Top Secret by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy

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Title: Top Secret
Author: Sarina Bowen, Elle Kennedy
Published by: Indie
Release Date: May 7, 2019
Format: eARC
Pages: 319
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, LGBT
Source: Nina Bocci PR
Reading Challenges: Lenoreo's 2019 Diversity Reading Challenge, Lenoreo's 2019 New Release Challenge
Find it: Goodreads ✩ Amazon ✩ B&N ✩ Google ✩ Kobo ✩ iBooks
My rating:

Blurb:

Bestselling authors Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy return with their first Male / Male romance in 3 years.

LobsterShorts, 21Jock. Secretly a science geek. Hot AF.

LobsterShorts: So. Here goes. For her birthday, my girlfriend wants…a threesome.

SinnerThree: Then you’ve come to the right hookup app.

LobsterShorts: Have you done this sort of thing before? With another guy?

SinnerThree: All the time. I'm an equal opportunity player. You?

LobsterShorts: [crickets!]

SinnerThree, 21Finance major. Secretly a male dancer. Hot AF.

SinnerThree: Well, I’m down if you are. My life is kind of a mess right now. School, work, family stress. Oh, and I live next door to the most annoying dude in the world. I need the distraction. Are you sure you want this?

LobsterShorts: I might want it a little more than I’m willing to admit.

SinnerThree: Hey, nothing wrong with pushing your boundaries...

LobsterShorts: Tell that to my control-freak father. Anyway. What if this threesome is awkward?

SinnerThree: Then it’s awkward. It’s not like we’ll ever have to see each other again. Right? Just promise you won’t fall in love with me.

LobsterShorts: Now wouldn’t that be life-changing...

Q&A about Top Secret:

Q: Have we met these characters before in another book?A: No! These guys are brand new, and we can’t wait for you to meet them.

Q: Is this story MM? Or is it a MMF / MFM / menage?A: This book is MM.

Q: Is this a love triangle story?A: Not really. You’ll see.

My Review:

I received a free copy through Nina Bocci PR in exchange for an honest and unbiased review/opinion.

4.5 stars — Dudes, isn’t it weird how you don’t know you’ve missed something until you get it again?  I really love the way this duo writes together.  I don’t even know how to describe what it is about their writing, but it’s just seamless.  And you get the best of both writers.  And OMG, their M/M romances in particular are just super steamy and hot combined with realism and dimension.

And that’s the thing that stands out the most for me in this book, the depth of our two heroes.  They are so real.  I love how completely different they are from one another, yet I empathize with both of them, and truly feel like I understand how they came to be the men that they are now.  And they’re both eminently likable!  Keaton truly is a lovable puppy dog, seeking approval from his loved ones, while trying to embrace who he is inside.  I loved his nerdy mind, his passion for animals, and his willingness to look deeper within himself.  I LOVED that he didn’t try to hide or squash the new things he was learning about himself…I mean, he panicked and was confused, but he forged ahead.

And Luke just broke my heart.  He had so much drive, but it came from a place of insecurity.  He was truly shaped by his past and his childhood, and it was hard to watch the arrows keep coming his way.  I wanted him to discover his worth earlier, to learn to trust faster, but in the end it wouldn’t have been believable.  And in the end it made every step forward that much more satisfying.

And the two of them together surprised me.  I loved their communications over Kink.  I loved the way they connected with one another on a basic level.  And in a strange way, I loved that they were so different in real life, neither one taking the time to look deeper into the other.  I’m not always into enemies to lovers tropes, but this one was well done.  And damn, did that hostility and tension make for some very hot scenes when they first got together.  Like smoking.  OMG, Luke’s dominant personality was just…wow.  And the subtle way their relationship developed was kind of sweet too.  I became fully invested in their romance.

There were definitely some great secondary characters in this one as well.  From the different personalities of the frat brothers, to Annika, to even Keaton’s Dad.  They all added to make us learn more about the boys.

On a side note, there is a very small element of non-physical cheating in this book.  Cheating’s normally a button issue for me, but there are always exceptions.  This would be one of them.  The circumstances surrounding the relationships are super unique, and the way it all played out just didn’t have me turned off.  Obviously it’s personal, but just thought I’d give one perspective from someone who doesn’t have much tolerance for that.

So yeah.  Super huge hit with me.  I can definitely see myself checking out the audiobook when it becomes available, because I’d love to see Keaton and Luke’s story evolve all over again.  Such a great combination of sass, humour, steam, and depth.