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Bad Decisions #1
Rent: Paid in Full
“You have something I want. Something I’ll happily buy…or rent.”
As if my life doesn’t suck enough already, my insufferable new roommate, Miller MacAvoy, seems determined to make things weird. He watches me all the time, grinning at me like a beautiful idiot, eyes boring holes into me every time I turn my back on him.
It’s the last thing I need. Things haven’t been going well. College isn’t working out at all like I’d hoped. I’m drowning in debt, waiting tables every shift I can get, and falling behind on my studies.
Something’s got to give.
I can’t go on like this much longer.
Miller, being the out-of-touch rich boy he is, keeps offering to throw cash my way. Obviously, I’d rather die than accept charity from him.
Still, he watches and waits. Insisting again and again that I have something he wants to buy. It’s insane. I have nothing of value to sell. Absolutely nothing. My phone screen is cracked and my truck could easily be mistaken for scrap.
Wait.
No!
Surely not.
He can’t possibly be thinking that.
Can he?
As if my life doesn’t suck enough already, my insufferable new roommate, Miller MacAvoy, seems determined to make things weird. He watches me all the time, grinning at me like a beautiful idiot, eyes boring holes into me every time I turn my back on him.
It’s the last thing I need. Things haven’t been going well. College isn’t working out at all like I’d hoped. I’m drowning in debt, waiting tables every shift I can get, and falling behind on my studies.
Something’s got to give.
I can’t go on like this much longer.
Miller, being the out-of-touch rich boy he is, keeps offering to throw cash my way. Obviously, I’d rather die than accept charity from him.
Still, he watches and waits. Insisting again and again that I have something he wants to buy. It’s insane. I have nothing of value to sell. Absolutely nothing. My phone screen is cracked and my truck could easily be mistaken for scrap.
Wait.
No!
Surely not.
He can’t possibly be thinking that.
Can he?
413 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 18, 2024
903 people are currently reading
3492 people want to read
About the author
Jesse H. Reign
16 books1,271 followersI'm Jesse, and I write contemporary and paranormal MM romance.
Whether my characters are born magical, or whether magic is something they make between the sheets, I strive to take the reader into the mind of the narrator. My ultimate goal is to leave the reader feeling like they’ve made a new friend or have spent a few hours flirting with a brand-new book boyfriend.
I love coffee, chocolate and daydreaming, in no particular order. I love conflicted characters, lust at first sight and angst – no seriously, ALL the angst. Give it to me!
Whether my characters are born magical, or whether magic is something they make between the sheets, I strive to take the reader into the mind of the narrator. My ultimate goal is to leave the reader feeling like they’ve made a new friend or have spent a few hours flirting with a brand-new book boyfriend.
I love coffee, chocolate and daydreaming, in no particular order. I love conflicted characters, lust at first sight and angst – no seriously, ALL the angst. Give it to me!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 817 reviews
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January 20, 2024DNF @ 27%
I can’t, I just can’t. I’m sure this book delivers exactly what it promised but it’s really not alright with me.My heart breaks for Ryan and I can’t stand to see him humiliated. He’s dirt poor, he has anxiety -worsened by the fact that he needs money- and he’s totally antisocial and awkward. I can’t stand watching Miller humiliating him, tantalizing him with money to make him get on his knees and suck him or to have sex with him. And he’s doing it in a cold humiliating way too. On top of that we are given the impression that Ryan thinks himself as straight. That’s sexual abuse in my books, sexual coercion. Taking advantage of a vulnerable person in order to abuse him sexually . And maybe I’d have been ok with other type of coercion, you know? A blackmail or I don’t know, some other form of fictional kinky dub-con but NOT when one needs money to eat, to survive , when he gets panic attacks that he will be buried in depth. How can THAT transform into a romance? How can a love story be born from that humiliation. I know , I know a lot of ppl will eat this cuz you know..fiction, smutty , hot etc , I just can’t, it bothered me for some reason. Also, the fact that apparently Ryan fell in love with Miller’s dick at first taste is sooo eye-rolling. That first BJ is cringe and double problematic because Ryan was also drunk. Sorry to all my Gr friends here who will love this 🫣 I know I’m a party pooper.
I can’t, I just can’t. I’m sure this book delivers exactly what it promised but it’s really not alright with me.My heart breaks for Ryan and I can’t stand to see him humiliated. He’s dirt poor, he has anxiety -worsened by the fact that he needs money- and he’s totally antisocial and awkward. I can’t stand watching Miller humiliating him, tantalizing him with money to make him get on his knees and suck him or to have sex with him. And he’s doing it in a cold humiliating way too. On top of that we are given the impression that Ryan thinks himself as straight. That’s sexual abuse in my books, sexual coercion. Taking advantage of a vulnerable person in order to abuse him sexually . And maybe I’d have been ok with other type of coercion, you know? A blackmail or I don’t know, some other form of fictional kinky dub-con but NOT when one needs money to eat, to survive , when he gets panic attacks that he will be buried in depth. How can THAT transform into a romance? How can a love story be born from that humiliation. I know , I know a lot of ppl will eat this cuz you know..fiction, smutty , hot etc , I just can’t, it bothered me for some reason. Also, the fact that apparently Ryan fell in love with Miller’s dick at first taste is sooo eye-rolling. That first BJ is cringe and double problematic because Ryan was also drunk. Sorry to all my Gr friends here who will love this 🫣 I know I’m a party pooper.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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October 9, 2024DNF @30%
OMG this was so fucking problematic. Miller is such a cunt (not in the good way) You cannot tell me that what he did to Ryan was not sexual abuse.
OMG this was so fucking problematic. Miller is such a cunt (not in the good way) You cannot tell me that what he did to Ryan was not sexual abuse.
![Profile Image for Megan [Semi-Hiatus].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1634561405i%2F25103878._UY200_CR50%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
February 12, 2024
MM Romance
1 Star ⭐️
I absolutely hated this book. The first 10% felt like Unrequited, my favorite book by this author and later on there was even a reference to it but this was nothing like that book. The transition from roommates to their arrangement was weird, Miller was a creepy stalker for most of the book and Ryan annoyed the hell out of me. They had this weird arrangement up until like 90% and the back 10% is what I would have liked the entire book to actually be like.
I’m about ready to DNR this author but there’s one more on her backlist I’ve been wanting to read, Unbreak Me. It’s from when she first started writing and I vibed with her books. I can’t stand her new stuff though and hopefully after this one I won’t be tempted to pick anymore up. Lesson learned. 🤡
One more thing!! How could I forget? It was one of the main reasons this felt like a chore to read. Ryan broke the 4th wall more times than I could count and it’s why he bugged the absolute hell out of me. There’s only been a handful of books breaking the 4th wall has ever worked in and this is not one of them. 🤦🏻♀️
1 Star ⭐️
I absolutely hated this book. The first 10% felt like Unrequited, my favorite book by this author and later on there was even a reference to it but this was nothing like that book. The transition from roommates to their arrangement was weird, Miller was a creepy stalker for most of the book and Ryan annoyed the hell out of me. They had this weird arrangement up until like 90% and the back 10% is what I would have liked the entire book to actually be like.
I’m about ready to DNR this author but there’s one more on her backlist I’ve been wanting to read, Unbreak Me. It’s from when she first started writing and I vibed with her books. I can’t stand her new stuff though and hopefully after this one I won’t be tempted to pick anymore up. Lesson learned. 🤡
One more thing!! How could I forget? It was one of the main reasons this felt like a chore to read. Ryan broke the 4th wall more times than I could count and it’s why he bugged the absolute hell out of me. There’s only been a handful of books breaking the 4th wall has ever worked in and this is not one of them. 🤦🏻♀️
January 22, 2024
Couldn't put this one down!
I absolutely loved Miller. The way the relationship progressed between him and Ryan really grabbed my attention and I was insanely invested in them.
Also that ending with Annabel and the peach tree 🥹🥹🥹🥹
I'm excited to see more of them in the next book.
I absolutely loved Miller. The way the relationship progressed between him and Ryan really grabbed my attention and I was insanely invested in them.
Also that ending with Annabel and the peach tree 🥹🥹🥹🥹
I'm excited to see more of them in the next book.
January 23, 2024
⭐︎
4.25 Stars Rounded Down
⭐︎
Okay first, there are several things to address:
⚫️ It pretty much says in the summary itself, if the title didn't say it already, that Miller literally pays Ryan for sex. That Miller keeps trying to straight up give Ryan money for nothing, just to help out, but Ryan refuses. It's pretty clear what Miller asks Ryan to do to "earn" it. So...to act shocked that Ryan is in pretty dire straights, financially, and that he ends up accepting Miller's offers to pay him for sex, is...wild to me.
Also, yes, sex work can, a lot of the time, be something someone does out of desperation. That does not mean the person paying for sex from them is always taking advantage of them or makes the person non-consenting.
I get that Miller knows Ryan is in this situation, and one might think he's taking advantage, but he never forces himself on Ryan, no matter how desperate he gets - and he does get desperate and pleading, no doubt about it. And pushy, sure. I will concede that point. But still, even then, Ryan is always consenting.
Also, Miller says a few times throughout that money or no money, Ryan can say no. He reassures him of that a time or two. Miller may be pushy at times and so desperate for Ryan that he's willing to pay him, but he makes it clear he won't cross any boundaries set by Ryan himself, even if that is a clear no.
So to see some reviews claiming otherwise is interesting to me. I mean, I can see how, on the surface, it might seem icky, like Miller is just taking advantage of Ryan's situation for sexual favors. But if you actually read the story, it's so much more than that for Miller. And he would stop if he was told to stop.
Ryan, no matter how dire his money situation is, doesn't have to say yes. He went years before without getting paid for sex, and he could have continued on without it too, even if things would be hard. But Ryan had been living with his financial situation being hard for years already. And if he really wanted to, he could have asked his parents for money, even if it would have hurt them financially too.
So, in conclusion, yeah, some may see their situation as some form of fucked up, but I didn't. And it helped being in Ryan's head and knowing he wanted Miller so desperately too, but it was just hard for him to admit it to himself. He even has a thought about how Miller paying him makes it easier, almost, because then he can continue to pretend not to want him, because if he had sex with Miller without money...there'd be no going back.
⚫️ I will concede the first time Ryan gives Miller a blow job is dubious consent. He went and had a few tequilas, although we don't know exactly how many, and we don't know how long it's been since he drank, when he starts giving Miller the blowjob. And I'd say Miller didn't know, and I think he doesn't at first, but I think afterward he has a thought that he could smell tequila on Ryan's breath. Soooo, dubious consent it is. And that is the one time I do side-eye Miller, if he was able to smell tequila on Ryan's breath.
⚫️ I saw it said that Ryan thinks he's straight and so it's coercion for Miller to try to "pressure" him into sex and I have to laugh. Because not only do we get an explicit thought from Ryan that he's bisexual, but "straight" men have sex with men all the time. And I've read many a scene in these romance novels where the guy is like "I'm not gay" and then proceeds to have sex with a guy and I have never seen something said like that about it. Someone's own perceived sexuality doesn't take away their ability to consent lol.
⚫️ I also was confused, because I saw it said that Ryan doesn't show much back and that he's barely showing any feelings even near the end, and that is not what I got from him at all. So if you see others saying that, I would ignore that. Because while Ryan is much more level headed than Miller, and is in great denial for a long time, his feelings for Miller are practically bursting out of him by the end.
One of my only real grievances with this book was being in agreement with others that there wasn't as much romance as there could have been.
Now, I think there was more than others have said. Is this primarily sex? Hell yes. But you can have a lot of sex and still be romantic. This was more an erotic romance, in my opinion. Heavily focused on sex, but still romantic too.
But I do wish there'd been more of a balance, as the scenes where they just...talked and did non-sexual things wasn't as much as I'd have liked. I did very much enjoy what was there, but I just needed more.
But this being more reliant on the sex overall doesn't take away from the romance that is there. Especially on Miller's end. He falls pretty hard and fast. It's Ryan whose the hold out for some time, and is much more subtle.
But I do wish a lot of sex wasn't looked at as not romantic. Can it be not romantic? Of course. People can have purely sexual relationships. But that's not what this was, not in the least.
Miller doesn't just want Ryan's body, he just wants Ryan. He's obsessed with Ryan, not how he looks. He's greatly attracted to him, but a big portion of that is about who Ryan is, and who Ryan is makes Ryan all the more sexy to Miller.
Ryan might just see how pretty and gorgeous Miller is at first, because he hates him, but pretty soon into their arrangement, we can see him thawing towards Miller and having to actively make himself mad and angry at Miller. It goes from "I hate you" to "I want to hate you but I can't" with Ryan. He's just very scared of letting himself be vulnerable with anyone, especially someone like Miller - we learn why later on in this - and he's very, very stubborn about it all.
I do wish Miller had reacted more upset and called Ryan out at some of things he said to him, but I didn't mind too much in the end. But Miller was very unbothered by a lot of what Ryan said and actually loved how mean to him he was at times. I guess Miller was bored with everyone being 'yes' men to him, and Ryan was anything but that with him.
You really see Ryan soften over the course of this book, but still try to push himself into denial. And he does a good job of that denial until the end, but he doesn't fool me in the least. His "of course I hate Miller" type thoughts are very much a "one doth protest too much, methinks" of him.
I tagged bdsm-lite for this book because there's this one roleplay type scene where Ryan asks Miller to "bully" him and there is spanking involved. But it isn't something they regularly do, so it's not a full bdsm type relationship they have. I did enjoy that scene, though, as it was, in a way, Ryan taking back the control all his previous bully's took from him, in a safe space with Miller. Who, lbr, he was trusting a lot by that point. Especially to trust him with that.
So, overall, I really enjoyed this. Could have had a better sex/romance balance, and I do wish maybe Ryan had been honest with himself a little sooner, but overall this was so enjoyable, and I really enjoyed Miller and Ryan together. Also Miller being absolutely obsessed with Ryan was *chefs kiss* so hot. There was only one person for Miller pretty soon into this.
I do recommend this. And taking in all I said about potential controversies with this book, if you still feel like this is the book for you, I definitely say go for it. And while sex wasn't the only part of this book...it was heavily present and boy was it hot. It was very well done and the chemistry was very very good. Also if any of what I talked about above makes you uncomfortable or what have you, then this isn't the book for you. But if it is, go for it!
Also I can't wait for Miller's dad and his assistant, Wyn. Some age gap, boss/employee dynamic? Yes please!
Can't wait! 😍
Okay first, there are several things to address:
⚫️ It pretty much says in the summary itself, if the title didn't say it already, that Miller literally pays Ryan for sex. That Miller keeps trying to straight up give Ryan money for nothing, just to help out, but Ryan refuses. It's pretty clear what Miller asks Ryan to do to "earn" it. So...to act shocked that Ryan is in pretty dire straights, financially, and that he ends up accepting Miller's offers to pay him for sex, is...wild to me.
Also, yes, sex work can, a lot of the time, be something someone does out of desperation. That does not mean the person paying for sex from them is always taking advantage of them or makes the person non-consenting.
I get that Miller knows Ryan is in this situation, and one might think he's taking advantage, but he never forces himself on Ryan, no matter how desperate he gets - and he does get desperate and pleading, no doubt about it. And pushy, sure. I will concede that point. But still, even then, Ryan is always consenting.
Also, Miller says a few times throughout that money or no money, Ryan can say no. He reassures him of that a time or two. Miller may be pushy at times and so desperate for Ryan that he's willing to pay him, but he makes it clear he won't cross any boundaries set by Ryan himself, even if that is a clear no.
So to see some reviews claiming otherwise is interesting to me. I mean, I can see how, on the surface, it might seem icky, like Miller is just taking advantage of Ryan's situation for sexual favors. But if you actually read the story, it's so much more than that for Miller. And he would stop if he was told to stop.
Ryan, no matter how dire his money situation is, doesn't have to say yes. He went years before without getting paid for sex, and he could have continued on without it too, even if things would be hard. But Ryan had been living with his financial situation being hard for years already. And if he really wanted to, he could have asked his parents for money, even if it would have hurt them financially too.
So, in conclusion, yeah, some may see their situation as some form of fucked up, but I didn't. And it helped being in Ryan's head and knowing he wanted Miller so desperately too, but it was just hard for him to admit it to himself. He even has a thought about how Miller paying him makes it easier, almost, because then he can continue to pretend not to want him, because if he had sex with Miller without money...there'd be no going back.
⚫️ I will concede the first time Ryan gives Miller a blow job is dubious consent. He went and had a few tequilas, although we don't know exactly how many, and we don't know how long it's been since he drank, when he starts giving Miller the blowjob. And I'd say Miller didn't know, and I think he doesn't at first, but I think afterward he has a thought that he could smell tequila on Ryan's breath. Soooo, dubious consent it is. And that is the one time I do side-eye Miller, if he was able to smell tequila on Ryan's breath.
⚫️ I saw it said that Ryan thinks he's straight and so it's coercion for Miller to try to "pressure" him into sex and I have to laugh. Because not only do we get an explicit thought from Ryan that he's bisexual, but "straight" men have sex with men all the time. And I've read many a scene in these romance novels where the guy is like "I'm not gay" and then proceeds to have sex with a guy and I have never seen something said like that about it. Someone's own perceived sexuality doesn't take away their ability to consent lol.
⚫️ I also was confused, because I saw it said that Ryan doesn't show much back and that he's barely showing any feelings even near the end, and that is not what I got from him at all. So if you see others saying that, I would ignore that. Because while Ryan is much more level headed than Miller, and is in great denial for a long time, his feelings for Miller are practically bursting out of him by the end.
One of my only real grievances with this book was being in agreement with others that there wasn't as much romance as there could have been.
Now, I think there was more than others have said. Is this primarily sex? Hell yes. But you can have a lot of sex and still be romantic. This was more an erotic romance, in my opinion. Heavily focused on sex, but still romantic too.
But I do wish there'd been more of a balance, as the scenes where they just...talked and did non-sexual things wasn't as much as I'd have liked. I did very much enjoy what was there, but I just needed more.
But this being more reliant on the sex overall doesn't take away from the romance that is there. Especially on Miller's end. He falls pretty hard and fast. It's Ryan whose the hold out for some time, and is much more subtle.
But I do wish a lot of sex wasn't looked at as not romantic. Can it be not romantic? Of course. People can have purely sexual relationships. But that's not what this was, not in the least.
Miller doesn't just want Ryan's body, he just wants Ryan. He's obsessed with Ryan, not how he looks. He's greatly attracted to him, but a big portion of that is about who Ryan is, and who Ryan is makes Ryan all the more sexy to Miller.
Ryan might just see how pretty and gorgeous Miller is at first, because he hates him, but pretty soon into their arrangement, we can see him thawing towards Miller and having to actively make himself mad and angry at Miller. It goes from "I hate you" to "I want to hate you but I can't" with Ryan. He's just very scared of letting himself be vulnerable with anyone, especially someone like Miller - we learn why later on in this - and he's very, very stubborn about it all.
I do wish Miller had reacted more upset and called Ryan out at some of things he said to him, but I didn't mind too much in the end. But Miller was very unbothered by a lot of what Ryan said and actually loved how mean to him he was at times. I guess Miller was bored with everyone being 'yes' men to him, and Ryan was anything but that with him.
You really see Ryan soften over the course of this book, but still try to push himself into denial. And he does a good job of that denial until the end, but he doesn't fool me in the least. His "of course I hate Miller" type thoughts are very much a "one doth protest too much, methinks" of him.
I tagged bdsm-lite for this book because there's this one roleplay type scene where Ryan asks Miller to "bully" him and there is spanking involved. But it isn't something they regularly do, so it's not a full bdsm type relationship they have. I did enjoy that scene, though, as it was, in a way, Ryan taking back the control all his previous bully's took from him, in a safe space with Miller. Who, lbr, he was trusting a lot by that point. Especially to trust him with that.
So, overall, I really enjoyed this. Could have had a better sex/romance balance, and I do wish maybe Ryan had been honest with himself a little sooner, but overall this was so enjoyable, and I really enjoyed Miller and Ryan together. Also Miller being absolutely obsessed with Ryan was *chefs kiss* so hot. There was only one person for Miller pretty soon into this.
I do recommend this. And taking in all I said about potential controversies with this book, if you still feel like this is the book for you, I definitely say go for it. And while sex wasn't the only part of this book...it was heavily present and boy was it hot. It was very well done and the chemistry was very very good. Also if any of what I talked about above makes you uncomfortable or what have you, then this isn't the book for you. But if it is, go for it!
Also I can't wait for Miller's dad and his assistant, Wyn. Some age gap, boss/employee dynamic? Yes please!
Can't wait! 😍
June 6, 2024
Actual rating ⭐⭐⭐ / 5
Spice rating 🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5
Edit: dropped from 4 ⭐s to 3. There are a lot of other (better) MM romances that deserve 4 stars 🩷 -> this felt more like 3.
Unpopular opinion incoming : Ryan, the irritable, shit-tempered college student with outspoken curiosity for dudes, was working on my nerves. Hear me out.
He gets roomed with rich "fuckboy" Miller, who is also (yes, ALSO, because RyRy associates with bi orientation very early on in the story) bi. Miller gets a bit of an insta-boner for this grump (I don't know man, something about his big nose or some other nonsense, beats me), and notices the 'dire straights' Ry is in. He straight up offers him money, which Ryan rejects. Miller, the cheeky sunshine he is, offers to buy the only thing Ryan has to offer, which is seggsual favors.
Ryan, begrudgingly, accepts. So far so good. This is where my sympathy for Ry ends, because after that he behaved like an idiot for the rest of the book. Miller continuously offers him aftercare, general sexual satisfaction, and basically free use for Ryan if he wanted. And we get it clear that he WANTED. But, stubborn prick that he is, he didn't take Miller up on it, until I was all but done with this dynamic.
I like to ask myself - what would I do if I were Ryan. I think if you have made it this far in this review, you know. Miller was like an eager puppy with means and looks. He had a problem, he threw money at it, offered it to enjoy the process, and got what he wanted. I am only judging him for not pulling out sooner and giving Ryan the opportunity to deal with his shit and figure out that he intrinsically was absolutely into this whole arrangement. Instead we get to see Miller fall hard for him, and watch Ryan extort money from him for a long while before he allows himself to come to terms with the inevitability that is Miller.
That's how I read it and don't come at me.
Or do, I don't mind.
🍑 Also, regarding the spice meter here, there were, surprisingly, many instances of fade to black, which I didn't enjoy. Some scenes were 🔥 but, and I don't like to read-and-compare, if the ones we got to see through, were even more detailed and had more 💦 from both sides (🤡), I think Miller and Ry's relationship would have felt more organic for me (looking at you, For The Fans).
That is all, I'm gonna go feel like a mean girl for a while, but that's okay. 💅
My review of Part 2: Work: Strictly Professional - ⚠️DNF⚠��� @20%
Spice rating 🌶️🌶️🌶️ / 5
Edit: dropped from 4 ⭐s to 3. There are a lot of other (better) MM romances that deserve 4 stars 🩷 -> this felt more like 3.
Unpopular opinion incoming : Ryan, the irritable, shit-tempered college student with outspoken curiosity for dudes, was working on my nerves. Hear me out.
He gets roomed with rich "fuckboy" Miller, who is also (yes, ALSO, because RyRy associates with bi orientation very early on in the story) bi. Miller gets a bit of an insta-boner for this grump (I don't know man, something about his big nose or some other nonsense, beats me), and notices the 'dire straights' Ry is in. He straight up offers him money, which Ryan rejects. Miller, the cheeky sunshine he is, offers to buy the only thing Ryan has to offer, which is seggsual favors.
Ryan, begrudgingly, accepts. So far so good. This is where my sympathy for Ry ends, because after that he behaved like an idiot for the rest of the book. Miller continuously offers him aftercare, general sexual satisfaction, and basically free use for Ryan if he wanted. And we get it clear that he WANTED. But, stubborn prick that he is, he didn't take Miller up on it, until I was all but done with this dynamic.
I like to ask myself - what would I do if I were Ryan. I think if you have made it this far in this review, you know. Miller was like an eager puppy with means and looks. He had a problem, he threw money at it, offered it to enjoy the process, and got what he wanted. I am only judging him for not pulling out sooner and giving Ryan the opportunity to deal with his shit and figure out that he intrinsically was absolutely into this whole arrangement. Instead we get to see Miller fall hard for him, and watch Ryan extort money from him for a long while before he allows himself to come to terms with the inevitability that is Miller.
That's how I read it and don't come at me.
Or do, I don't mind.
🍑 Also, regarding the spice meter here, there were, surprisingly, many instances of fade to black, which I didn't enjoy. Some scenes were 🔥 but, and I don't like to read-and-compare, if the ones we got to see through, were even more detailed and had more 💦 from both sides (🤡), I think Miller and Ry's relationship would have felt more organic for me (looking at you, For The Fans).
That is all, I'm gonna go feel like a mean girl for a while, but that's okay. 💅
My review of Part 2: Work: Strictly Professional - ⚠️DNF⚠��� @20%
June 24, 2025
6 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Format: ebook
The way I almost didn’t read this book because of the reviews.
Y’all better leave my baby Miller MacAvoy alone. He’s a perfect angel that’s never done anything wrong in his life. Argue with the fucking wall.
I have been chasing the high I felt when I read God of Fury for the first time and this book is the closest I’ve gotten to that feeling. Ryan and Miller give Brandon and Nikolai vibes, and I was fucking here for it.
The tropes in this were perfection, some of my absolute favorite. Forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, class difference, sex work… I was sat from the first paragraph to the very last page completely absorbing every word.
Ryan… It took me a handful of chapters to get into him. He was a little too grouchy for me at first but he weaseled his way into my heart. Watching his walls crumble and his icy exterior melt for Miller was so adorable. And, Miller… I was enamored with him from the very second he smirked at Ryan. God, he’s the cutest, sweetest thing. Nikolai Sokolov-level delusions, stalking and obsession. The way he tried to give Ryan money with his tip at dinner and it was refused. So he found a way around it and their little transaction began.
At NO point did Miller sexually assault Ryan. He constantly told Ryan he could say no or stop at any time. He would’ve given Ryan the money without the sex but Ryan was adamant he didn’t want hand-outs. He’s someone that needs to “earn” his money. All Miller wanted was for Ryan to stop being stressed over money or even having a safe mode of transportation. He is a literal angel.
The last chapter had me literally sobbing in a restaurant out at dinner with my family. They got their cat and Miller’s dream house. Oh, my babies. I’m immediately going on to the next book in the series.
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Format: ebook
The way I almost didn’t read this book because of the reviews.
Y’all better leave my baby Miller MacAvoy alone. He’s a perfect angel that’s never done anything wrong in his life. Argue with the fucking wall.
I have been chasing the high I felt when I read God of Fury for the first time and this book is the closest I’ve gotten to that feeling. Ryan and Miller give Brandon and Nikolai vibes, and I was fucking here for it.
The tropes in this were perfection, some of my absolute favorite. Forced proximity, grumpy/sunshine, class difference, sex work… I was sat from the first paragraph to the very last page completely absorbing every word.
Ryan… It took me a handful of chapters to get into him. He was a little too grouchy for me at first but he weaseled his way into my heart. Watching his walls crumble and his icy exterior melt for Miller was so adorable. And, Miller… I was enamored with him from the very second he smirked at Ryan. God, he’s the cutest, sweetest thing. Nikolai Sokolov-level delusions, stalking and obsession. The way he tried to give Ryan money with his tip at dinner and it was refused. So he found a way around it and their little transaction began.
At NO point did Miller sexually assault Ryan. He constantly told Ryan he could say no or stop at any time. He would’ve given Ryan the money without the sex but Ryan was adamant he didn’t want hand-outs. He’s someone that needs to “earn” his money. All Miller wanted was for Ryan to stop being stressed over money or even having a safe mode of transportation. He is a literal angel.
The last chapter had me literally sobbing in a restaurant out at dinner with my family. They got their cat and Miller’s dream house. Oh, my babies. I’m immediately going on to the next book in the series.
dnf
April 5, 2024Dnf 47%
Not for me.
I got the ick a while ago, but now it's moved on to straight-up uncomfortable.
Not for me.
I got the ick a while ago, but now it's moved on to straight-up uncomfortable.
dnf
July 21, 2025I think generally you either hate this book or love it but I’m in the middle. I enjoyed Miller a lot as a character but Ryan got on my nerves, and I think because of him I didn’t feel their connection. Like, what does Miller see in him?!
Add in the sexual coercion trope - which wasn’t too bad but also didn’t sit quite right - and some struggles with the writing and I’m calling it quits at 54%. This was just not for me 🤷♀️
Add in the sexual coercion trope - which wasn’t too bad but also didn’t sit quite right - and some struggles with the writing and I’m calling it quits at 54%. This was just not for me 🤷♀️
July 4, 2025
Tropes: forced proximity, roommates, nerd/jock, hate (one-sided) to love, grumpy/sunshine, rich/poor
Feels: 5/5
Steam*: 5/5
Kinks: roleplay, sex in risky / public places, so much smut
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: sex for money, money struggles, dubcon, past bullying, anxiety
Feb. 10, 2024 - comfort reread already!
5+ stars! I absolutely loved this book, I know I will be reading it a billion times!
Ryan is a poor nerd in college. He suffers from anxiety and he switched roommates many times, he's on a first name basis with the housing department lady. His newest roommate is Miller, who is a well-known campus jock and a bit of a himbo. Miller is openly bisexual and a sunshine of a character. Ryan is a grump who is suspicious and side eyes everything. Ryan has never been with a guy before but he definitely has bisexual leanings.
When Miller meets Ryan, he's fascinated by him and attracted. He tries to befriend / hit on Ryan, but everything just bounces off of Ryan. And then Ryan gets particularly financially desperate and Miller offers him money for sexual favors. Ryan tries to be strong but he caves over and over again. These guys fall all over each other in their desperation for each other and have filthy hookups all over the place.
This book had so many things that I love in it. I was howling with laughter and kicking my feet at so many moments.
- I love how unhinged and one track minded Miller is when it comes to Ryan. Miller is absolutely desperate and has no pride. He will take him on any terms.
- I love that Miller is so enraptured by Ryan's assholery and grumpiness. It turns him on.
- The humor of Ryan being on a first name basis with the housing lady Bev, and having all these interactions with her was top notch. I hope one day Ryan tells Bev about what he and Miller got up to, because Bev would love that story!
- The smut in this book was top notch! There was so much filth so frequently. They were desperate for each other. So many scenes flitter through my mind, but in particular the shower scene when Miller paid to eat Ryan's ass... Miller was so enthusiastic and desperate that he herded Ryan into the shower and cleaned him himself, joining him while still dressed, and dropping to his knees on the floor because he didn't have the patience to wait until they were in the bed.
- Also, this wasn't just smutty, there were feelings, tenderness, affection. Miller glomped on to Ryan and pulled him in so tightly. From very early on he was planning for their future, wanting to marry him, get a dream house for him. He held on to Ryan even in platonic ways and just felt such joy and love and happiness.
- I love a black cat grumpy accidental asshole like Ryan too. He was such a tough cookie but Miller was his weakness. I love that small moment when he was thinking of Miller and bought him the everything bagel seasoning and presented it as a gift. Just a small humble I was thinking of you moment, that meant so much to Miller.
Some notable moments: I had so many moments I loved, it hurt to limit myself to these!
"So yeah, I was bleak, but I cheered right up when I met him. Right up. All the way up. He had bags hanging off both shoulders and a huge box of books in his hands. He kicked the door open and held it ajar with his foot as he struggled to make his way in. I was looking at him, right in his eyes, when he saw me for the first time. His face was a picture. I don’t think anyone’s ever looked at me like that before. Disgust. Pure and unfiltered. Straight-up contempt without any attempt to hide it. I was weirdly into it. I’m weirdly into him too. He’s grumpy as hell and awkward as fuck, but he’s something to look at."
"“Why’d they fire you?” Ryan blinks and looks down his nose at her. “Something about an attitude problem.” Oh God, he’s not just hot. He’s complicated and rude."
Miller is unhinged. I love him! "When he got into bed, I said, “Sleep tight,” and he said, “Piss off.” He sounded pompous and British when he said it. It’s hard to describe the joy it brought me."
"He turns slowly toward me. He’s holding the money I left on the desk in his hand. His face is a picture of self-loathing and lust. He slides the clip off the cash and stuffs the money into his back pocket with a shrug I think is meant to imply nonchalance, but comes off a little stiff. Blood floods my cock. It rushes down so fast I feel lightheaded. He flicks the money clip over to me. It glitters as it flies through the air. I catch it easily, uncurling my palm and looking down at the high-karat letter M in my hand. I let my bag drop on the floor right where I stand and take three or four large strides toward him, unbuttoning and unzipping and ripping my shirt off as I move."
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 5/5
Steam*: 5/5
Kinks: roleplay, sex in risky / public places, so much smut
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: sex for money, money struggles, dubcon, past bullying, anxiety
Feb. 10, 2024 - comfort reread already!
5+ stars! I absolutely loved this book, I know I will be reading it a billion times!
Ryan is a poor nerd in college. He suffers from anxiety and he switched roommates many times, he's on a first name basis with the housing department lady. His newest roommate is Miller, who is a well-known campus jock and a bit of a himbo. Miller is openly bisexual and a sunshine of a character. Ryan is a grump who is suspicious and side eyes everything. Ryan has never been with a guy before but he definitely has bisexual leanings.
When Miller meets Ryan, he's fascinated by him and attracted. He tries to befriend / hit on Ryan, but everything just bounces off of Ryan. And then Ryan gets particularly financially desperate and Miller offers him money for sexual favors. Ryan tries to be strong but he caves over and over again. These guys fall all over each other in their desperation for each other and have filthy hookups all over the place.
This book had so many things that I love in it. I was howling with laughter and kicking my feet at so many moments.
- I love how unhinged and one track minded Miller is when it comes to Ryan. Miller is absolutely desperate and has no pride. He will take him on any terms.
- I love that Miller is so enraptured by Ryan's assholery and grumpiness. It turns him on.
- The humor of Ryan being on a first name basis with the housing lady Bev, and having all these interactions with her was top notch. I hope one day Ryan tells Bev about what he and Miller got up to, because Bev would love that story!
- The smut in this book was top notch! There was so much filth so frequently. They were desperate for each other. So many scenes flitter through my mind, but in particular the shower scene when Miller paid to eat Ryan's ass... Miller was so enthusiastic and desperate that he herded Ryan into the shower and cleaned him himself, joining him while still dressed, and dropping to his knees on the floor because he didn't have the patience to wait until they were in the bed.
- Also, this wasn't just smutty, there were feelings, tenderness, affection. Miller glomped on to Ryan and pulled him in so tightly. From very early on he was planning for their future, wanting to marry him, get a dream house for him. He held on to Ryan even in platonic ways and just felt such joy and love and happiness.
- I love a black cat grumpy accidental asshole like Ryan too. He was such a tough cookie but Miller was his weakness. I love that small moment when he was thinking of Miller and bought him the everything bagel seasoning and presented it as a gift. Just a small humble I was thinking of you moment, that meant so much to Miller.
Some notable moments: I had so many moments I loved, it hurt to limit myself to these!
"So yeah, I was bleak, but I cheered right up when I met him. Right up. All the way up. He had bags hanging off both shoulders and a huge box of books in his hands. He kicked the door open and held it ajar with his foot as he struggled to make his way in. I was looking at him, right in his eyes, when he saw me for the first time. His face was a picture. I don’t think anyone’s ever looked at me like that before. Disgust. Pure and unfiltered. Straight-up contempt without any attempt to hide it. I was weirdly into it. I’m weirdly into him too. He’s grumpy as hell and awkward as fuck, but he’s something to look at."
"“Why’d they fire you?” Ryan blinks and looks down his nose at her. “Something about an attitude problem.” Oh God, he’s not just hot. He’s complicated and rude."
Miller is unhinged. I love him! "When he got into bed, I said, “Sleep tight,” and he said, “Piss off.” He sounded pompous and British when he said it. It’s hard to describe the joy it brought me."
"He turns slowly toward me. He’s holding the money I left on the desk in his hand. His face is a picture of self-loathing and lust. He slides the clip off the cash and stuffs the money into his back pocket with a shrug I think is meant to imply nonchalance, but comes off a little stiff. Blood floods my cock. It rushes down so fast I feel lightheaded. He flicks the money clip over to me. It glitters as it flies through the air. I catch it easily, uncurling my palm and looking down at the high-karat letter M in my hand. I let my bag drop on the floor right where I stand and take three or four large strides toward him, unbuttoning and unzipping and ripping my shirt off as I move."
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 10, 2025
⭐️ 5/5 🌶 4/5 — This book didn't just grab me—it crawled inside me, made a nest, and lit up my whole damn heart. ❤️🔥
“Rent: Paid in Full” by Jesse H. Reign is a sweet, filthy, hilarious, emotionally charged MM college romance that ripped the crown off "Poetry On Ice" and claimed the throne. 👑🏆
Why? Because my absolute favorite trope of all time—He/top/dom who fell first and fell harder—was done to perfection. And Miller? Oh, he didn’t just fall. He fucking crashed—spiraled straight into rock bottom and asked for more. ✨️😌
Miller was obsessed, desperate, and hopelessly gone for Ryan from the start. Mr. Perfect with the money, power, and people tripping over themselves to get with him? Was out here paying 500 bucks for a two-minute kiss and BEGGING for it too. He orchestrated moments just to be near Ryan—woke up early to watch him sleep, made him coffee every damn morning, gave unsolicited info just to help him fall asleep, and planned the most romantic ass date on Ryan’s bench with candles, champagne, and strawberries. 😍☕️🕯🥂🍓
MILLER WAS DOWN BAD, Y’ALL. LIKE... PATHETICALLY. ADORABLY. CATASTROPHICALLY. 🥴💘
Ryan had Miller on a leash, wrapped around his finger, and leading him by the dick, the heart, and every working brain cell. Miller might’ve held power over everyone else, but with Ryan? He was a goner. A desperate little gremlin crawling for crumbs. 👓🧎🏻♂️
Nobody warned me how FUNNY this book would be. Miller was unhinged in the best fucking way:
💀 Taunting Ryan to the point of almost getting his ass beat 🤣
💀 Talking Ryan’s ear off even when he’s clearly done
💀 Stalking Ryan and SUCKING at it. Legit kept losing him. LMAO.
The TENSION between them? Thick enough to cut with a damn chainsaw. I was on the edge of my seat, making sounds I didn’t even have English words for. The internal monologues? IMAGINE watching a fallen warrior angel in a slap-fight with a homicidal feral black cat shifter. ALSO IMAGINE like watching a bomb tech trying to defuse a nuclear bomb with sprinkles. You get the idea. INTENSE and CRAZY being the keywords. 💀😂
And the sweet shit Miller did??
💖 Woke up early and watched Ryan sleep every morning
💖 Made Ryan coffee every morning without fail
💖 Started bedtime convos everynight to comfort and help Ryan fall asleep faster 😭
💖 BEGGED like a man with no shame left—my favorite 😏
💖 Got murderously furious when Ryan told him about his trauma
💖 Desperately wanted to know every detail about Ryan’s life
💖 Calms Ryan down whenever his anxiety hits
💖 That “boyfriend experience” date with champagne and strawberries? MELTED ME.
💖 And fuck me—he’s the type of guy who talks you through it in bed. I CAN’T. 😫
The brushing teeth together scene? Tender. Domestic. And pure serotonin. They were smiling like dorks and I was smiling like an idiot. It was beautiful. 🥹💕
And baby… I cried. Toward the end? My heart was shredded for Miller. That moment? That devastating moment? It gutted me. I couldn’t breathe. That sweet, desperate, loyal man—I just wanted to scoop him into my arms and never let go. 😭💔
The spice? Sure, it’s not filthiest thing I’ve read—but the chemistry?? The romance?? That shit blew every panty-melting scene out the water. 'Cause I’m a dirty-minded girl with a hopeless romantic heart—and this book fed both sides of me. I ate well. 🎆😋🤌🏻
Jesse, what dark magic did you tap into to make something so teeth-tinglingly sweet, hysterically funny, emotionally raw, and romantically perfect—WITHOUT being cringe or cheesy? Like, HOW?! 🪄🔮
-
Quotes:
Oh God, he’s not just hot.
He’s complicated and rude.
-
Jesus. He has no idea how to behave. None whatsoever. That’s his thing.
And fuck me, I’m into it.
-
He crumples the paper in his fist and throws it onto his desk halfheartedly, dejected and rapidly running out of steam. I don’t like seeing him like this.
-
Quiet. Not a sound. Not a single goddamn sound, I look down and threaten my dick, or, or…I’ll take you in for a circumcision. I’m serious. I mean it. I’ll do it. Not a sound.
-
When he got into bed, I said, “Sleep tight,” and he said, “Piss off.” He sounded pompous and British when he said it. It’s hard to describe the joy it brought me.
-
“I know what full service is, you dick,” Ryan hisses through tightly gritted teeth.
Swoon.
God. He’s so sexy.
-
“It’s morning wood. Get over yourself.”
“Mine’s not. It’s all you.”
-
It’s been three days, and he still hasn’t touched the money. Three fucking days.
Four days.
Five.
Shit, I’m losing my mind. I’m going to beg soon. I can feel it. It’s awful. It’s a horrible feeling. I’ve never begged anyone for anything before, but I can tell I’m going to do it.
-
It’s been six days now.
I’m not losing my mind anymore. That shit is officially lost.
-
Ryan Haraway just laughed.
“Fuck me. That’s a beautiful sound.”
-
“I meant what I said, Ryan. You can have whatever you want from me. Mouth, hands, ass. Whatever you want, it’s yours. No question. No price.”
-
“Just give me something. It doesn’t have to be head. You can use your hand. Please.”
“No.”
“Okay, no blowjob. No hand job. Fine. How much for a kiss?”
“Same price. Five hundred dollars.”
“Five hundred dollars for a kiss? Jesus, Ryan. That’s extortion…but fine. Done.”
“Five hundred dollars for one minute.”
“Five minutes.”
“Two.”
“Deal.”
-
“You have girls dripping off you like sweat, you know that?”
“What? You jealous?”
“Yes, I’m jealous.” Ryan looks at me like I’m an idiot. “Of course I’m jealous. I told you. You’re mine.”
-
“Yeah, I have to. Have to go and make Ryan his coffee. He’s grouchy as hell in the mornings.”
-
“I think I have a thing for you.”
“No, you don’t. Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Yeah, I do. I have a huge thing for you. I think it might be serious.”
“Hey, Ryan, if I don’t have a thing for you, why can’t I stop thinking of you? ‘Cause I can’t. I’ve tried. I think about you all the time.”
-
“What are you doing here?”
“I followed you. I do that sometimes.”
“Why?”
“Dunno. Want to be close to you, I guess. Want to know where you go and what you do. Just want you, basically.”
-
“You know what to do if you want me.”
“And what’s that, huh?”
“Pay me.”
“I only have a hundred and”—he counts his small notes frantically—“twenty-three dollars on me.” I smile and shake my head with faux regret. “A kiss,” he breathes. “Just a kiss. Please.”
-
“I want to be inside you. No, I don’t want it. I need it. Just my tongue inside you. And my fingers. Please. How much?”
-
“You feel good inside. So good.” His voice is becoming more and more strained with each word. “Why? Why’d you feel like this, Ryan?”
-
“Tell me something,” I say after a while. He acts like he hates it when I do this, and maybe he does, but I know it helps him fall asleep faster.
-
I love everything about this fucked-up little interaction. I love how sweet he is when the lights are out, and I love how angry my existence makes him when they’re on. I love how he seems to expect me to run around helping him despite the fact he’s a nightmare, but most of all, I love how much he hates it that with every day that passes, he’s having a harder and harder time hating me with his whole chest.
-
I mean, don’t get me wrong, when the sun’s up, he’d still push me from a moving vehicle the first chance he got, but I think there’s a chance he’d regret it. Not deeply or anything like that. But probably a little. And I think that’s called progress.
-
It’s finally Friday. It’s been the longest week in living memory, and I’ve had to stop myself from begging Ryan to let me fuck him earlier at least twenty-seven billion times this week. And that’s a conservative estimate.
-
“I think I’m homoromantic. No, scratch that. I’m Ryromantic. That’s what I am. I must be ‘cause I’ve never felt like this about anyone else.”
-
Miller heads to the bar to buy a round, and I tag along for the simple reason his arm seems to be surgically attached to my neck, and as a nonmedical professional, I know of no safe way to remove it.
-
“I’ll kneel for you, Ry. Gladly. I’ll swallow everything you give me. I won’t waste a drop.”
-
“Whatever you want. Say it, Ry, and I’ll give it to you. Anything you want. Anything at all. All you have to do is say it.”
-
“Don’t call me baby.”
“Okay, baby. I’ll stop. I promise. But only if you promise me something too. You have to promise you’ll never stop slapping me away. Don’t ever stop, okay? Not even when we’re old and married.”
-
⚠️ Detailed spoiler below ⛔️
RC and MCs:
💵 MM, mostly strict top/bottom with one switch scene at the end
💵 Miller MacAvoy and Ryan Haraway
💵 Miller: Top, bi, wavy blond hair, pale gray eyes, golden skin but slightly paler than Ryan, muscular
💵 Ryan: Bottom, straight to bi, 5ft11/180cm, wavy dark brown hair, brown eyes, olive skin, lean toned body
Genre and tropes:
💵 MM contemporary romance
💵 College romance
💵 Jock/nerd
💵 Rich/poor
💵 Roommates
💵 Forced proximity
💵 Hate-to-love
💵 Hurt/comfort
💵 Money for sex
💵 Grumpy, black cat energy MC
💵 Bi-awakening
💵 First times
💵 Touch-starved MC
💵 J/P obsessive protective MC
💵 Mine mine mine
💵 Who hurt you?
💵 He fell first and fell harder (Miller) ✨️
💵 Miller hand-fed Ryan a hazelnut praline truffle during their date and on their "free use" trip
💵 Pet names: Ry, baby
Safety info:
💵 Angst: Medium
💵 OW/OM drama: No
💵 Cheating/sharing: No
💵 Third act breakup: No, but there’s a huge push/pull and dramatic reconciliation moment at the end.
💵 Ending: HEA
💵 Epilogue: Yes (6 years later)
💵 POV: Dual, 1st person
💵 Series structure: Interconnected standalone (Ant Decker made an appearance 🥰)
Spice and kinks:
Power dynamics, light D/s elements (push/pull, control, but with stated boundaries), exhibitionism, blowjob, coming untouched, rimming, toungefucking, marking (bite mark on the ass, hickeys), public making out (in campus library), fingerfucking, semi-public sex (blowjob in the campus library restroom), roleplay sex (bullying, requested by Ryan), spanking (one scene, during the roleplay)
CW/TW:
Anxiety, bullying (off-page and roleplay scene), dubcon, sexual coercion, transactional sex, power imbalance, financial hardship, alcohol use and intoxication during sexual encounters, light stalking
“Rent: Paid in Full” by Jesse H. Reign is a sweet, filthy, hilarious, emotionally charged MM college romance that ripped the crown off "Poetry On Ice" and claimed the throne. 👑🏆
Why? Because my absolute favorite trope of all time—He/top/dom who fell first and fell harder—was done to perfection. And Miller? Oh, he didn’t just fall. He fucking crashed—spiraled straight into rock bottom and asked for more. ✨️😌
Miller was obsessed, desperate, and hopelessly gone for Ryan from the start. Mr. Perfect with the money, power, and people tripping over themselves to get with him? Was out here paying 500 bucks for a two-minute kiss and BEGGING for it too. He orchestrated moments just to be near Ryan—woke up early to watch him sleep, made him coffee every damn morning, gave unsolicited info just to help him fall asleep, and planned the most romantic ass date on Ryan’s bench with candles, champagne, and strawberries. 😍☕️🕯🥂🍓
MILLER WAS DOWN BAD, Y’ALL. LIKE... PATHETICALLY. ADORABLY. CATASTROPHICALLY. 🥴💘
Ryan had Miller on a leash, wrapped around his finger, and leading him by the dick, the heart, and every working brain cell. Miller might’ve held power over everyone else, but with Ryan? He was a goner. A desperate little gremlin crawling for crumbs. 👓🧎🏻♂️
Nobody warned me how FUNNY this book would be. Miller was unhinged in the best fucking way:
💀 Taunting Ryan to the point of almost getting his ass beat 🤣
💀 Talking Ryan’s ear off even when he’s clearly done
💀 Stalking Ryan and SUCKING at it. Legit kept losing him. LMAO.
The TENSION between them? Thick enough to cut with a damn chainsaw. I was on the edge of my seat, making sounds I didn’t even have English words for. The internal monologues? IMAGINE watching a fallen warrior angel in a slap-fight with a homicidal feral black cat shifter. ALSO IMAGINE like watching a bomb tech trying to defuse a nuclear bomb with sprinkles. You get the idea. INTENSE and CRAZY being the keywords. 💀😂
And the sweet shit Miller did??
💖 Woke up early and watched Ryan sleep every morning
💖 Made Ryan coffee every morning without fail
💖 Started bedtime convos everynight to comfort and help Ryan fall asleep faster 😭
💖 BEGGED like a man with no shame left—my favorite 😏
💖 Got murderously furious when Ryan told him about his trauma
💖 Desperately wanted to know every detail about Ryan’s life
💖 Calms Ryan down whenever his anxiety hits
💖 That “boyfriend experience” date with champagne and strawberries? MELTED ME.
💖 And fuck me—he’s the type of guy who talks you through it in bed. I CAN’T. 😫
The brushing teeth together scene? Tender. Domestic. And pure serotonin. They were smiling like dorks and I was smiling like an idiot. It was beautiful. 🥹💕
And baby… I cried. Toward the end? My heart was shredded for Miller. That moment? That devastating moment? It gutted me. I couldn’t breathe. That sweet, desperate, loyal man—I just wanted to scoop him into my arms and never let go. 😭💔
The spice? Sure, it’s not filthiest thing I’ve read—but the chemistry?? The romance?? That shit blew every panty-melting scene out the water. 'Cause I’m a dirty-minded girl with a hopeless romantic heart—and this book fed both sides of me. I ate well. 🎆😋🤌🏻
Jesse, what dark magic did you tap into to make something so teeth-tinglingly sweet, hysterically funny, emotionally raw, and romantically perfect—WITHOUT being cringe or cheesy? Like, HOW?! 🪄🔮
-
Quotes:
Oh God, he’s not just hot.
He’s complicated and rude.
-
Jesus. He has no idea how to behave. None whatsoever. That’s his thing.
And fuck me, I’m into it.
-
He crumples the paper in his fist and throws it onto his desk halfheartedly, dejected and rapidly running out of steam. I don’t like seeing him like this.
-
Quiet. Not a sound. Not a single goddamn sound, I look down and threaten my dick, or, or…I’ll take you in for a circumcision. I’m serious. I mean it. I’ll do it. Not a sound.
-
When he got into bed, I said, “Sleep tight,” and he said, “Piss off.” He sounded pompous and British when he said it. It’s hard to describe the joy it brought me.
-
“I know what full service is, you dick,” Ryan hisses through tightly gritted teeth.
Swoon.
God. He’s so sexy.
-
“It’s morning wood. Get over yourself.”
“Mine’s not. It’s all you.”
-
It’s been three days, and he still hasn’t touched the money. Three fucking days.
Four days.
Five.
Shit, I’m losing my mind. I’m going to beg soon. I can feel it. It’s awful. It’s a horrible feeling. I’ve never begged anyone for anything before, but I can tell I’m going to do it.
-
It’s been six days now.
I’m not losing my mind anymore. That shit is officially lost.
-
Ryan Haraway just laughed.
“Fuck me. That’s a beautiful sound.”
-
“I meant what I said, Ryan. You can have whatever you want from me. Mouth, hands, ass. Whatever you want, it’s yours. No question. No price.”
-
“Just give me something. It doesn’t have to be head. You can use your hand. Please.”
“No.”
“Okay, no blowjob. No hand job. Fine. How much for a kiss?”
“Same price. Five hundred dollars.”
“Five hundred dollars for a kiss? Jesus, Ryan. That’s extortion…but fine. Done.”
“Five hundred dollars for one minute.”
“Five minutes.”
“Two.”
“Deal.”
-
“You have girls dripping off you like sweat, you know that?”
“What? You jealous?”
“Yes, I’m jealous.” Ryan looks at me like I’m an idiot. “Of course I’m jealous. I told you. You’re mine.”
-
“Yeah, I have to. Have to go and make Ryan his coffee. He’s grouchy as hell in the mornings.”
-
“I think I have a thing for you.”
“No, you don’t. Don’t be ridiculous.”
“Yeah, I do. I have a huge thing for you. I think it might be serious.”
“Hey, Ryan, if I don’t have a thing for you, why can’t I stop thinking of you? ‘Cause I can’t. I’ve tried. I think about you all the time.”
-
“What are you doing here?”
“I followed you. I do that sometimes.”
“Why?”
“Dunno. Want to be close to you, I guess. Want to know where you go and what you do. Just want you, basically.”
-
“You know what to do if you want me.”
“And what’s that, huh?”
“Pay me.”
“I only have a hundred and”—he counts his small notes frantically—“twenty-three dollars on me.” I smile and shake my head with faux regret. “A kiss,” he breathes. “Just a kiss. Please.”
-
“I want to be inside you. No, I don’t want it. I need it. Just my tongue inside you. And my fingers. Please. How much?”
-
“You feel good inside. So good.” His voice is becoming more and more strained with each word. “Why? Why’d you feel like this, Ryan?”
-
“Tell me something,” I say after a while. He acts like he hates it when I do this, and maybe he does, but I know it helps him fall asleep faster.
-
I love everything about this fucked-up little interaction. I love how sweet he is when the lights are out, and I love how angry my existence makes him when they’re on. I love how he seems to expect me to run around helping him despite the fact he’s a nightmare, but most of all, I love how much he hates it that with every day that passes, he’s having a harder and harder time hating me with his whole chest.
-
I mean, don’t get me wrong, when the sun’s up, he’d still push me from a moving vehicle the first chance he got, but I think there’s a chance he’d regret it. Not deeply or anything like that. But probably a little. And I think that’s called progress.
-
It’s finally Friday. It’s been the longest week in living memory, and I’ve had to stop myself from begging Ryan to let me fuck him earlier at least twenty-seven billion times this week. And that’s a conservative estimate.
-
“I think I’m homoromantic. No, scratch that. I’m Ryromantic. That’s what I am. I must be ‘cause I’ve never felt like this about anyone else.”
-
Miller heads to the bar to buy a round, and I tag along for the simple reason his arm seems to be surgically attached to my neck, and as a nonmedical professional, I know of no safe way to remove it.
-
“I’ll kneel for you, Ry. Gladly. I’ll swallow everything you give me. I won’t waste a drop.”
-
“Whatever you want. Say it, Ry, and I’ll give it to you. Anything you want. Anything at all. All you have to do is say it.”
-
“Don’t call me baby.”
“Okay, baby. I’ll stop. I promise. But only if you promise me something too. You have to promise you’ll never stop slapping me away. Don’t ever stop, okay? Not even when we’re old and married.”
-
⚠️ Detailed spoiler below ⛔️
RC and MCs:
💵 MM, mostly strict top/bottom with one switch scene at the end
💵 Miller MacAvoy and Ryan Haraway
💵 Miller: Top, bi, wavy blond hair, pale gray eyes, golden skin but slightly paler than Ryan, muscular
💵 Ryan: Bottom, straight to bi, 5ft11/180cm, wavy dark brown hair, brown eyes, olive skin, lean toned body
Genre and tropes:
💵 MM contemporary romance
💵 College romance
💵 Jock/nerd
💵 Rich/poor
💵 Roommates
💵 Forced proximity
💵 Hate-to-love
💵 Hurt/comfort
💵 Money for sex
💵 Grumpy, black cat energy MC
💵 Bi-awakening
💵 First times
💵 Touch-starved MC
💵 J/P obsessive protective MC
💵 Mine mine mine
💵 Who hurt you?
💵 He fell first and fell harder (Miller) ✨️
💵 Miller hand-fed Ryan a hazelnut praline truffle during their date and on their "free use" trip
💵 Pet names: Ry, baby
Safety info:
💵 Angst: Medium
💵 OW/OM drama: No
💵 Cheating/sharing: No
💵 Third act breakup: No, but there’s a huge push/pull and dramatic reconciliation moment at the end.
💵 Ending: HEA
💵 Epilogue: Yes (6 years later)
💵 POV: Dual, 1st person
💵 Series structure: Interconnected standalone (Ant Decker made an appearance 🥰)
Spice and kinks:
Power dynamics, light D/s elements (push/pull, control, but with stated boundaries), exhibitionism, blowjob, coming untouched, rimming, toungefucking, marking (bite mark on the ass, hickeys), public making out (in campus library), fingerfucking, semi-public sex (blowjob in the campus library restroom), roleplay sex (bullying, requested by Ryan), spanking (one scene, during the roleplay)
CW/TW:
Anxiety, bullying (off-page and roleplay scene), dubcon, sexual coercion, transactional sex, power imbalance, financial hardship, alcohol use and intoxication during sexual encounters, light stalking
March 2, 2025
After reading Romeo Falling and this book back to back it’s safe to say I’ve found a new favorite author!!! 😁
January 19, 2024
I had no idea I was going to love this book so much.
I've read Sainted and Stepbro Situation so far and didn't really like it, but I gave this one a shot - and I'm not sorry.
This book was really good.
I can't rate it with full 5⭐, because a few things bothered me, but I'm giving it a very solid 4.5⭐. It's a really good book and it's a great start to the series.
🔵 College roommates
🟣 Rich/poor
🟢 Both bisexual
🟡 Pretty guy/average guy
🔵 Grumpy/sunshine
🟠 Paying for sex, transactional
🔴 Trauma, past bullying, social anxiety
🟢 Bully kink
🌶️ Great sex and plenty of it; both vers
What really got me in this book was how descriptive the author was. Descriptive about the looks of the main characters, about sex, about every single thing, you can't not imagine the setting and the characters here, it's all very vivid and wonderfully described.
That's a pretty important part for me, so I was really glad about such details being added.
The story itself had really good pacing. I gulped it down. I think this was one of those rare books where I couldn't wait to see what comes next, it wasn't predictable or boring and not even once did I roll my eyes, so - douze points.
The story is about two accidental roommates, Miller and Ryan, who both come from very different worlds and have very different lives, but end up being absolutely perfect for each other.
Miller is a guy from a very privileged background. Not only is he tall, blonde and insanely attractive, he's in an ivy league school and he doesn't even have to try to pass grades, everything is pretty much handed to him. He's got good friends, tons of money and can get any guy or girl he wants. He's cocky because he can be, he knows he's got it all.
You're welcome.
Miller gets saddled with a new roommate - Ryan.
Ryan is from a blue collar family, he's an average looking guy, he's in college on a scholarship, he's broke all the time, he also has to work and he detests guys like Miller, who have everything and they're also being jerks about it. He was the victim of some intense bullying from guys like Miller in high school and he developed social anxiety, he feels all wrong about himself, he's closed off, doesn't socialize much, he's tense and he's in a perpetual bad mood.
"I was looking at him, right in his eyes, when he saw me for the first time. His face was a picture. I don't think anyone's ever looked at me like that before. Disgust. Pure and unfiltered. Straight-up contempt without any attempt to hide it. I was weirdly into it."
Miller and Ryan have really good dialogues and Ryan intrigues Miller, he makes him feel alive and present, wakes him up from his boring stale life where everyone indulges him and prances around him, but Ryan definitely doesn't.
Ryan has a weak spot though - he needs money.
And Miller wants Ryan.
So Miller starts offering insane amounts of money to Ryan to get intimate with him, he wants to fuck him badly, he can't stop thinking about him, but Ryan would never let him close, so he's taking a more unconventional route.
The sex these guys have is hot, it's hottttt and there's a lot of it. Ryan is a bottom for most of the book but gets to top Miller by the end of it. He loves bottoming and really lets Miller use and abuse him, but make no mistake, Miller is a total sweatheart, he makes Ryan coffee every morning and when they start exchanging sex and money, he tops that coffee with a blowjob, so Ryan really has it good for a while there, he's getting a fantastic blowjob while he's sipping on his coffee in bed. The perks of being Miller's rentboy.
"It's just that I've never felt like this before. I've wanted people in the past, sure. I've wanted them and I've gotten them, but I've never wanted them like this. This is with me all the time, under my skin, simmering, heating me from the inside, burning when he's close. And lately, since the kiss, it burns even when he isn't."
When Miller hires Ryan for The Boyfriend Experience is when you know that Miller definitely has feelings for Ryan. Ryan does open up and start breaking his inner walls bit by bit, but I felt like Ryan's opening up emotionally to Miller fell a bit short here, when the school year was over Ryan was still very much willing to go home without even talking to Miller about anything, there was no missing Miller, no second thoughts about leaving, so for a very long time, almost until 90% you have no idea how this is going to turn out.
Miller does manage to buy himself more time with Ryan and that weekend at the cabin felt like an important milestone for them, but as the time went on I kept waiting for Ryan's feelings to be told, for him to crumble down emotionally, for his longing, for anything really, and it wasn't really there, it was only Miller's want and desire to make this relationship real, to make Ryan stay.
I understand that Ryan had a terrible past with guys like Miller and didn't want to believe until the end that Miller does in fact have real feelings for him and he's not leading him on, but a little more of something from Ryan would've been great, simply because Ryan came around at the very end of the book. He waited until the very end.
"I like how much he wants me, and I like the fact that he doesn't try to hide it. I like how he's looking at me. Like I'm air, and he's suffocating without me."
I think there's one chapter missing before the epilogue . They end it on a positive note at the cabin and we immediately switch to the epilogue and 6 years later, so I definitely feel like there's a chunk of the story missing, because what happened at the end of the book was not enough (for me).
In the epilogue we find them really happy and going strong, about to get married. It would've been great to read more about them and how they navigated their relationship when they went back to campus, with their friends, families, what was it like now that money wasn't involved anymore? Did they live together, how did it go? I really wanted to read about all of it.
I loved them both and I liked their sexual chemistry and their very emotional and passionate relationship.
I liked the writing, I liked the dialogues and the overall setting for the series, I can't wait for the next installment.
I've read Sainted and Stepbro Situation so far and didn't really like it, but I gave this one a shot - and I'm not sorry.
This book was really good.
I can't rate it with full 5⭐, because a few things bothered me, but I'm giving it a very solid 4.5⭐. It's a really good book and it's a great start to the series.
🔵 College roommates
🟣 Rich/poor
🟢 Both bisexual
🟡 Pretty guy/average guy
🔵 Grumpy/sunshine
🟠 Paying for sex, transactional
🔴 Trauma, past bullying, social anxiety
🟢 Bully kink
🌶️ Great sex and plenty of it; both vers
What really got me in this book was how descriptive the author was. Descriptive about the looks of the main characters, about sex, about every single thing, you can't not imagine the setting and the characters here, it's all very vivid and wonderfully described.
That's a pretty important part for me, so I was really glad about such details being added.
The story itself had really good pacing. I gulped it down. I think this was one of those rare books where I couldn't wait to see what comes next, it wasn't predictable or boring and not even once did I roll my eyes, so - douze points.
The story is about two accidental roommates, Miller and Ryan, who both come from very different worlds and have very different lives, but end up being absolutely perfect for each other.
Miller is a guy from a very privileged background. Not only is he tall, blonde and insanely attractive, he's in an ivy league school and he doesn't even have to try to pass grades, everything is pretty much handed to him. He's got good friends, tons of money and can get any guy or girl he wants. He's cocky because he can be, he knows he's got it all.
You're welcome.
Miller gets saddled with a new roommate - Ryan.
Ryan is from a blue collar family, he's an average looking guy, he's in college on a scholarship, he's broke all the time, he also has to work and he detests guys like Miller, who have everything and they're also being jerks about it. He was the victim of some intense bullying from guys like Miller in high school and he developed social anxiety, he feels all wrong about himself, he's closed off, doesn't socialize much, he's tense and he's in a perpetual bad mood.
"I was looking at him, right in his eyes, when he saw me for the first time. His face was a picture. I don't think anyone's ever looked at me like that before. Disgust. Pure and unfiltered. Straight-up contempt without any attempt to hide it. I was weirdly into it."
Miller and Ryan have really good dialogues and Ryan intrigues Miller, he makes him feel alive and present, wakes him up from his boring stale life where everyone indulges him and prances around him, but Ryan definitely doesn't.
Ryan has a weak spot though - he needs money.
And Miller wants Ryan.
So Miller starts offering insane amounts of money to Ryan to get intimate with him, he wants to fuck him badly, he can't stop thinking about him, but Ryan would never let him close, so he's taking a more unconventional route.
The sex these guys have is hot, it's hottttt and there's a lot of it. Ryan is a bottom for most of the book but gets to top Miller by the end of it. He loves bottoming and really lets Miller use and abuse him, but make no mistake, Miller is a total sweatheart, he makes Ryan coffee every morning and when they start exchanging sex and money, he tops that coffee with a blowjob, so Ryan really has it good for a while there, he's getting a fantastic blowjob while he's sipping on his coffee in bed. The perks of being Miller's rentboy.
"It's just that I've never felt like this before. I've wanted people in the past, sure. I've wanted them and I've gotten them, but I've never wanted them like this. This is with me all the time, under my skin, simmering, heating me from the inside, burning when he's close. And lately, since the kiss, it burns even when he isn't."
When Miller hires Ryan for The Boyfriend Experience is when you know that Miller definitely has feelings for Ryan. Ryan does open up and start breaking his inner walls bit by bit, but I felt like Ryan's opening up emotionally to Miller fell a bit short here, when the school year was over Ryan was still very much willing to go home without even talking to Miller about anything, there was no missing Miller, no second thoughts about leaving, so for a very long time, almost until 90% you have no idea how this is going to turn out.
Miller does manage to buy himself more time with Ryan and that weekend at the cabin felt like an important milestone for them, but as the time went on I kept waiting for Ryan's feelings to be told, for him to crumble down emotionally, for his longing, for anything really, and it wasn't really there, it was only Miller's want and desire to make this relationship real, to make Ryan stay.
I understand that Ryan had a terrible past with guys like Miller and didn't want to believe until the end that Miller does in fact have real feelings for him and he's not leading him on, but a little more of something from Ryan would've been great, simply because Ryan came around at the very end of the book. He waited until the very end.
"I like how much he wants me, and I like the fact that he doesn't try to hide it. I like how he's looking at me. Like I'm air, and he's suffocating without me."
I think there's one chapter missing before the epilogue . They end it on a positive note at the cabin and we immediately switch to the epilogue and 6 years later, so I definitely feel like there's a chunk of the story missing, because what happened at the end of the book was not enough (for me).
In the epilogue we find them really happy and going strong, about to get married. It would've been great to read more about them and how they navigated their relationship when they went back to campus, with their friends, families, what was it like now that money wasn't involved anymore? Did they live together, how did it go? I really wanted to read about all of it.
I loved them both and I liked their sexual chemistry and their very emotional and passionate relationship.
I liked the writing, I liked the dialogues and the overall setting for the series, I can't wait for the next installment.
January 19, 2024
"I know who Miller is. Temptation. Trouble. A pretty smile designed to lure you in. I know people like him better than I know myself. I made a vow to myself that I’d never trust anyone like him again. And I won’t."
Rent: Paid in Full is the first book in Jesse H. Reign's new Bad Decisions series. This is Ryan and Miller's story.
The boys are college roomates and couldn't be more different. Miller is the rich, sporty golden boy and Ryan is a scholarship boy, having had to scrape by as best he can all his life. Despite their apparent differences and Ryan's pointed refusal to engage in any way, Miller wants Ryan with a vengeance. But Ryan isn't going to fall for his good looks and crazy offers. Because looks can sometimes be deceiving and money can't buy everything - right?!
This one's definitely for you if you enjoy:
❣️college romance
❣️opposites attract
❣️forced proximity
❣️roomates with benefits
❣️all the spice
❣️HEA
4 stars
Rent: Paid in Full is the first book in Jesse H. Reign's new Bad Decisions series. This is Ryan and Miller's story.
The boys are college roomates and couldn't be more different. Miller is the rich, sporty golden boy and Ryan is a scholarship boy, having had to scrape by as best he can all his life. Despite their apparent differences and Ryan's pointed refusal to engage in any way, Miller wants Ryan with a vengeance. But Ryan isn't going to fall for his good looks and crazy offers. Because looks can sometimes be deceiving and money can't buy everything - right?!
This one's definitely for you if you enjoy:
❣️college romance
❣️opposites attract
❣️forced proximity
❣️roomates with benefits
❣️all the spice
❣️HEA
4 stars
June 24, 2025
"Please Miller. Show me the stars"
cue me screaming into my pillow
This book makes me go feral. I am no better than a man (and I am one, unfortunately). This book is delicious smut with a dash of romance and you know what? Sometimes you just need a book that gives you a spicy good time and this book delivers.
I loved this book so much I had to listen to the audio book as well. Kirk Graves and Shannon Gunn had me gripping my steering wheel on my commute and crying by the end. Def check it out if you've read the book! It's so well done.
Ryan is angsty and broken. Miller is well "Miller fucking MacAvoy," cocky, confident, sex on a stick. I understand why some people could get the ick from reading this but Ryan is being paid for the services he agrees upon and Miller always gives him a way out.
While I do wish there was a bit more romance in between the smut we do get some silly moments out on campus, at the bar, etc. It took me a bit to warm up to both the characters. Most of the character development happens in Ryan's head as he's being broken and put back together by Miller. swoon
I really enjoyed the epilogue on this one. (I may of teared up a bit) It felt real and attainable for the characters compared to some other collage romances I've read. (For the Fans, for example gets a little too cheesy towards the end for me). Also chef's kiss for having the last words in the book be the book title. That little moment made me giggle.
cue me screaming into my pillow
This book makes me go feral. I am no better than a man (and I am one, unfortunately). This book is delicious smut with a dash of romance and you know what? Sometimes you just need a book that gives you a spicy good time and this book delivers.
I loved this book so much I had to listen to the audio book as well. Kirk Graves and Shannon Gunn had me gripping my steering wheel on my commute and crying by the end. Def check it out if you've read the book! It's so well done.
Ryan is angsty and broken. Miller is well "Miller fucking MacAvoy," cocky, confident, sex on a stick. I understand why some people could get the ick from reading this but Ryan is being paid for the services he agrees upon and Miller always gives him a way out.
While I do wish there was a bit more romance in between the smut we do get some silly moments out on campus, at the bar, etc. It took me a bit to warm up to both the characters. Most of the character development happens in Ryan's head as he's being broken and put back together by Miller. swoon
I really enjoyed the epilogue on this one. (I may of teared up a bit) It felt real and attainable for the characters compared to some other collage romances I've read. (For the Fans, for example gets a little too cheesy towards the end for me). Also chef's kiss for having the last words in the book be the book title. That little moment made me giggle.
December 29, 2023
Another amazing book by Jesse H. Reign. I absolutely loved it! I couldn’t put it down. If you love forced proximity, enemies to lovers, nerd/jock and hurt/comfort tropes then this is the book you need. These two are complete opposites in every way, but they’re so perfect for each other. Miller gives off major possessive/sunshine vibes, while Ryan is the ultimate grump. The spice in this is so so good!! I will definitely be reading this one.
August 7, 2024
When college student, awkward and shy Ryan, is assigned a new dorm roommate, he did not expect it to be Miller MacAvoy. Miller is gorgeous, athletic, confident, and wealthy. Miller is the only person Ryan knows that doesn’t get any 💩for being openly bisexual either. Ryan is jealous of Miller’s life as he has to work to just pay his tuition and bills. When Ryan notices that Miller has been watching him closely, he tries to shrug it off. However, Ryan begins to have financial trouble, Miller offers to help him out. Ryan has something Miller wants and he’s willing to pay.
Wow, this book was steamy AF. Like wow wow wow. I couldn’t get enough of this twisted and dark romance. At around 400 pages, I flew through this book in one sitting. This book really hit me in ways that I didn’t expect, IYKYK. I totally got lost in this book and spent all last Sunday just devouring it. Who knew I’d like dark romance? I am now a fan of Jesse H Reign and will dive into anything she writes.
Wow, this book was steamy AF. Like wow wow wow. I couldn’t get enough of this twisted and dark romance. At around 400 pages, I flew through this book in one sitting. This book really hit me in ways that I didn’t expect, IYKYK. I totally got lost in this book and spent all last Sunday just devouring it. Who knew I’d like dark romance? I am now a fan of Jesse H Reign and will dive into anything she writes.
February 5, 2024
My second read by this author, I didn’t enjoy it as much as Unbreak Me. I didn’t find the relationship between the characters as appealing, there was endless pages of sex scenes that were all overly poetic and the ending was quite sudden with a long time jump to the epilogue.
The ratio of erotica to romance didn’t work for me. I didn’t really feel them falling in love until the very end, and that’s when it stopped. There is also humiliation kink, it did get better as they went on but in the beginning I wasn’t feeling it in a sexy way. I did like seeing their feelings change for each other when outwardly they didn’t show it. However for me, I wanted to see more of that happening on page, with more romance and less sex.
The ratio of erotica to romance didn’t work for me. I didn’t really feel them falling in love until the very end, and that’s when it stopped. There is also humiliation kink, it did get better as they went on but in the beginning I wasn’t feeling it in a sexy way. I did like seeing their feelings change for each other when outwardly they didn’t show it. However for me, I wanted to see more of that happening on page, with more romance and less sex.
January 21, 2024
“I regret it. I regret everything.” He breathes in slowly, holds it, and lets it out slowly. “And I regret nothing.”
I wasn't sure if I would be able to appreciate it because I thought I wouldn't be able to feel their relationship and love. How wrong I was... Miller and Ryan, I love them! They are ultimate sunshine and grumpy at their best. Their relationship is so simple but, at the same time, so complex. They treat each other well and are better people together.
Yes, so sexy that it hurts... The reasons behind this arrangement are super sweet and, of course, mega hot, as Jesse knows how to do.
It's low-angst, quickly resolved after what would be a more dramatic ending. What brings some anguish are the doubts about how they could make a relationship that was born in this way work...
But there it is; it’s Jesse and “Five Stars." "I will buy again.”
In the prologue, I almost had a stroke when I thought there would be a child involved, but it turned out to be a cat 😅🐈⬛
I received an ARC from Jesse, and this is my honest opinion.
I wasn't sure if I would be able to appreciate it because I thought I wouldn't be able to feel their relationship and love. How wrong I was... Miller and Ryan, I love them! They are ultimate sunshine and grumpy at their best. Their relationship is so simple but, at the same time, so complex. They treat each other well and are better people together.
Yes, so sexy that it hurts... The reasons behind this arrangement are super sweet and, of course, mega hot, as Jesse knows how to do.
It's low-angst, quickly resolved after what would be a more dramatic ending. What brings some anguish are the doubts about how they could make a relationship that was born in this way work...
But there it is; it’s Jesse and “Five Stars." "I will buy again.”
In the prologue, I almost had a stroke when I thought there would be a child involved, but it turned out to be a cat 😅🐈⬛
I received an ARC from Jesse, and this is my honest opinion.
July 5, 2024
3.5 stars - rtc
dnf
January 22, 2024DNF. There was something off for me in this story and I could not enjoy it. I think it was perhaps the power imbalance that made me really uncomfortable. This author is still hit and miss for me.
February 8, 2024
Oh baby. This will be a frequently reread book of mine. I just LOVE when the jock is the one pining heavy for the nerd to the point of losing their fucking mind. Fans of Whit by Cora Rose will enjoy this for sure.
Read
July 3, 2024DNF @ 30%
yeah no.
thanks
yeah no.
thanks
January 24, 2024
I don’t even know where to begin. Was it excellent? Maybe not. Did I eat it up like candy? Absolutely. This book is romance junk food and I had so much fun. I actually really liked characters, especially Miller. Idk what I was expecting going in but hey, expect the unexpected! This book is very much all vibes (and spice), no plot. But like the characters ate. The narration was a little cringe especially in the beginning but it was camp! Don’t expect a literary masterpiece, but if you want something fun and unserious that will make you giggle and 🫣🫨, read this lol.
July 11, 2024
I enjoyed this book Well enough it was pretty hot in the beginning, but after a while it kind of just became redundant sex scenes. It certainly was no hardship to listen to. I would have appreciated just a tad more depth to their emotional connection
January 22, 2024
The last Jesse Reign book I read was kind of a letdown, but she is back on form with this one, and let me tell you, I was into it. On the surface, this book is about Ryan - an awkward introverted college student who is struggling to make ends meet at his Ivy League school, and Miller - his rich boy, carefree roommate who offers to pay him for sex. I can see why some reviewers were not into that, but we are saved from this being just a transactional arrangement by the fact that we get a dual-perspective narration here. We should dislike Miller, he is a typical rich asshole who is taking advantage of Ryan, but he is just so relentless and sometimes even sweet, that I found him quite endearing. Ryan is rude, prickly, judgemental, and for some reason, that really does it for Miller. Miller paying Ryan is gross, sure, and the consent is pretty dubious, but it's the in he needs to peel back Ryan's spiky layers. Ryan is a mess, his perspective is chaotic and confused, and he is clearly fighting an enormous attraction to Miller, all the while being sullen and contrary. I fucking loved this dynamic, it's grumpy/sunshine but somehow deeper and fuller. And as with all Jesse Reign books, the sex scenes were absolute fire. There are also a lot of them. I swear, she is probably my favourite erotica author, I just cannot get enough. It definitely starts off as not a romance, but it's an interesting journey to get there eventually. This will get a sequel, as far as I understand, so I am very much looking forward to that.
December 29, 2023
I love this book so much! The snark, the inner monologue and all the perfect spice! These characters just took my heart, I love them so much! I’m so very happy they got their HEA in the end❤️❤️ And I want to cry because the book is finished ❤️ There’s is no to low angst, the book still feels angsty and squeezed my heart❤️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
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January 6, 2024
Well I think I have a new favorite book from this author!
If you like:
- Awesome bi rep!
- Rich boy/poor boy opposites attract
- Grumpy anxious boy and golden retriever I'm all in boy
- Forced proximity (same college dorm room)
- Lots of animosity and hate feels that aren't really hate
-Some fun role playing and light kink
Then you gotta get this new book!
I absolutely loved the dynamics between Ryan and Miller. Ryan is such a mess, really struggling, and just not thinking when Miller suggests money in exchange for....services LOL. Miller, on the other hand, is very much morally grey golden retriever energy haha, and very obsessed with Ryan in a sweet way.
I also think that while there could be all sorts of inherent red flags and problems with being paid for services, the author handles it so well. Like, there is so much checking in still and offering safe words when they're playing, that it never feels like Miller is taking advantage of Ryan in a super shady way.
And I LOVED the epilogue so, so much. I love how it pulled everything together and the two of them end up in the perfect place together.
I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.
If you like:
- Awesome bi rep!
- Rich boy/poor boy opposites attract
- Grumpy anxious boy and golden retriever I'm all in boy
- Forced proximity (same college dorm room)
- Lots of animosity and hate feels that aren't really hate
-Some fun role playing and light kink
Then you gotta get this new book!
I absolutely loved the dynamics between Ryan and Miller. Ryan is such a mess, really struggling, and just not thinking when Miller suggests money in exchange for....services LOL. Miller, on the other hand, is very much morally grey golden retriever energy haha, and very obsessed with Ryan in a sweet way.
I also think that while there could be all sorts of inherent red flags and problems with being paid for services, the author handles it so well. Like, there is so much checking in still and offering safe words when they're playing, that it never feels like Miller is taking advantage of Ryan in a super shady way.
And I LOVED the epilogue so, so much. I love how it pulled everything together and the two of them end up in the perfect place together.
I received an arc in exchange for an honest review.
January 30, 2025
Ok, well, I was absolutely obsessed with this book.
I knew I was going to enjoy it, but I didn't realise quite how much.
So many things were so, so wrong, but omg, so good!
I loved Miller. Such an extremely disturbed, obsessed stalker, but I couldn't help but fall for him.
I'm not usually a fan of toxic relationships (really, really not), and wow, this one was so toxic, but something made me love it anyway. I think it was Miller.
I had all of these quotes that I saved to put in my review, but there ended up being too many, and I'm tired, so now I'm putting none. lol
I knew I was going to enjoy it, but I didn't realise quite how much.
So many things were so, so wrong, but omg, so good!
I loved Miller. Such an extremely disturbed, obsessed stalker, but I couldn't help but fall for him.
I'm not usually a fan of toxic relationships (really, really not), and wow, this one was so toxic, but something made me love it anyway. I think it was Miller.
I had all of these quotes that I saved to put in my review, but there ended up being too many, and I'm tired, so now I'm putting none. lol
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