper, as well as Jasper’s husband Daniel. There are flashbacks from Daniel, constructed in a unique way that go progressively further & further back in time, to reveal the answer to motivations we begin to question as the plot moves forward. So not only is it outstanding writing emotionally, it’s constructed in a really enticing way too, that pulls the thread of tension through the plot right to the end.
As expected from C.P.Harris, the pining is intense. When I look back through my notes on the book, I think I’ve written “Oh God, poor Cole - my heart is breaking for him” about 20 times. Because while they have both held a flame for each other, Cole has never given up on Jasper & has loved him completely the whole time. But when they finally reunite? JEEEEEEEEESUS, the steam is INSANE. Their s3xual connection is INTENSELY spicy, super dirty, and OMFG jaw-dropping in so many scenes. It reminds me of Clint & Raven from Bad Terrible Things, but not quite as nasty as some of their scenes were. Still obsessive, still riveting. Their kinks could never be called vanilla!
Anyway, THANK GOD poor Cole & Jasper get their HEA.
It’s hard earned & just beautiful. And I can’t WAIT for further books in this series, especially the story between their father & Leland!
Check out my reviews and MM content on Instagram, Facebook & Bookbub, all under the same name! I gratefully received an advance copy and this is my honest review.
March 10, 2023
*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this book***
The Good Liar is the first entry in the Infidelity series that focuses on estranged stepbrothers Cole and Jasper, who are reunited after not speaking for years. Their reunion is filled with intense underlying tension, that leaves many questions as to their dynamic and complicated history.
What I loved so much about this story is how you are able to understand and feel Cole and Jasper's passionate connection. Their love story is dramatic, emotional, and painful at times, but I loved how their loyalty never wavers. Another favorite aspect I enjoyed was Cole's primal possessiveness over Jasper. He is immensely protective of his stepbrother, which is one of my favorite character traits, that was handled perfectly in this story.
Overall I really enjoyed this story. Cheating is a fascinating trope that I do not often get to read and I found this story really benefited from the forbidden aspect of Cole and Jasper's relationship. Their eventual reunion was even more intense due to their long separation and longing for one another. I am excited to see more of this world however that occurs. These imperfect characters made for one messy story that I completely loved.
The Good Liar is the first entry in the Infidelity series that focuses on estranged stepbrothers Cole and Jasper, who are reunited after not speaking for years. Their reunion is filled with intense underlying tension, that leaves many questions as to their dynamic and complicated history.
What I loved so much about this story is how you are able to understand and feel Cole and Jasper's passionate connection. Their love story is dramatic, emotional, and painful at times, but I loved how their loyalty never wavers. Another favorite aspect I enjoyed was Cole's primal possessiveness over Jasper. He is immensely protective of his stepbrother, which is one of my favorite character traits, that was handled perfectly in this story.
Overall I really enjoyed this story. Cheating is a fascinating trope that I do not often get to read and I found this story really benefited from the forbidden aspect of Cole and Jasper's relationship. Their eventual reunion was even more intense due to their long separation and longing for one another. I am excited to see more of this world however that occurs. These imperfect characters made for one messy story that I completely loved.
March 17, 2023
3.5
This was so frustrating because I hate martyr characters!
Jasper really needed to grow up and get therapy, not marry someone he didn't love to keep a totally ineffective barrier between him and Cole.
Daniel was an absolute c*nt (sorry not sorry, I'm English 🤷🏻♀️) and he irritated me from start to finish because I also hate rich, privileged dickheads who are completely out of touch with the real world!
Leland and Franklin were super obvious 🙄 kinda intrigued how Cole and Jasper will deal with that...
The only character I actually liked was Cole because yes he'd been devastated BUT he'd done the work to get his mind healthy. His only real crime was loving an absolute idiot who was hellbent on being miserable and living his life for his mother, who more than likely would not have made the same sacrifice for her son. Martyrs just annoy me so much!!!
This was so frustrating because I hate martyr characters!
Jasper really needed to grow up and get therapy, not marry someone he didn't love to keep a totally ineffective barrier between him and Cole.
Daniel was an absolute c*nt (sorry not sorry, I'm English 🤷🏻♀️) and he irritated me from start to finish because I also hate rich, privileged dickheads who are completely out of touch with the real world!
Leland and Franklin were super obvious 🙄 kinda intrigued how Cole and Jasper will deal with that...
The only character I actually liked was Cole because yes he'd been devastated BUT he'd done the work to get his mind healthy. His only real crime was loving an absolute idiot who was hellbent on being miserable and living his life for his mother, who more than likely would not have made the same sacrifice for her son. Martyrs just annoy me so much!!!
March 16, 2023
It's the way I finished this in less than 12 hours. It's the way I couldn't put this down. It's the way this was over 300 pages and yet I still finished it in a flash. It was the way this was so deliciously good!
Jasper and Cole have been step-brothers since Jasper was 8, and Cole was 10. The first few months were a little rocky, but after sweet, kind Jasper wormed his way into a broody Cole's heart, they were inseparable.
But in present day, it's been about 6 years since they've seen each other, and Jasper is married two years out to some other man named Daniel, but Daniel, a lawyer, called Cole, who is now the head of his father's company, for their lawyer firm to become the permanent lawyer firm that works with Cole's company.
And so, Cole is back in Jasper's life, after Jasper ran away 6 years prior after the death of his mother. Which we find out, he blames himself for, although we have to wait until later to find out exactly why.
But 6 years means nothing between Cole and Jasper, as all it takes is looking at each other again for the old chemistry and fire between them to start again.
Jasper tries to maintain distance, though, and Cole tries to honor Jasper's wishes. But of course, as Daniel now works with Cole...that makes staying away from each other hard.
But Jasper is stubborn, and tries to hold out for a long while. Because to him, it was his fault his mother died, and that him being consumed by Cole, and them being together, is what caused her death. And the fact, which he hasn't told Cole yet,
Jasper carries so much guilt that he ran away after her funeral, from Cole, and he's staying in a boring, nowhere relationship with a man he doesn't love at all, for the very fact that it's predictable and boring and safe. He kind of uses Daniel as a shield, in a way, to try to stay away from Cole, even when Cole wasn't in the same city as him, Jasper kind of needed a way to try to get over him, to not constantly think about him, to not go back to him, etc...
But Cole is in the same city, working with Jasper's husband, and it's Jasper and Cole, so of course they can't resist forever.
Now, this series is clearly labeled 'infidelity' so if that is a hard no for you in your fiction reading, then this isn't for you.
Which, normally I don't like myself. But I find if it's between the MC's...if it's done right, I can get past it.
Is it right? No. Even when find out how truly shitty a husband Daniel is in the first place, it still doesn't make it right.
But do I give a shit? NEwwwp! And I doubly don't give a shit when we get to know how much of a shit Daniel is.
It IS cheating, and Jasper did cheat on the husband he thought he knew, willingly, over and over and over again, with Cole. And Cole hated being the "other man" but he endured it for awhile just to be with Jasper.
Because these two, of course, are still obsessed with each other, and head over heels in love, and possessive AF of each other, which is Hot AF, of course.
Jasper is literally cheating on his husband with Cole and yet he still gets highly jealous and possessive of Cole, wanting Cole not to fuck anyone but him, even as he might have to endure his own husband fucking him to maintain their secret affair...and boy is Cole not happy about that! Because he is as possessive and jealous as Jasper is of him.
Their equal possessiveness and jealousies just make it all the more fun and delicious. Once we get the sex, it's so wonderfully steamy and kinky and just 🔥🔥🔥. I absolutely loved it and couldn't get enough of it.
The romance was really good too. Yes, these two had the steamiest of steamy sex that I absolutely ADORED. One thing this author doesn't hold back on is the spicy, steamy sex scenes and I LOVE It. I am HERE for it.
But she's also really good at the romance too. We get to see why these two are so deeply in love. How happy they make each other, how without the other, they rarely smile. And we learn of how these two started their connection as kids, what Jasper did to break Cole out of his shell, how sweet and kind it was.
There really was no one else for each of them but each other.
We also learn they probably got together when their ages were probably 14/15 and 16/17, somewhere around there, and they were together for YEARS until their senior year of college, so about 6 or so years, until everything went down that tore them apart.
That is a loNG ass time, especially for teenagers into young adulthood. If there hadn't been the stepbrother thing forcing them to hide their relationship for so long, they probably never would broken up, there probably wouldn't have been relationship angst, and they would be one of those rare couples that are each other's first and only loves. I mean, they still were, at the end of the day, each other's first and only loves. But they had to go through a lot of pain and heartache and dealing with others in their lives, sexually and/or romantically, to finally get their happy ending.
Gah, this was just so so good! And I don't even care that the taboo-ness of them being stepbrothers could have been stepped up on a bit more for my tastes. A lot of people were either accepting right away or came around real easy. Butttt it was just sooo good, and fallout from them being stepbrothers was still so good, that I couldn't ding this for that.
Because their mom still freaked over it - although we learn she was open to trying to come around to it, so - and they still lost 6+ years because of it all, and they still faced judgement for being stepbrothers - or former stepbrothers, technically, with Jasper's mom being dead - when they eventually come out about that.
But damn is their HEA so wonderful! I absolutely loved it and couldn't get enough. I wish we could have had more with these two just because I loved these two together so much.
But oohh am I so intrigued by Leland, Cole's assistant and best friend, and Franklin, Cole's father and widower of six years. They are definitely the MC's for the next book, as the author confirmed at the end.
So where does their infidelity come into play? Did Franklin cheat on his wife when she was still alive? That would sure be scandalous! Especially as from Cole and Jasper's POV's, they seemed a loving couple, and Jasper's mother was loved by all 3 men and is dearly missed.
But their reactions to each other *definitely* hints at a past between them. AND the way Leland spoke about how Jasper "would never leave Daniel because they never do" and Cole had a thought about if Leland was speaking from experience...lIKE GIRRLLL 👀
Now did Leland and Franklin have a whole ass affair while Franklin was married to Jasper's mother?? The ~drama of it all, I can't wait!
So definitely, definitely pick this one up, you won't regret it (if you're one who doesn't mind cheating by the MC's with each other, that is). I HIGHLY recommend this, it was so so good!
👍 Two MASSIVE thumbs up from me! 👍
Jasper and Cole have been step-brothers since Jasper was 8, and Cole was 10. The first few months were a little rocky, but after sweet, kind Jasper wormed his way into a broody Cole's heart, they were inseparable.
But in present day, it's been about 6 years since they've seen each other, and Jasper is married two years out to some other man named Daniel, but Daniel, a lawyer, called Cole, who is now the head of his father's company, for their lawyer firm to become the permanent lawyer firm that works with Cole's company.
And so, Cole is back in Jasper's life, after Jasper ran away 6 years prior after the death of his mother. Which we find out, he blames himself for, although we have to wait until later to find out exactly why.
But 6 years means nothing between Cole and Jasper, as all it takes is looking at each other again for the old chemistry and fire between them to start again.
Jasper tries to maintain distance, though, and Cole tries to honor Jasper's wishes. But of course, as Daniel now works with Cole...that makes staying away from each other hard.
But Jasper is stubborn, and tries to hold out for a long while. Because to him, it was his fault his mother died, and that him being consumed by Cole, and them being together, is what caused her death. And the fact, which he hasn't told Cole yet,
Jasper carries so much guilt that he ran away after her funeral, from Cole, and he's staying in a boring, nowhere relationship with a man he doesn't love at all, for the very fact that it's predictable and boring and safe. He kind of uses Daniel as a shield, in a way, to try to stay away from Cole, even when Cole wasn't in the same city as him, Jasper kind of needed a way to try to get over him, to not constantly think about him, to not go back to him, etc...
But Cole is in the same city, working with Jasper's husband, and it's Jasper and Cole, so of course they can't resist forever.
Now, this series is clearly labeled 'infidelity' so if that is a hard no for you in your fiction reading, then this isn't for you.
Which, normally I don't like myself. But I find if it's between the MC's...if it's done right, I can get past it.
Is it right? No. Even when find out how truly shitty a husband Daniel is in the first place, it still doesn't make it right.
But do I give a shit? NEwwwp! And I doubly don't give a shit when we get to know how much of a shit Daniel is.
It IS cheating, and Jasper did cheat on the husband he thought he knew, willingly, over and over and over again, with Cole. And Cole hated being the "other man" but he endured it for awhile just to be with Jasper.
Because these two, of course, are still obsessed with each other, and head over heels in love, and possessive AF of each other, which is Hot AF, of course.
Jasper is literally cheating on his husband with Cole and yet he still gets highly jealous and possessive of Cole, wanting Cole not to fuck anyone but him, even as he might have to endure his own husband fucking him to maintain their secret affair...and boy is Cole not happy about that! Because he is as possessive and jealous as Jasper is of him.
Their equal possessiveness and jealousies just make it all the more fun and delicious. Once we get the sex, it's so wonderfully steamy and kinky and just 🔥🔥🔥. I absolutely loved it and couldn't get enough of it.
The romance was really good too. Yes, these two had the steamiest of steamy sex that I absolutely ADORED. One thing this author doesn't hold back on is the spicy, steamy sex scenes and I LOVE It. I am HERE for it.
But she's also really good at the romance too. We get to see why these two are so deeply in love. How happy they make each other, how without the other, they rarely smile. And we learn of how these two started their connection as kids, what Jasper did to break Cole out of his shell, how sweet and kind it was.
There really was no one else for each of them but each other.
We also learn they probably got together when their ages were probably 14/15 and 16/17, somewhere around there, and they were together for YEARS until their senior year of college, so about 6 or so years, until everything went down that tore them apart.
That is a loNG ass time, especially for teenagers into young adulthood. If there hadn't been the stepbrother thing forcing them to hide their relationship for so long, they probably never would broken up, there probably wouldn't have been relationship angst, and they would be one of those rare couples that are each other's first and only loves. I mean, they still were, at the end of the day, each other's first and only loves. But they had to go through a lot of pain and heartache and dealing with others in their lives, sexually and/or romantically, to finally get their happy ending.
Gah, this was just so so good! And I don't even care that the taboo-ness of them being stepbrothers could have been stepped up on a bit more for my tastes. A lot of people were either accepting right away or came around real easy. Butttt it was just sooo good, and fallout from them being stepbrothers was still so good, that I couldn't ding this for that.
Because their mom still freaked over it - although we learn she was open to trying to come around to it, so - and they still lost 6+ years because of it all, and they still faced judgement for being stepbrothers - or former stepbrothers, technically, with Jasper's mom being dead - when they eventually come out about that.
But damn is their HEA so wonderful! I absolutely loved it and couldn't get enough. I wish we could have had more with these two just because I loved these two together so much.
But oohh am I so intrigued by Leland, Cole's assistant and best friend, and Franklin, Cole's father and widower of six years. They are definitely the MC's for the next book, as the author confirmed at the end.
So where does their infidelity come into play? Did Franklin cheat on his wife when she was still alive? That would sure be scandalous! Especially as from Cole and Jasper's POV's, they seemed a loving couple, and Jasper's mother was loved by all 3 men and is dearly missed.
But their reactions to each other *definitely* hints at a past between them. AND the way Leland spoke about how Jasper "would never leave Daniel because they never do" and Cole had a thought about if Leland was speaking from experience...lIKE GIRRLLL 👀
Now did Leland and Franklin have a whole ass affair while Franklin was married to Jasper's mother?? The ~drama of it all, I can't wait!
So definitely, definitely pick this one up, you won't regret it (if you're one who doesn't mind cheating by the MC's with each other, that is). I HIGHLY recommend this, it was so so good!
👍 Two MASSIVE thumbs up from me! 👍
March 10, 2023
Unhinged. Wicked. Delightfully sinful. Just a few words to explain this book.
I will admit I’ve never read anything by CP before because none of their other books appealed to me. But I swore 2023 was the year I would expand my reading taste. A story about stepbrothers with cheating? Definitely expanding my usual reading since those are two tropes I steadfastly avoid lol. And yet … this story worked on literally every single level for me.
Tragedy tore them apart and circumstances brought them back together. Living in the same city again Jasper and Cole are tossed back into proximity by Jasper’s husband Daniel when he becomes the in-house lawyer for Cole’s multibillion dollar company. The raw tension and pining between Cole and Jasper was delicious. Longing filled every page of both of their POV’s. Jasper tortured with not wanting to long for Cole and Cole committed to having Jasper in his life again in any way he can.
I loved him, and regardless of the lie I’d readily told him yesterday, I was still in love with him. Madly so.
And when these two finally succumbed to their most carnal desires for one another again despite the infidelity. Animalistic. Raw. Unrestrained passion. Sexy as sin. I’ve never read smut like this before. I felt like I was there. I felt uncomfortable. CP’s writing takes you into the scene itself like you’re a fly on the wall observing a moment no one else should ever see.
This wasn’t love making or fucking. This was mating, this was heat, this was a thirst being quenched after a long drought. It was anger, pining, pain. It was all those things, but also the washing away of it all, too. It was breaking ourselves down so we could build ourselves up into something new, something more. It was stakes being raised, claims being made, lines I’d drawn between us in the goddamn sand being erased. It was possession unleashed.
Bits and pieces of their previous relationship are told to the reader through present day. Not really flashbacks but instead by memories or recounting aloud to each other. I loved how Jasper and Cole spoke of Jasper’s deceased mother, Selene. As a mother myself … it was so clear how much she loved them even though she was only shown through memories.
We stan Selene!
Christmas season started when Selene said it did, which was usually any time after Halloween. ��� a woman after my own heart!
Even Franklin, Cole’s father, loved both boys so much. Jasper tortured himself because he believed he killed his mother and tore their family apart. Just by loving Cole. But not all things are as they seem. They embark on an affair despite them both being possessive jerks. Even the idea of Jasper sleeping beside his husband sends Cole into a righteous fit that has him claiming Jasper like a wild stallion. Their possessiveness of each other is so damn toxic. So toxic. And yet … it was also sexy as hell. They both seemed to get off on it as well which hey kudos to them lol.
Leland was right, I wasn’t cut out for an affair with Jasper. For being the other man. With him I needed to be the one-and-only man.
While this is a romance it felt a little bit like a mystery as well. I kept waiting to find out the truth because neither Jasper or Cole seemed to know it. And I rooted for them as the truth came to light… as they fought for one another. I’m not sure two men have ever wanted each other as much as Jasper and Cole.
I am so intrigued by Franklin and Leland. I will happily consume their story. And perhaps CP has earned a new fan from me. CP’s back catalog beckons because although maybe those tropes aren’t for me … I am sure CP can make them work for me. Just how suddenly cheating and stepbrothers worked for me here. I understand many people will avoid this because of the cheating trope but really … go in with your eyes open and I think you’ll enjoy it.
Also fuck Daniel. What a prick.
I received an arc from Foreword PR and this is my honest review.
I will admit I’ve never read anything by CP before because none of their other books appealed to me. But I swore 2023 was the year I would expand my reading taste. A story about stepbrothers with cheating? Definitely expanding my usual reading since those are two tropes I steadfastly avoid lol. And yet … this story worked on literally every single level for me.
Tragedy tore them apart and circumstances brought them back together. Living in the same city again Jasper and Cole are tossed back into proximity by Jasper’s husband Daniel when he becomes the in-house lawyer for Cole’s multibillion dollar company. The raw tension and pining between Cole and Jasper was delicious. Longing filled every page of both of their POV’s. Jasper tortured with not wanting to long for Cole and Cole committed to having Jasper in his life again in any way he can.
I loved him, and regardless of the lie I’d readily told him yesterday, I was still in love with him. Madly so.
And when these two finally succumbed to their most carnal desires for one another again despite the infidelity. Animalistic. Raw. Unrestrained passion. Sexy as sin. I’ve never read smut like this before. I felt like I was there. I felt uncomfortable. CP’s writing takes you into the scene itself like you’re a fly on the wall observing a moment no one else should ever see.
This wasn’t love making or fucking. This was mating, this was heat, this was a thirst being quenched after a long drought. It was anger, pining, pain. It was all those things, but also the washing away of it all, too. It was breaking ourselves down so we could build ourselves up into something new, something more. It was stakes being raised, claims being made, lines I’d drawn between us in the goddamn sand being erased. It was possession unleashed.
Bits and pieces of their previous relationship are told to the reader through present day. Not really flashbacks but instead by memories or recounting aloud to each other. I loved how Jasper and Cole spoke of Jasper’s deceased mother, Selene. As a mother myself … it was so clear how much she loved them even though she was only shown through memories.
We stan Selene!
Christmas season started when Selene said it did, which was usually any time after Halloween. ��� a woman after my own heart!
Even Franklin, Cole’s father, loved both boys so much. Jasper tortured himself because he believed he killed his mother and tore their family apart. Just by loving Cole. But not all things are as they seem. They embark on an affair despite them both being possessive jerks. Even the idea of Jasper sleeping beside his husband sends Cole into a righteous fit that has him claiming Jasper like a wild stallion. Their possessiveness of each other is so damn toxic. So toxic. And yet … it was also sexy as hell. They both seemed to get off on it as well which hey kudos to them lol.
Leland was right, I wasn’t cut out for an affair with Jasper. For being the other man. With him I needed to be the one-and-only man.
While this is a romance it felt a little bit like a mystery as well. I kept waiting to find out the truth because neither Jasper or Cole seemed to know it. And I rooted for them as the truth came to light… as they fought for one another. I’m not sure two men have ever wanted each other as much as Jasper and Cole.
I am so intrigued by Franklin and Leland. I will happily consume their story. And perhaps CP has earned a new fan from me. CP’s back catalog beckons because although maybe those tropes aren’t for me … I am sure CP can make them work for me. Just how suddenly cheating and stepbrothers worked for me here. I understand many people will avoid this because of the cheating trope but really … go in with your eyes open and I think you’ll enjoy it.
Also fuck Daniel. What a prick.
I received an arc from Foreword PR and this is my honest review.
March 18, 2023
This Christian Grey/Gideon Cross style of melodrama is something I actively try to avoid in the books I choose to read. It’s the reason I don’t watch reality TV and why I eventually burned out of M/F romance. The whole self important rich guy trope grates on my every nerve and my only excuse for seeing this book through to the end is a chronic compulsion to finish what I start.
I loved Bad Wrong Things so I thought I’d love this too, but I couldn’t see Cole and Jasper as anything other than pathetic. I usually love jealous and possessive characters, but Cole was a selfish caveman with impulse control issues and a complete lack of tact. Jasper was a doormat and a hypocrite. I was way more interested in the first chance of their second chance romance, but the small glimpses of it seemed to only serve as an explanation for Jasper’s self-recrimination instead of the failed beginnings of some grand love story. The Daniel situation would have been much more interesting without the breadcrumbs sprinkled throughout. In fact, those small doses of insight destroyed the stakes for me and I realized that I was waiting for absolutely nothing to happen. When a relationship is taboo in nature, there have to be stakes or it’s just not interesting. There was nothing at risk of being lost here and I found myself bored to tears as I trudged through the pages until finally reaching what was an excruciatingly predictable climax. I have no one to blame but myself.
Leland’s book is next and while he was one of the only characters I actually liked in this one, I can already tell what direction his story is going in and I will not be boarding that drama train.
PS - I hate sex scenes in epilogues.
PPS - Apparently there are “TEN bonus scenes set in Cole and Jasper’s past”. I hate this too.
I loved Bad Wrong Things so I thought I’d love this too, but I couldn’t see Cole and Jasper as anything other than pathetic. I usually love jealous and possessive characters, but Cole was a selfish caveman with impulse control issues and a complete lack of tact. Jasper was a doormat and a hypocrite. I was way more interested in the first chance of their second chance romance, but the small glimpses of it seemed to only serve as an explanation for Jasper’s self-recrimination instead of the failed beginnings of some grand love story. The Daniel situation would have been much more interesting without the breadcrumbs sprinkled throughout. In fact, those small doses of insight destroyed the stakes for me and I realized that I was waiting for absolutely nothing to happen. When a relationship is taboo in nature, there have to be stakes or it’s just not interesting. There was nothing at risk of being lost here and I found myself bored to tears as I trudged through the pages until finally reaching what was an excruciatingly predictable climax. I have no one to blame but myself.
Leland’s book is next and while he was one of the only characters I actually liked in this one, I can already tell what direction his story is going in and I will not be boarding that drama train.
PS - I hate sex scenes in epilogues.
PPS - Apparently there are “TEN bonus scenes set in Cole and Jasper’s past”. I hate this too.
Read
March 18, 2023Ok, so I finally decided to dnf at 35%, took me 2 days to finally call it quits. I don’t care about these characters nor what they’ve been through. I thought of skimming until I reach the sex scenes which are said to be HOT like they always are in this author’s book, but I just can’t seem to find the will to even do that.
And I feel so sorry too, because I received an advanced copy and I was really looking forward to read this book. I’m still not sure if it’s just the wrong timing. That maybe I should have started a different book after finishing Thrown off the ice. Anything but a mm romance book. But I probably won’t get answers to that, maybe it’s best to try this book again at another moment and see what happens.
It’s my 2nd dnf in only a few days and I’m starting to doubt myself.
And I feel so sorry too, because I received an advanced copy and I was really looking forward to read this book. I’m still not sure if it’s just the wrong timing. That maybe I should have started a different book after finishing Thrown off the ice. Anything but a mm romance book. But I probably won’t get answers to that, maybe it’s best to try this book again at another moment and see what happens.
It’s my 2nd dnf in only a few days and I’m starting to doubt myself.
March 22, 2023
Taboo. Twisted. Drama. Weirdly evil character. Very hard to believe plot. Kink. More kink. Drama. More drama. I squirmed a lot. They’re into pain. Humiliation. Possessiveness. Ripped clothes. Bruises.
It’s hot. Very hot. Except for the pain.
I’m rambling. I think I liked it? In a weird way?
It’s hot. Very hot. Except for the pain.
I’m rambling. I think I liked it? In a weird way?
March 20, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
BR with my girl Cass
C.P. Harris! How do you always do this to me?!
She sucks you in until you feel like you have multiple personalities and I don’t know which one screams louder, Jasper or Cole. In fact I don’t even care as long as they never stop.
Seriously, no one writes better toxic, obsessively possessive men than she does. And I was living for every second of both their jealous natures but especially Cole’s desperate need for Jasper.
It’s beautiful and fucked up and everything in between.
I wasn’t expecting the foray into kink but damn, only added to her exceptionally vivid and brutal sex that leaves you wasted but salivating for more.
I’d also just like to add that my sleuthing skills are amazing because from Daniel’s first chapter I had known exactly what he had done. I told my BR partner in crime Cass and her reaction was almost like I was insane. Must mean that C.P. and I can be crazy together.
Even though the ending was everything I could ask for and more I didn’t want to let go. But I am so excited for Leland and Frank!
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
BR with my girl Cass
C.P. Harris! How do you always do this to me?!
She sucks you in until you feel like you have multiple personalities and I don’t know which one screams louder, Jasper or Cole. In fact I don’t even care as long as they never stop.
Seriously, no one writes better toxic, obsessively possessive men than she does. And I was living for every second of both their jealous natures but especially Cole’s desperate need for Jasper.
It’s beautiful and fucked up and everything in between.
I wasn’t expecting the foray into kink but damn, only added to her exceptionally vivid and brutal sex that leaves you wasted but salivating for more.
I’d also just like to add that my sleuthing skills are amazing because from Daniel’s first chapter I had known exactly what he had done. I told my BR partner in crime Cass and her reaction was almost like I was insane. Must mean that C.P. and I can be crazy together.
Even though the ending was everything I could ask for and more I didn’t want to let go. But I am so excited for Leland and Frank!
March 23, 2023
2 ✨After a longgg week thank goodness, I finally finished reading this. The struggle was real! 😅
March 27, 2023
Story time.
When I read this book, I was on a cruise. Wasting away in Margaritaville and all that. While I was on the cruise, I got a horrendous sun burn. Like it hurt so bad I woke up in the middle of the night near tears. And my hallucinating brain went “I’ll be okay. Cole will take care of this. He’ll make it better.” Sorry, what? Obviously Cole didn’t make it better because newsflash he’s not real. But I guess this goes to show that my heart beats for Cole Kincaid. What a man.
Review time.
I am in love with this book. It was so good. So dirty. So sweet. So sad. It was all of that and more. It was as beautiful as it was heartbreaking. And I want to read it all over again.
Before I get in deep with my review, I want to let you know that this book involves cheating. Not cheating between the main characters, but one main character cheating on a spouse. If that’s not for you, then I wouldn’t try this. Okay let’s continue.
Here’s some backstory on this book. Cole and Jasper are stepbrothers. Stepbrothers who are in luvvvvv. Anyway something bad happens and they lose contact for 6 ish years. Then circumstances find them back together, only Jasper is married to someone else now (yikes). There’s more to the story obviously that I’m not going to share, but it’s so sad. So crazy. Please read.
Let’s talk about Jasper. My sweet, broken Jasper. I wanted to hug him as much as I wanted to shake some sense into him. The pain that surrounded him was so much that it was bleeding into me. Pain that he didn’t need, but I understood why he had it. I’m talking in riddles I know, but you’ll see.
Now for Cole. Obviously you know my feelings about him from my story time. I loved this man. All he wanted was to have and love Jasper, but there were so many obstacles in the way. The past, Jasper’s pain, Jasper’s stupid husband (GRRRRRR). The HEA (I promise there is one) was a tough battle.
The sex in this book will not be for everyone. It was pretty rough and dirty. Lots of jealousy and possessiveness. Dub Con behavior. I liked it. I like how this author writes her sex scenes, but I know this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It reminded me of the sex from this author’s book “Bad Wrong Things”.
This author is on her way to being my one click girl. I have enjoyed everything I have read from her. I need to dive into the rest of her books. But anyway, I digress. In conclusion, I so so so enjoyed this book. I’m also very intrigued in the couple for the next book. I didn’t expect that pairing to be honest. That’ll be interesting.
When I read this book, I was on a cruise. Wasting away in Margaritaville and all that. While I was on the cruise, I got a horrendous sun burn. Like it hurt so bad I woke up in the middle of the night near tears. And my hallucinating brain went “I’ll be okay. Cole will take care of this. He’ll make it better.” Sorry, what? Obviously Cole didn’t make it better because newsflash he’s not real. But I guess this goes to show that my heart beats for Cole Kincaid. What a man.
Review time.
I am in love with this book. It was so good. So dirty. So sweet. So sad. It was all of that and more. It was as beautiful as it was heartbreaking. And I want to read it all over again.
Before I get in deep with my review, I want to let you know that this book involves cheating. Not cheating between the main characters, but one main character cheating on a spouse. If that’s not for you, then I wouldn’t try this. Okay let’s continue.
Here’s some backstory on this book. Cole and Jasper are stepbrothers. Stepbrothers who are in luvvvvv. Anyway something bad happens and they lose contact for 6 ish years. Then circumstances find them back together, only Jasper is married to someone else now (yikes). There’s more to the story obviously that I’m not going to share, but it’s so sad. So crazy. Please read.
Let’s talk about Jasper. My sweet, broken Jasper. I wanted to hug him as much as I wanted to shake some sense into him. The pain that surrounded him was so much that it was bleeding into me. Pain that he didn’t need, but I understood why he had it. I’m talking in riddles I know, but you’ll see.
Now for Cole. Obviously you know my feelings about him from my story time. I loved this man. All he wanted was to have and love Jasper, but there were so many obstacles in the way. The past, Jasper’s pain, Jasper’s stupid husband (GRRRRRR). The HEA (I promise there is one) was a tough battle.
The sex in this book will not be for everyone. It was pretty rough and dirty. Lots of jealousy and possessiveness. Dub Con behavior. I liked it. I like how this author writes her sex scenes, but I know this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. It reminded me of the sex from this author’s book “Bad Wrong Things”.
This author is on her way to being my one click girl. I have enjoyed everything I have read from her. I need to dive into the rest of her books. But anyway, I digress. In conclusion, I so so so enjoyed this book. I’m also very intrigued in the couple for the next book. I didn’t expect that pairing to be honest. That’ll be interesting.
March 17, 2023
I was not expecting how much of a disappointment this was. Bad wrong things is my only new 5 star of this year so I thought I’d love this too, but it felt like a second, worse attempt at a similar relationship dynamic.
Jaspers guilt didn’t make sense to me. When he first saw Cole again he was shocked and suspicious, but he fell easily into being with him and didn’t seem to feel all the guilty about being with him, which is why I can’t underhand why he couldn’t just leave Daniel. The guilt thing about him mom seemed like a terrible excuse since I never really saw much actually guilt.
I felt like Cole could’ve been a better friend to Leland, he kept ditching him for Jasper and it seems like Leland was carrying the whole friendship.
I started to skim heavily from 65% because at that stage I just wanted to see what would cure Jaspers guilt and what was going on with Daniel.
I’m still willing to give the authors books more chances cause even tho I’ve disliked 2 out of the 3 I’ve read (this and the boy who loved wicked), I know they can write great stories. Im not so sure about the next book in this series tho. I don’t hate friends dad/sons friend stories but it feels weird when I’ve read the son’s story and see the dad as just a dad. Plus it’ll be dead spouse trope x2. But maybe I’ll be convinced.
Jaspers guilt didn’t make sense to me. When he first saw Cole again he was shocked and suspicious, but he fell easily into being with him and didn’t seem to feel all the guilty about being with him, which is why I can’t underhand why he couldn’t just leave Daniel. The guilt thing about him mom seemed like a terrible excuse since I never really saw much actually guilt.
I felt like Cole could’ve been a better friend to Leland, he kept ditching him for Jasper and it seems like Leland was carrying the whole friendship.
I started to skim heavily from 65% because at that stage I just wanted to see what would cure Jaspers guilt and what was going on with Daniel.
I’m still willing to give the authors books more chances cause even tho I’ve disliked 2 out of the 3 I’ve read (this and the boy who loved wicked), I know they can write great stories. Im not so sure about the next book in this series tho. I don’t hate friends dad/sons friend stories but it feels weird when I’ve read the son’s story and see the dad as just a dad. Plus it’ll be dead spouse trope x2. But maybe I’ll be convinced.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 24, 2023
4 Loved this OTT kinky taboo story!! 😍🤩 Let me start by saying that this book is not for everyone.. 🤨 in fact on another day , another time I might have even DNFed this; but I think it found me at the right frame of mind. I was hooked onto the story from page 1. It is an addictive read.. and it was hard for me to put down every night, in the middle of all the crazy possessiveness and kinky passion happening on page. But that was my punishment for picking this up on a Wednesday. 🤪
The plot is quite intense and even without the backstory of how this unique childhood bond happened between Cole and Jasper, you realize quite quickly that this relationship can be viewed as both toxic and all consuming. No one can survive if they stand between the two , be it friends, family or (gasp) husband 😱 It’s like that song “with or without you” by U2. It’s haunting and hard to let go. And that’s the case with Jasper, despite being married and having vowed to stay away; when Cole walks into his life there’s no holding back. They are right back where they were 5 years ago before their mutual heartbreak and estrangement 💔
The drama, sex, love, rage, jealousy, possessiveness.. everything in this story is OTT and at times dark. There were some sex scenes that left me cringing because the kink was just so over the top. 😳 But it was still super duper HOT 🔥🔥 . Overall I did enjoy the book, despite feeling the highest of highs and lowest of lows in a span of one book. What I didn’t like was the villain/husband.. I don’t think the author needed to make him into such a manipulative bad guy.. but whatever 🤷♀️
I recommend it to all fans of twisted M/M romances who are enthralled by drama, rough sex and intense jealousies 👍🏻👍🏻
The plot is quite intense and even without the backstory of how this unique childhood bond happened between Cole and Jasper, you realize quite quickly that this relationship can be viewed as both toxic and all consuming. No one can survive if they stand between the two , be it friends, family or (gasp) husband 😱 It’s like that song “with or without you” by U2. It’s haunting and hard to let go. And that’s the case with Jasper, despite being married and having vowed to stay away; when Cole walks into his life there’s no holding back. They are right back where they were 5 years ago before their mutual heartbreak and estrangement 💔
The drama, sex, love, rage, jealousy, possessiveness.. everything in this story is OTT and at times dark. There were some sex scenes that left me cringing because the kink was just so over the top. 😳 But it was still super duper HOT 🔥🔥 . Overall I did enjoy the book, despite feeling the highest of highs and lowest of lows in a span of one book. What I didn’t like was the villain/husband.. I don’t think the author needed to make him into such a manipulative bad guy.. but whatever 🤷♀️
I recommend it to all fans of twisted M/M romances who are enthralled by drama, rough sex and intense jealousies 👍🏻👍🏻
October 30, 2023
Other than the filthy sex scenes that C. P. Harris is so good at writing, nothing about this melodrama worked for me. Jasper's martyrdom and his refusal to get help with his guilt over his mother's death started to get more and more annoying as the story progressed, not helped at all by the fact that he wouldn't shut up about it. And I know we're not supposed to like Daniel, and I didn't - he was slimy and pathetic and got what he deserved in the end - but Jasper put his own self in that stupid situation by marrying someone he wasn't really in love with. You know, as part of that whole martyrdom thing. 😮💨 If Daniel wasn't so conveniently the scheming asshole he turned out to be how would any of this have been fair to him? 1.5 stars
March 15, 2023
Totally loved it 🖤.
RTC
RTC
Shelved as 'dnf'
February 21, 2024DNF@8% yeah that’s on me. Didn’t pick up it was stepbrothers from the blurb.
Edit: DNF@20% I tried a little bit more to see if the writing at least was good. It reads like a bad novela. Daniel is too villanous. Jasper is too good. Cole is too unconditionally in love. A shame, really.
Edit: DNF@20% I tried a little bit more to see if the writing at least was good. It reads like a bad novela. Daniel is too villanous. Jasper is too good. Cole is too unconditionally in love. A shame, really.
March 16, 2023
Stop whatever you’re reading right now and grab this new (KU!!) release 🤩🤩 this is my 4th 5 star read by C.P. Harris and she only has 6 books!
- Stepbros
- *Unhealthy* codependency 😌
- 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💦💦💦
- Size difference
- Second chance
- Pining, yearning
- Consenual somnophilia
- Double penetration
- Choking
- Strict top/bottom
- Irrational jealousy
- “Yes” being their safeword because they both love ignoring when Jasper says “No” during sex 🙊
- Hugging after ones goes to the bathroom because those few minutes apart from each other was too much
- “When as teens we walked each other to the bathroom hand in hand in the middle of the night, because we couldn’t be apart for not even a minute. If that meant I’d have to hold his cock and aim, well then… We’d done what we had to do to remain connected."
- “Angel” - “He was a slut, a virgin, the devil, and an angel rolled into one. A case study in contradictions, leaving my cock hard and my heart soft as putty. I wanted to break him, and then piece his fractured parts back together again.”
- “When we were boys, we’d link our pinkies under the dinner table. I’d had to learn how to eat left-handed.”
I’ve been in a book slump since the beginning of the year and this book YANKED me out of it!
Trigger warnings: cheating (not between MCs) is a main plot point, off page parent death (I cried A LOT)
- Stepbros
- *Unhealthy* codependency 😌
- 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥💦💦💦
- Size difference
- Second chance
- Pining, yearning
- Consenual somnophilia
- Double penetration
- Choking
- Strict top/bottom
- Irrational jealousy
- “Yes” being their safeword because they both love ignoring when Jasper says “No” during sex 🙊
- Hugging after ones goes to the bathroom because those few minutes apart from each other was too much
- “When as teens we walked each other to the bathroom hand in hand in the middle of the night, because we couldn’t be apart for not even a minute. If that meant I’d have to hold his cock and aim, well then… We’d done what we had to do to remain connected."
- “Angel” - “He was a slut, a virgin, the devil, and an angel rolled into one. A case study in contradictions, leaving my cock hard and my heart soft as putty. I wanted to break him, and then piece his fractured parts back together again.”
- “When we were boys, we’d link our pinkies under the dinner table. I’d had to learn how to eat left-handed.”
I’ve been in a book slump since the beginning of the year and this book YANKED me out of it!
Trigger warnings: cheating (not between MCs) is a main plot point, off page parent death (I cried A LOT)
March 18, 2023
It was very predictable, but I still like this author a lot. The feelz are there, even when I wanted to throw my Kindle over one of the MCs being a stupid martyr.
This author brought the filth. I have a high threshold for blushing, but I definitely did.
This author brought the filth. I have a high threshold for blushing, but I definitely did.
March 22, 2023
I love an excellent stepbrother's romance, now add infidelity (not between two MCs), and I will devour the book.
Always read your trigger warnings; the book isn't for everyone, which is okay.
Cole and Jasper have a deep and passionate love that Jasper has to walk away. Both live through the motions of day-to-day life. Until Daniel, Jasper’s husband, invited Cole to a surprise birthday party.
Raise your hand if you want to read about obsessive, over-the-top possessive with a hint of toxicity men? 🙋🏼♀️ If you raised your hand, read this book. Now add explosive chemistry with brutal sex scenes. The kink is an extra added bonus.
The book is well-written and can draw you in from the begging and keep your attention. I felt every single emotion, including their pain and heartbreak. Have tissues in hand. No worries, the book ends with a HEA.
Always read your trigger warnings; the book isn't for everyone, which is okay.
Cole and Jasper have a deep and passionate love that Jasper has to walk away. Both live through the motions of day-to-day life. Until Daniel, Jasper’s husband, invited Cole to a surprise birthday party.
Raise your hand if you want to read about obsessive, over-the-top possessive with a hint of toxicity men? 🙋🏼♀️ If you raised your hand, read this book. Now add explosive chemistry with brutal sex scenes. The kink is an extra added bonus.
The book is well-written and can draw you in from the begging and keep your attention. I felt every single emotion, including their pain and heartbreak. Have tissues in hand. No worries, the book ends with a HEA.
March 16, 2023
5/5 stars
God this was amazing. When I first read the blurb like months ago, I was heartbroken because I had to wait so long to read this. I was counting down the days and once the ARC reviews started coming in raving about this, I was so excited.
Lies may have brought us back together, but love kept us bound.
First of all, fuck Daniel. That liitle bitch deserved to die. Other than that everything was pure perfection. Jasper and Cole own my heart. From the beginning you can see the love that they have for each other. Nothing and I mean nothing would have kept Cole away from Jasper. My heart broke for him so many times. He had to see the love of life, his soulmate be married to someone else. No matter if he was happy or not, Cole made it his mission be be in his life. To be fair, he did wait until he found out that Jasper was not happy in the marriage, to want something.
I had Jasper's heart, but Daniel got to share a life with him out loud, and it was killing me. I'd been a fool to think it wouldn't.
My heart broke when it came to Japser. He was so guilt-ridden about his mother's death. It destroyed me and brought me to tears knowing how much he blamed himself. He was stuck in a marriage because he felt safe in it, not loved. Knowing how much he withstanded Daniel's bullying was just so sad to see.
He was like an earthquake in the middle of a tsunami. Rattling and drowning me in his intensity at the same time
I feel like the affair was done so well. You can just see the push and pull in Jasper. He was so conflicted and it made so much sense. He wanted Cole so badly, but couldn't have the love of his life because of the guilt of his mother's passing. There was so much jealously and possessiveness and I was eating it up.
Jealousy was a dangerous emotion, and one I was more than capable of succumbing to. [...] I had wanted to fuck Jasper right there and make Daniel watch. Wanted to show him how Jasper loved to be touched. How he loved to be taken not asked. School him on what it meant to bring his husband pleasure. And I had wanted him to choke on it.
It was just done so perfectly. I loved every second of this book. Also we are not talking about how I have 180 highlights. I'm so excited for Franklin and Leland's book. Like the little glimpses we got. Now we wait until August.
God this was amazing. When I first read the blurb like months ago, I was heartbroken because I had to wait so long to read this. I was counting down the days and once the ARC reviews started coming in raving about this, I was so excited.
Lies may have brought us back together, but love kept us bound.
First of all, fuck Daniel. That liitle bitch deserved to die. Other than that everything was pure perfection. Jasper and Cole own my heart. From the beginning you can see the love that they have for each other. Nothing and I mean nothing would have kept Cole away from Jasper. My heart broke for him so many times. He had to see the love of life, his soulmate be married to someone else. No matter if he was happy or not, Cole made it his mission be be in his life. To be fair, he did wait until he found out that Jasper was not happy in the marriage, to want something.
I had Jasper's heart, but Daniel got to share a life with him out loud, and it was killing me. I'd been a fool to think it wouldn't.
My heart broke when it came to Japser. He was so guilt-ridden about his mother's death. It destroyed me and brought me to tears knowing how much he blamed himself. He was stuck in a marriage because he felt safe in it, not loved. Knowing how much he withstanded Daniel's bullying was just so sad to see.
He was like an earthquake in the middle of a tsunami. Rattling and drowning me in his intensity at the same time
I feel like the affair was done so well. You can just see the push and pull in Jasper. He was so conflicted and it made so much sense. He wanted Cole so badly, but couldn't have the love of his life because of the guilt of his mother's passing. There was so much jealously and possessiveness and I was eating it up.
Jealousy was a dangerous emotion, and one I was more than capable of succumbing to. [...] I had wanted to fuck Jasper right there and make Daniel watch. Wanted to show him how Jasper loved to be touched. How he loved to be taken not asked. School him on what it meant to bring his husband pleasure. And I had wanted him to choke on it.
It was just done so perfectly. I loved every second of this book. Also we are not talking about how I have 180 highlights. I'm so excited for Franklin and Leland's book. Like the little glimpses we got. Now we wait until August.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 501 reviews