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A review by missdevo
Rivals by Ashton Brooks
4.0
Riley Conrad and Reign Thorn grew up alongside each other, but in completely different worlds. Reign comes from a well off family, and Riley has always had to struggle. None of that seemed to matter when hockey came into the picture and made them inseparable. After an accident led to an injury, and hard feelings that couldn’t be overcome, their paths diverged into two different schools and futures. Until Reign discovered that his childhood soulmate had become a woman-a woman he very much wanted.
There is just something about the level of angst created when the MMC is unfairly harsh and cruel to the FMC, and then ends up being unable to be away from her that really works for me as a reader. That feeling in the pit of my stomach when the FMC has the strength to bear up under the brutality of a bully. I love a good bully trope, and it's definitely well written here. It makes the payoff when he flips his switch so much sweeter, and boy does Reign Thorn’s switch flip! The only thing that makes him madder than Riley herself, is how much he discovers he wants her. When it's followed up with "soft only for her", it's *chef's kiss*. My only wish is for more of a grovel after all he's put her through as they approach, evade, and dance around each other trying to decide if the other can be trusted enough to be vulnerable. They both get feral for each other, and towards anyone trying to get between them, and the spice is very nice.
Thank you to The Author Agency and Ashton Brooks for this ARC opportunity.
There is just something about the level of angst created when the MMC is unfairly harsh and cruel to the FMC, and then ends up being unable to be away from her that really works for me as a reader. That feeling in the pit of my stomach when the FMC has the strength to bear up under the brutality of a bully. I love a good bully trope, and it's definitely well written here. It makes the payoff when he flips his switch so much sweeter, and boy does Reign Thorn’s switch flip! The only thing that makes him madder than Riley herself, is how much he discovers he wants her. When it's followed up with "soft only for her", it's *chef's kiss*. My only wish is for more of a grovel after all he's put her through as they approach, evade, and dance around each other trying to decide if the other can be trusted enough to be vulnerable. They both get feral for each other, and towards anyone trying to get between them, and the spice is very nice.
Thank you to The Author Agency and Ashton Brooks for this ARC opportunity.