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Burning Torments #1
Burning Demons
Tate
I don’t know what I thought I’d find in the slow, sultry heat of Hickory Bend, Alabama, but it’s got to be better than the hell disguised in money and privilege I’ve been living in, wrapped in a twisted bow my mother and her husband call love. But at eighteen, they can’t stop me from going to the father I barely know and the stepmother and stepbrother I’ve never met. All in the hopes of… what? Making a life for myself? A family? I’m not sure, but I have to try.
Wren
I’ve spent my entire life hiding in the shadows, hiding behind the scars I’ve carried since the day my daddy died. I’ve never wanted a brother, never gave a thought to my stepdad’s estranged son either. When Tate shows up, in my face day and night, he turns my life into chaos. But somehow, he turns the lights on, too, and chases me out of the dark. Now, I just need to figure out what he wants—what I want—and if we can stop running long enough to catch each other.
Burning Demons, Book One in the Burning Torments series, is a sexy new adult story set in a small town with two stepbrothers who make the mistake of falling in love, because their lives weren’t complicated enough.
NA MM Romance. Includes Stepbrothers, fish-out-of-water, friends-to-lovers, opposites attract, history of abuse, recovery from abuse, bullying, slow-burn. See the look inside feature for a full list of tropes, triggers, and content details that include spoilers
I don’t know what I thought I’d find in the slow, sultry heat of Hickory Bend, Alabama, but it’s got to be better than the hell disguised in money and privilege I’ve been living in, wrapped in a twisted bow my mother and her husband call love. But at eighteen, they can’t stop me from going to the father I barely know and the stepmother and stepbrother I’ve never met. All in the hopes of… what? Making a life for myself? A family? I’m not sure, but I have to try.
Wren
I’ve spent my entire life hiding in the shadows, hiding behind the scars I’ve carried since the day my daddy died. I’ve never wanted a brother, never gave a thought to my stepdad’s estranged son either. When Tate shows up, in my face day and night, he turns my life into chaos. But somehow, he turns the lights on, too, and chases me out of the dark. Now, I just need to figure out what he wants—what I want—and if we can stop running long enough to catch each other.
Burning Demons, Book One in the Burning Torments series, is a sexy new adult story set in a small town with two stepbrothers who make the mistake of falling in love, because their lives weren’t complicated enough.
NA MM Romance. Includes Stepbrothers, fish-out-of-water, friends-to-lovers, opposites attract, history of abuse, recovery from abuse, bullying, slow-burn. See the look inside feature for a full list of tropes, triggers, and content details that include spoilers
374 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 6, 2025
33 people are currently reading
217 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
May 6, 2025
I wanted to jump him every night. I wanted him hooked on my dick until he needed it to breathe. I wanted him smelling of dirty sex so no one else would get near him. I might have been a wee bit unhinged when it came to Wren Wilkerson.
Burning Demons is the story of stepbrothers Tate and Wren. Escaping his abusive stepfather, Tate moves in with his dad and meets his stepbrother Wren. It's attraction at first sight for the two, with closeted Wren thinking that Tate is the most beautiful boy he's ever seen. Tate and Wren grow closer over the summer break, navigating the 'taboo' nature of their relationship, the risks of coming out as gay in Alabama, and discovering who they are and what they want for their futures. Check the CWs if you have any triggers because this book deals with some heavy subject matter such as grooming and sexual assault of a child (off page), homophobia (internalized and external, on page) and a few more. I think all the potential triggers were sensitively handled by the author, and the book is not depressing at all. It's very hopeful and uplifting, and well worth the read.
Our stories weren’t the same, but it was something we had in common. Pain. Confusion. Shame. Probably not the building blocks of easy relationships, but who needed easy?
I liked this book a lot. The first chapter was a bit slow to get into as I adjusted to the author's writing style, but after that I was hooked. Mina Elwood is from the south and the authenticity of the way Wren's small town was described and the way the family communicated shone through. I especially loved the pace and flow of the book- there is a lot of plot in this book (in a good way!) and the characters are strong and are able to shine even with everything that happens. I've read a ton of books lately where it seems like the two MCs fall in love in 10 minutes and spend the book doing absolutely nothing but boink and discuss their feelings for one another... and this book was such a breath of fresh air in comparison. The relationship between Wren and Tate starts out as a slow burn- despite the immediate physical attraction- and they spend time getting to know each other before getting physical. Both boys have their own individual healing journeys that they need to navigate while they grow closer. I predict that this book will be very well received, it reminds me of some of the longer, more complex stepbrother books that are very popular such as Wrath and For the Fans. The heat level in Burning Demons isn't as high but suits the characters. The 2 MCs are young and some of their decision making isn't great, but again it fits super well with their ages and maturity levels.
One second, I wanted to strangle him, and another, I wanted to bite his ear and taste his damn nipples.
Rating: 4
Angst: 4/5
Steam: 3/5
I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review
May 10, 2025
Safety info, content warnings and tropes down below.
I went back and forth, wondering if I should review this book at all, considering it’s an ARC and a debut, and I don’t have much nice to say. I do believe the bones for a really good story is there, but the execution is lacking.
There were three or four bigger things that massively impacted my enjoyment, and the main one is the fact that so many important scenes and conversations were just… skipped. The scenes change a lot with no break or natural pause in the story. They went from being at school to being at home, sometimes with days inbetween, in the same paragraph. The most important conversations, the ones the reader will be waiting to get to (the big happening, really), were skipped when you get there. Essentially they were summed up by ‘so he told them everything’, and described the other characters’ reactions. It was infuriating and then lost the ability to have any emotional impact.
My second issue was the fact that one of the main characters is only 17 years old for half the book for seemingly no reason. Sure, the MCs don’t have sex until after he turns 18 (only briefly mentioned in one sentence, had to go back and check), but there is a lot of sexual thoughts and tension and descriptions of him fighting his erections before then. I often avoid reading books with really young MCs, so this made it even worse.
While I enjoyed the fact that the book explored the impact of grooming, gaslighting and abuse — the confusion and guilt — it wasn’t executed that well. I fully forgot the MC was even supposed to be struggling, because he wasn’t, for the most part. There is obviously no right way to be traumatized, but most of the book felt like a regular high school drama situation, until the author remembered to include something about the abuse.
The final thing I want to mention, which is a spoiler so feel free to skip, is this scene:
I shook my head and hardened my jaw. “With one word from him, you went right back to Daddy.” “No,” he said softly. Too softly when all I saw was pain and red. “Did you let him fuck you?” Jesus, I couldn’t stop this runaway train. “He held you right there”—I aimlessly pointed at the house—“as if he had every right to, and you fuckin’ let him, Tate.”
Implying that someone would let their rapist do anything to them is horrid. While this kind of thinking isn’t necessarily uncommon, especially with young people, this happens at 92% and the MCs have been a couple for months at this point. He should know better.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Past trauma
Stepbrothers
Forced proximity
Small town Alabama
High school
Size difference
Virgin MC
Country vs city
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
References to parent’s drug and alcohol abuse
Details of long-term sexual child abuse of MC by step parent
MC groomed and abused by step parent
MC sexually abused in present time (no graphic details)
Smoking cigarettes
Underage drinking
Psychological and emotional abuse
Homophobic comments
Mention of death of parent (past, car accident)
MC injured in car accident (past)
Violence
Disordered eating
Explicit sexual content
SC bullied and beaten (mostly off page)
Homophobic slurs
MC punching other MC (after getting together, during fight)
Brief mention of MC’s step parent being killed off page
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: Almost
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles - they discuss switching in the future
Main characters’ age: 18 and 17 for half the book (turns 18 before they have sex)
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 374
Happy ending: Yes
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
I went back and forth, wondering if I should review this book at all, considering it’s an ARC and a debut, and I don’t have much nice to say. I do believe the bones for a really good story is there, but the execution is lacking.
There were three or four bigger things that massively impacted my enjoyment, and the main one is the fact that so many important scenes and conversations were just… skipped. The scenes change a lot with no break or natural pause in the story. They went from being at school to being at home, sometimes with days inbetween, in the same paragraph. The most important conversations, the ones the reader will be waiting to get to (the big happening, really), were skipped when you get there. Essentially they were summed up by ‘so he told them everything’, and described the other characters’ reactions. It was infuriating and then lost the ability to have any emotional impact.
My second issue was the fact that one of the main characters is only 17 years old for half the book for seemingly no reason. Sure, the MCs don’t have sex until after he turns 18 (only briefly mentioned in one sentence, had to go back and check), but there is a lot of sexual thoughts and tension and descriptions of him fighting his erections before then. I often avoid reading books with really young MCs, so this made it even worse.
While I enjoyed the fact that the book explored the impact of grooming, gaslighting and abuse — the confusion and guilt — it wasn’t executed that well. I fully forgot the MC was even supposed to be struggling, because he wasn’t, for the most part. There is obviously no right way to be traumatized, but most of the book felt like a regular high school drama situation, until the author remembered to include something about the abuse.
The final thing I want to mention, which is a spoiler so feel free to skip, is this scene:
I shook my head and hardened my jaw. “With one word from him, you went right back to Daddy.” “No,” he said softly. Too softly when all I saw was pain and red. “Did you let him fuck you?” Jesus, I couldn’t stop this runaway train. “He held you right there”—I aimlessly pointed at the house—“as if he had every right to, and you fuckin’ let him, Tate.”
Implying that someone would let their rapist do anything to them is horrid. While this kind of thinking isn’t necessarily uncommon, especially with young people, this happens at 92% and the MCs have been a couple for months at this point. He should know better.
Blanket spoiler warning ⬇️
⚠️ Tropes & content tags ⚠️
Past trauma
Stepbrothers
Forced proximity
Small town Alabama
High school
Size difference
Virgin MC
Country vs city
⚠️ Content warning ⚠️
References to parent’s drug and alcohol abuse
Details of long-term sexual child abuse of MC by step parent
MC groomed and abused by step parent
MC sexually abused in present time (no graphic details)
Smoking cigarettes
Underage drinking
Psychological and emotional abuse
Homophobic comments
Mention of death of parent (past, car accident)
MC injured in car accident (past)
Violence
Disordered eating
Explicit sexual content
SC bullied and beaten (mostly off page)
Homophobic slurs
MC punching other MC (after getting together, during fight)
Brief mention of MC’s step parent being killed off page
⚠️Book safety ⚠️
Cheating: No
Other person drama: No
Breakup: Almost
POV: 1st person, dual
Genre: Contemporary romance
Pairing: M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles - they discuss switching in the future
Main characters’ age: 18 and 17 for half the book (turns 18 before they have sex)
Series: Interconnected standalone
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Pages: 374
Happy ending: Yes
You can find most of my reviews on Instagram as well: https://www.instagram.com/booksafety?...
May 2, 2025
To escape his abusive stepfather, Tate moves to Alabama after reaching out to his father. There he meets his stepbrother, Wren, who he is instantly attracted to.
At first the boys get on like oil and water, constantly bickering and antagonizing each other, but as they spend the rest of the summer getting to know one another, the attraction between them gets harder to deny.
Their relationship is not without some struggles though--there's the whole "taboo"-ness of them being stepbrothers and having to keep their romance a secret, Wren being closeted in a small southern town, and Tate's asshole stepfather popping up.
Overall, a fantastic debut!
- dual first person POVs
- stepbrothers
- instant attraction
- antagonistic friends to lovers
- opposites attract
- first times
- secret relationship
- hurt x comfort
CW: childhood abandonment, sexual abuse/manipulation/grooming of a minor, loss of a parent (off page), bullying, homophobic language + aggression, physical violence (not between MCs)
At first the boys get on like oil and water, constantly bickering and antagonizing each other, but as they spend the rest of the summer getting to know one another, the attraction between them gets harder to deny.
Their relationship is not without some struggles though--there's the whole "taboo"-ness of them being stepbrothers and having to keep their romance a secret, Wren being closeted in a small southern town, and Tate's asshole stepfather popping up.
Overall, a fantastic debut!
- dual first person POVs
- stepbrothers
- instant attraction
- antagonistic friends to lovers
- opposites attract
- first times
- secret relationship
- hurt x comfort
CW: childhood abandonment, sexual abuse/manipulation/grooming of a minor, loss of a parent (off page), bullying, homophobic language + aggression, physical violence (not between MCs)
May 4, 2025
Burning Demons is book one of this new MM romance series, Burning Torments, which is currently planned to include five books. Each book will feature different couples and a guaranteed HEA.
Tate has turned 18. He lives a lavish lifestyle but it hides a secret. His mother married a monster, his stepfather Franklin has been sexually abusing him the last four years. His mother is pretty abhorrent too.
‘Mother handed over her thirteen-year-old son to Franklin without hesitation, and in my naivety, I assumed he would fill a much-needed role in my life. He didn’t. Not exactly.’
Tate escapes to his estranged dads house,complete with step mother and stepbrother too.
Wren isn’t too impressed about getting a new stepbrother but then sees Tate for the first time.
‘With every step, Tate got hotter and prettier and sexier. Well, hell, maybe I was fucking gay ’cause damn.’
Wren thinks he’s ugly with a scar on his face but Tate doesn’t think so.
‘Wren was an absolute dreamboat. A ten. An Adonis. Fucking huge and manly, and maybe I had a thing for country boys because hot damn.’
Tate and Wren get to know each other. Tate is settling in to country life after being a city boy.
But then.. he gets a text from Franklin.
Life goes on. Tate gets enrolled into the high school with Wren. Franklin keeps sending him possessive creepy texts.
Tate and Wren get a bit handsy in their pool.
Tate eventually tells Wren his deep dark secrets . And that Franklin was going to divorce his mother to marry him.
“I’m not really sure I know what being someone’s boyfriend means, but I want to if you still do.”
Wrens mum finds them in bed together and loses her shit. Tate’s dad takes it well. Wren pulls away from Tate.
Lots of stuff goes on with the boys, Tates younger gay friend Percy and the School jock bullies called the wolf pack.
Franklin turns up and Tate leaves with him. They have a showdown.
Tate tells his dad and Wrens mum about his past with Franklin.
‘With our past demons burned, Wren and I were able to face the new ones together, solid.’
Cute epilogue, a glimpse into their future.
“I love you, Wren. More every day, which is just obscene already.” “I love you too, Tate.”
Tate has turned 18. He lives a lavish lifestyle but it hides a secret. His mother married a monster, his stepfather Franklin has been sexually abusing him the last four years. His mother is pretty abhorrent too.
‘Mother handed over her thirteen-year-old son to Franklin without hesitation, and in my naivety, I assumed he would fill a much-needed role in my life. He didn’t. Not exactly.’
Tate escapes to his estranged dads house,complete with step mother and stepbrother too.
Wren isn’t too impressed about getting a new stepbrother but then sees Tate for the first time.
‘With every step, Tate got hotter and prettier and sexier. Well, hell, maybe I was fucking gay ’cause damn.’
Wren thinks he’s ugly with a scar on his face but Tate doesn’t think so.
‘Wren was an absolute dreamboat. A ten. An Adonis. Fucking huge and manly, and maybe I had a thing for country boys because hot damn.’
Tate and Wren get to know each other. Tate is settling in to country life after being a city boy.
But then.. he gets a text from Franklin.
Life goes on. Tate gets enrolled into the high school with Wren. Franklin keeps sending him possessive creepy texts.
Tate and Wren get a bit handsy in their pool.
Tate eventually tells Wren his deep dark secrets . And that Franklin was going to divorce his mother to marry him.
“I’m not really sure I know what being someone’s boyfriend means, but I want to if you still do.”
Wrens mum finds them in bed together and loses her shit. Tate’s dad takes it well. Wren pulls away from Tate.
Lots of stuff goes on with the boys, Tates younger gay friend Percy and the School jock bullies called the wolf pack.
Franklin turns up and Tate leaves with him. They have a showdown.
Tate tells his dad and Wrens mum about his past with Franklin.
‘With our past demons burned, Wren and I were able to face the new ones together, solid.’
Cute epilogue, a glimpse into their future.
“I love you, Wren. More every day, which is just obscene already.” “I love you too, Tate.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2025
Tate and Wren go on an emotional journey throughout this story. I found it very moving and beautiful to see these two polar opposites find such a strong connection to one another.
Their actions showed tremendous growth and having both characters believe and stick up for one another created such a fantastic story. Overall I enjoyed seeing the characters grow so much given the difficult subject matter affecting one of the characters. Tate and Wren did not have an easy or simple journey, but their Hea is hard won.
Their actions showed tremendous growth and having both characters believe and stick up for one another created such a fantastic story. Overall I enjoyed seeing the characters grow so much given the difficult subject matter affecting one of the characters. Tate and Wren did not have an easy or simple journey, but their Hea is hard won.
May 1, 2025
This book contains dark topics, so as always, check the tw-list before reading.
Tate and Wren are stepbrothers and their whole family situation is very complex and complicated. My heart was bleeding for both of them, since life really hasn’t been kind to them in different ways.
I am beyond excited for the next book in this series now 🥰 This story definitely will stick for me for a while now 🥹
Tate and Wren are stepbrothers and their whole family situation is very complex and complicated. My heart was bleeding for both of them, since life really hasn’t been kind to them in different ways.
I am beyond excited for the next book in this series now 🥰 This story definitely will stick for me for a while now 🥹
February 16, 2026
3.75⭐❤
It was a very good read. Though the first chapter was a shock, it turned out pretty good. Guess that's why trigger warnings need to be read.
This is how the last chapter of any book should be written. Giving the reader each and every fucking thing that needed to be disclosed.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
At nine, our agreed-upon time, I came out of my room wearing the best thing I had to offer. Thank God for the internet. I searched for date clothes and went with a black button-down, rolling the sleeves to bare a little of my forearms. My jeans were artfully ripped from wear and tear, and my boots were clean.
Tate stepped out his door like the fucking god he was in low-slung leather pants and a sheer silver shirt that sparkled. My jaw hit the floor, along with my dick, because, of course, it got hard at the sight of him. His wavy hair fell over his eyes, which were rimmed in fucking dark eyeliner and, holy shit, glitter? Jesus.
"Uh..." Yeah, I wasn't winning in the conversation department tonight.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
"Even when you turn away, he watches you, Wren. The sexy, in-love kind of watching. Maybe a little stalker-like too, but it's the tolerable kind. The kind that says he can't understand what you see in him. The kind that says you hung every star for him. The kind that says he doesn't remember how to breathe without you."
"He does that?" I whisper.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
"Tate?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm gonna marry you one day. I'm not asking now. I'm not ready. I'm not the man I wanna be for you yet. But one day, I'll ask, and you better say yes."
Tate hit me with the brilliant smile that made my gut clench hotly. He cupped my jaw and pressed his forehead into mine.
"I'll say yes, Wren. I'll always say yes."
Oh my God, I loved this book❤
It was a very good read. Though the first chapter was a shock, it turned out pretty good. Guess that's why trigger warnings need to be read.
This is how the last chapter of any book should be written. Giving the reader each and every fucking thing that needed to be disclosed.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
At nine, our agreed-upon time, I came out of my room wearing the best thing I had to offer. Thank God for the internet. I searched for date clothes and went with a black button-down, rolling the sleeves to bare a little of my forearms. My jeans were artfully ripped from wear and tear, and my boots were clean.
Tate stepped out his door like the fucking god he was in low-slung leather pants and a sheer silver shirt that sparkled. My jaw hit the floor, along with my dick, because, of course, it got hard at the sight of him. His wavy hair fell over his eyes, which were rimmed in fucking dark eyeliner and, holy shit, glitter? Jesus.
"Uh..." Yeah, I wasn't winning in the conversation department tonight.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
"Even when you turn away, he watches you, Wren. The sexy, in-love kind of watching. Maybe a little stalker-like too, but it's the tolerable kind. The kind that says he can't understand what you see in him. The kind that says you hung every star for him. The kind that says he doesn't remember how to breathe without you."
"He does that?" I whisper.
●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●
"Tate?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm gonna marry you one day. I'm not asking now. I'm not ready. I'm not the man I wanna be for you yet. But one day, I'll ask, and you better say yes."
Tate hit me with the brilliant smile that made my gut clench hotly. He cupped my jaw and pressed his forehead into mine.
"I'll say yes, Wren. I'll always say yes."
Oh my God, I loved this book❤
April 23, 2025
4.5⭐️
When I read all the warnings for this book, I thought to myself, ‘ah its nothing I’ve not read before,’ and that was true. Yet, the first chapter was so well written that it felt harrowing, and it made me feel sick to my stomach. You can’t feel anything but empathy and rage for Tate in that moment. That his mother would willingly make that deal.
“Most importantly, happy was a place of my making, my doing, and no one else’s. I was the one to set the boundaries and the goals. I was the one to set the markers and the achievements. And it was about fucking time I did.”
Tate deserved his HEA so much. The rest of the book isn’t as heavy as the first chapter, so my heart didn’t stop for long, but there are still references throughout, and each time I could feel my emotions rising.
Wren is so cute. He’s shy, adorable, protective, and just totally endearing. He made a few mistakes, but he owns them and fixes them straight away. He’s learning about himself at the same time as trying to navigate all the changes that are happening around him.
The story was really good. It focused on two things. Wrens is a story about growth and coming to terms with his looks and learning to love them as much as people do. Living with loss but having plenty of love to keep him on the right track. Tate’s story is a little harder. His is a story of neglect, abuse, and fear. How he learns to overcome it to escape his life, being brave enough to seek more for himself and finally being strong, with help from the family he chose, to right the wrongs that were forced on him.
There were a few spelling mistakes, and we get the usual high school homophobia. But the story was really good, and the development of both characters was well written. The epilogue filled in gaps and gave us hints of future couples. I think this was her first book? If so it was Really good!
————-
I received an ARC of this from GRR, and this is my honest review.
When I read all the warnings for this book, I thought to myself, ‘ah its nothing I’ve not read before,’ and that was true. Yet, the first chapter was so well written that it felt harrowing, and it made me feel sick to my stomach. You can’t feel anything but empathy and rage for Tate in that moment. That his mother would willingly make that deal.
“Most importantly, happy was a place of my making, my doing, and no one else’s. I was the one to set the boundaries and the goals. I was the one to set the markers and the achievements. And it was about fucking time I did.”
Tate deserved his HEA so much. The rest of the book isn’t as heavy as the first chapter, so my heart didn’t stop for long, but there are still references throughout, and each time I could feel my emotions rising.
Wren is so cute. He’s shy, adorable, protective, and just totally endearing. He made a few mistakes, but he owns them and fixes them straight away. He’s learning about himself at the same time as trying to navigate all the changes that are happening around him.
The story was really good. It focused on two things. Wrens is a story about growth and coming to terms with his looks and learning to love them as much as people do. Living with loss but having plenty of love to keep him on the right track. Tate’s story is a little harder. His is a story of neglect, abuse, and fear. How he learns to overcome it to escape his life, being brave enough to seek more for himself and finally being strong, with help from the family he chose, to right the wrongs that were forced on him.
There were a few spelling mistakes, and we get the usual high school homophobia. But the story was really good, and the development of both characters was well written. The epilogue filled in gaps and gave us hints of future couples. I think this was her first book? If so it was Really good!
————-
I received an ARC of this from GRR, and this is my honest review.
April 28, 2025
Rating 5⭐️
Emotion 4🥹
Spice 3🌶️
Not all debut novels hit the mark, but this.. WOW. I am blown away by how great this book was. Plot, pacing and character development were incredible. The story was well thought out and you could tell the author did the research and took a lot of time with polishing the story.
The intense emotion, detail and descriptions in each chapter had me feeling everything. I was fully immersed in the story and I could not put the book down.
After suffering years of sexual abuse at the hands of his step father Tate runs away from home and moves in with his dad, step mother and step brother.
From their first meeting Tate and Wren had an undeniable connection. I adored seeing the relationship between these boys develop. Their relationship felt natural, it wasn’t rushed. It was a slow burn with lots of pining, angst and sexual tension.
Both boys had their own demons they were fighting and together they found the strength to overcome them. Tate helped Wren accept that his scars didn’t define him and Wren helped Tate face the trauma from his past.
The way the author portrayed Tates trauma was raw and heartbreaking. It took Tate a long time to accept that what his step father did to him was wrong. Due to a neglectful upbringing by his mother Tates view on love was twisted and for a long time believed what happened to him was okay.
These characters and their story will stay with me for a long time.
If you love MM romance, broken boys, lots of emotion, angst, first times, forced proximity and a very hard fought HEA then this is for you.
This is the type of story I crave and I would recommend this book.
Burning Demons is book one in the Burning Torments series and was an absolutely brilliant debut. I am very excited to continue this series and follow Mina’s writing journey.
If you have any triggers please check the trigger warnings, Burning Demons deals with some heavy topics.
Emotion 4🥹
Spice 3🌶️
Not all debut novels hit the mark, but this.. WOW. I am blown away by how great this book was. Plot, pacing and character development were incredible. The story was well thought out and you could tell the author did the research and took a lot of time with polishing the story.
The intense emotion, detail and descriptions in each chapter had me feeling everything. I was fully immersed in the story and I could not put the book down.
After suffering years of sexual abuse at the hands of his step father Tate runs away from home and moves in with his dad, step mother and step brother.
From their first meeting Tate and Wren had an undeniable connection. I adored seeing the relationship between these boys develop. Their relationship felt natural, it wasn’t rushed. It was a slow burn with lots of pining, angst and sexual tension.
Both boys had their own demons they were fighting and together they found the strength to overcome them. Tate helped Wren accept that his scars didn’t define him and Wren helped Tate face the trauma from his past.
The way the author portrayed Tates trauma was raw and heartbreaking. It took Tate a long time to accept that what his step father did to him was wrong. Due to a neglectful upbringing by his mother Tates view on love was twisted and for a long time believed what happened to him was okay.
These characters and their story will stay with me for a long time.
If you love MM romance, broken boys, lots of emotion, angst, first times, forced proximity and a very hard fought HEA then this is for you.
This is the type of story I crave and I would recommend this book.
Burning Demons is book one in the Burning Torments series and was an absolutely brilliant debut. I am very excited to continue this series and follow Mina’s writing journey.
If you have any triggers please check the trigger warnings, Burning Demons deals with some heavy topics.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2025
This was soooo good! I was hooked from the start. Wren and Tate are everything and need to be protected at all costs. Both of them went through horrible things and they needed to find their voices to speak up for themselves and to find their way in the world. My heart went out to both of them, but it was really great to see them overcome their pasts and live the lives they deserve. Their connection felt so natural, like they needed each other to heal and grow into the men they needed to be. I loved their tentative friendship and bantering and how that slowly turned into flirting and then more. They both needed that slow progression for their relationship and it was so beautiful to read about.
The book was so beautifully written, I was lost in Hickory Bend with these characters. The emotions in this book were so powerful and that had me ignoring everything else just to read. While the book deals with heavier topics and part of it is emotional, it's a pretty low-angst story and there are a lot of cute, sweet and fun moments between Tate and Wren. I felt like the hurt/comfort vibes were really good.
I loved how Tate and Wren made each other stronger and happier, but were also there to support each other when things were hard or less than ideal. I loved how Sam(Tate's dad) and Winnie(Wren's mom) and also Wren showed Tate how a family should be and how they gave him the type of love he always longed for but never got.
I really enjoyed the side characters and I'm excited to see who else will get their own story.
If you'd like a book with forced proximity, a heavy dose of hurt/comfort, a great slow burn and main characters who are step-brothers(but didn't grow up together), then this is the book for you.
The book was so beautifully written, I was lost in Hickory Bend with these characters. The emotions in this book were so powerful and that had me ignoring everything else just to read. While the book deals with heavier topics and part of it is emotional, it's a pretty low-angst story and there are a lot of cute, sweet and fun moments between Tate and Wren. I felt like the hurt/comfort vibes were really good.
I loved how Tate and Wren made each other stronger and happier, but were also there to support each other when things were hard or less than ideal. I loved how Sam(Tate's dad) and Winnie(Wren's mom) and also Wren showed Tate how a family should be and how they gave him the type of love he always longed for but never got.
I really enjoyed the side characters and I'm excited to see who else will get their own story.
If you'd like a book with forced proximity, a heavy dose of hurt/comfort, a great slow burn and main characters who are step-brothers(but didn't grow up together), then this is the book for you.
May 5, 2025
A Joyfully Jay review.
4.5 stars
Burning Demons is a contemporary coming-of-age story featuring two very different and differently hurt young men. Both Wren and Tate are in their last year of high school and coming to terms with the changes they have elicited in each other, as well as what their relationships (as stepbrothers and as a couple) mean in a small town. Because of the accident he survived, Wren copes with a lot of body dysmorphia because of the scars–not to mention the ways he still experiences trauma from the accident. Tate is a survivor of sexual abuse and struggles with how his stepfather groomed him and what they did together. The details and how Tate and Wren affect each other, as well as their own evolving thoughts about what they survived, are explored through the story as they swap out narration duties each chapter.
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful story featuring a delightfully unconventional pairing of love interests. There were a few places where the logistics of horny teenagers and them living at home felt a little fantastical and some typos here and there, but overall the pacing was great and the development of the plot, our two main characters, and all the drama swirling around them in a small Southern town had me flipping pages as fast as I could.
Read Camille's review in its entirety here.
4.5 stars
Burning Demons is a contemporary coming-of-age story featuring two very different and differently hurt young men. Both Wren and Tate are in their last year of high school and coming to terms with the changes they have elicited in each other, as well as what their relationships (as stepbrothers and as a couple) mean in a small town. Because of the accident he survived, Wren copes with a lot of body dysmorphia because of the scars–not to mention the ways he still experiences trauma from the accident. Tate is a survivor of sexual abuse and struggles with how his stepfather groomed him and what they did together. The details and how Tate and Wren affect each other, as well as their own evolving thoughts about what they survived, are explored through the story as they swap out narration duties each chapter.
Overall, I thought this was a wonderful story featuring a delightfully unconventional pairing of love interests. There were a few places where the logistics of horny teenagers and them living at home felt a little fantastical and some typos here and there, but overall the pacing was great and the development of the plot, our two main characters, and all the drama swirling around them in a small Southern town had me flipping pages as fast as I could.
Read Camille's review in its entirety here.
January 29, 2026
Tate + Wren
-mm forbidden romance
-stepbrothers
-forced proximity
-sneaking around
-hurt/comfort
this relationship was written really well between these two & it developed with the perfect amount of tension & angst you would expect from a forbidden step sibling secret relationship. there were just a couple parts where one character would like tell a past story or recount what had happened to him but it would just say something like “& so i told him. everything. all the details.” which yes…we, as the reader, have known cause we got it in the inner monologue, so i understand wanting to refrain from being repetitive…but i also felt it just…idk…just made it miss something in the connection we could have made between the characters having some kind of moment with the right kind of storytelling. but really other than that i LOVED the plot & everything else about it!!
-mm forbidden romance
-stepbrothers
-forced proximity
-sneaking around
-hurt/comfort
this relationship was written really well between these two & it developed with the perfect amount of tension & angst you would expect from a forbidden step sibling secret relationship. there were just a couple parts where one character would like tell a past story or recount what had happened to him but it would just say something like “& so i told him. everything. all the details.” which yes…we, as the reader, have known cause we got it in the inner monologue, so i understand wanting to refrain from being repetitive…but i also felt it just…idk…just made it miss something in the connection we could have made between the characters having some kind of moment with the right kind of storytelling. but really other than that i LOVED the plot & everything else about it!!
April 27, 2025
Thank you for the ARC in exchange of this honest review.
Surprisingly, I devoured this book in 1 day. (Granted, I was off work but still spent all day with my nose in the kindle)
Such a delightful coming of age (?), bitter and sweet and hot book! I kept getting surprised by the intensity of the emotions between Tate and Wren, and how good they were to each other.
Idk how well the description matches the contents of the book however: I wouldn't call this "low-angst" or "antagonists-anything" frankly, especially with the first chapter and the initial feelings between the MCs, respectively.
There are a couple of things I wish were done differently however. While I thoroughly enjoyed the confrontation between Tate and Wren about Tate's past, I think the scene with the parents was kinda disappointing haha. Didn't feel the emotion, even from Wren's POV. If my child came up and to me and told me about his life before he moved into my house, especially AFTER what's gone on, my reaction would've been a bit different lol. Alas.
Coming from the last point, the last 2 chapters were quite underwhelming, considering until then the action was focused on details and small moments between the MCs. But the ending? It felt rushed, a bit too easy and impersonal.
With these being said, I'll try not to condemn the book too much in my head, because I don't want to decrease the rating haha. It's a lot easier for me to explain my criticisms rather than what I liked, but i want to clarify that I thoroughly loved reading this!
Overall, such a nice surprise of a book! It was something I needed to read when I did, and I'm glad I found it. Definitely will read more of this author :)
Surprisingly, I devoured this book in 1 day. (Granted, I was off work but still spent all day with my nose in the kindle)
Such a delightful coming of age (?), bitter and sweet and hot book! I kept getting surprised by the intensity of the emotions between Tate and Wren, and how good they were to each other.
Idk how well the description matches the contents of the book however: I wouldn't call this "low-angst" or "antagonists-anything" frankly, especially with the first chapter and the initial feelings between the MCs, respectively.
There are a couple of things I wish were done differently however. While I thoroughly enjoyed the confrontation between Tate and Wren about Tate's past, I think the scene with the parents was kinda disappointing haha. Didn't feel the emotion, even from Wren's POV. If my child came up and to me and told me about his life before he moved into my house, especially AFTER what's gone on, my reaction would've been a bit different lol. Alas.
Coming from the last point, the last 2 chapters were quite underwhelming, considering until then the action was focused on details and small moments between the MCs. But the ending? It felt rushed, a bit too easy and impersonal.
With these being said, I'll try not to condemn the book too much in my head, because I don't want to decrease the rating haha. It's a lot easier for me to explain my criticisms rather than what I liked, but i want to clarify that I thoroughly loved reading this!
Overall, such a nice surprise of a book! It was something I needed to read when I did, and I'm glad I found it. Definitely will read more of this author :)
May 4, 2025
What a debut this was! Seriously, I am in love with this book. Tate and Wren have been living rent free in my head since I started 😍. I mean I love me some broken boys finding comfort in one another and this hits that trope PERFECTLY! 💯
Tate is just such a beautiful lost little soul and thankfully finds not only himself when he moves to a tiny town in Alabama but his new step brother, and soulmate in Wren 😏. Wren is also such a well drawn out character. Both characters have so many layering characteristics that just make me want to reach through the pages and hug them both tightly 💜. They love hard, they fight hard, they make mistakes and grow as individuals and as a couple, and it's so beautiful to watch and be a part of their story.
This is more of a slow burn BUT it doesn't feel that way, the entire book is fraught with tension that makes you want to both scream and laugh during their moments together, and when they come together, it's EVERYTHING 🔥.
I can't wait to read the author's next book 🙏, honestly it was such a poetic story at times and I loved the differences between Wren and Tate, making them perfectly matched for one another. The use of music through Wren brought this story to another level as well, when he compares how music makes him feel in according to Tate, I wanted to weep 🥹.
If you have some time, and are a sucker for some beautifully done hurt/comfort I highly suggest checking this book out! Mind your triggers though, because it does cover some heavy topics, and as always your mental health is important 💯.
Tate is just such a beautiful lost little soul and thankfully finds not only himself when he moves to a tiny town in Alabama but his new step brother, and soulmate in Wren 😏. Wren is also such a well drawn out character. Both characters have so many layering characteristics that just make me want to reach through the pages and hug them both tightly 💜. They love hard, they fight hard, they make mistakes and grow as individuals and as a couple, and it's so beautiful to watch and be a part of their story.
This is more of a slow burn BUT it doesn't feel that way, the entire book is fraught with tension that makes you want to both scream and laugh during their moments together, and when they come together, it's EVERYTHING 🔥.
I can't wait to read the author's next book 🙏, honestly it was such a poetic story at times and I loved the differences between Wren and Tate, making them perfectly matched for one another. The use of music through Wren brought this story to another level as well, when he compares how music makes him feel in according to Tate, I wanted to weep 🥹.
If you have some time, and are a sucker for some beautifully done hurt/comfort I highly suggest checking this book out! Mind your triggers though, because it does cover some heavy topics, and as always your mental health is important 💯.
May 6, 2025
ARC Review
This was such a good book! It felt like it had a common storyline but every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, something different would happen. It helped to keep the book exciting and something I didn’t want to put down.
The story starts with Tate running away from his mother and stepfather right after his eighteenth birthday party. He has to go from New York to Alabama to be with his dad. When he gets there, he meets his stepmom, Winnie, and stepbrother, Wren. When Wren meets Tate for the first time, he gets some decidedly non-brotherly feelings towards him.
As the two grow closer while working through their pasts, Wren also has to come to terms with being gay and living in the south. On top of that, they’re stepbrothers. They decide to keep their budding relationship from their parents. Everything suddenly comes to head all at once. Pasts, parents, school bullies - everything all at once.
Like I already mentioned, this book surprised me a lot! There are some pretty heavy topics but every time the author could’ve gone in a dark direction, it never really did. Obviously touching on heavy topics is relatively dark but the characters never end up deep in that darkness. I also felt like it never fell into the “teenage boys being dumb teenage boys” trope. While they handle conflict like teenagers do, it always felt authentic and not creating conflict for the sole purpose of creating conflict. Overall, very good and I’m excited for book two in the series!
This was such a good book! It felt like it had a common storyline but every time I thought I knew what was going to happen, something different would happen. It helped to keep the book exciting and something I didn’t want to put down.
The story starts with Tate running away from his mother and stepfather right after his eighteenth birthday party. He has to go from New York to Alabama to be with his dad. When he gets there, he meets his stepmom, Winnie, and stepbrother, Wren. When Wren meets Tate for the first time, he gets some decidedly non-brotherly feelings towards him.
As the two grow closer while working through their pasts, Wren also has to come to terms with being gay and living in the south. On top of that, they’re stepbrothers. They decide to keep their budding relationship from their parents. Everything suddenly comes to head all at once. Pasts, parents, school bullies - everything all at once.
Like I already mentioned, this book surprised me a lot! There are some pretty heavy topics but every time the author could’ve gone in a dark direction, it never really did. Obviously touching on heavy topics is relatively dark but the characters never end up deep in that darkness. I also felt like it never fell into the “teenage boys being dumb teenage boys” trope. While they handle conflict like teenagers do, it always felt authentic and not creating conflict for the sole purpose of creating conflict. Overall, very good and I’m excited for book two in the series!
May 20, 2025
For a debut novel this was really good. It grabbed at all the emotions throughout and I loved the characters. Tate has been through a lot in his life and because of that he became an amazing, strong, man. Wren was in a terrible, disfiguring, accident when he was a kid and until Tate showed up he walked with his head down. Where one was weak the other was strong and together it made them an amazing couple. I’m looking forward to more in this series and I’m hoping Percy and Michael & Jamie get books. 🖤🔥🎶🔥🖤
My favorite quotes:
• Tate: For him, my heart ached. But for me, I only saw a raw sort of beauty. I saw someone who had lived, who had been hurt, and who had survived. I saw power.
• Tate: Seconds was all I needed. He let go of my hand—that was normal, expected, so why did I memorize how his fingertips skimmed each of mine before they parted?
Dangerous? That hardly mattered now. I was in too deep for any more warnings.
• Tate: All of it made me want to hold him, hug him, and wrap him with attention in the best ways. I wanted to show him that even though he saw it as a flaw, I saw it as a mark of living. A mark of his unique past that was his alone.
• Wren: “You’re so fuckin’ strong. The strongest person I know. You come down here, kept tugging and pulling at me until you got me out of my own shell. You laughed and had fun with me even though you were carrying around all this inside. Even though you were hurting this bad.”
My favorite quotes:
• Tate: For him, my heart ached. But for me, I only saw a raw sort of beauty. I saw someone who had lived, who had been hurt, and who had survived. I saw power.
• Tate: Seconds was all I needed. He let go of my hand—that was normal, expected, so why did I memorize how his fingertips skimmed each of mine before they parted?
Dangerous? That hardly mattered now. I was in too deep for any more warnings.
• Tate: All of it made me want to hold him, hug him, and wrap him with attention in the best ways. I wanted to show him that even though he saw it as a flaw, I saw it as a mark of living. A mark of his unique past that was his alone.
• Wren: “You’re so fuckin’ strong. The strongest person I know. You come down here, kept tugging and pulling at me until you got me out of my own shell. You laughed and had fun with me even though you were carrying around all this inside. Even though you were hurting this bad.”
February 4, 2026
I have to say that this was a positive surprise. I was a little hesitant because the main characters are in high school (18 years old) and books with stepbrother trope can be either real good or go completely wrong. However, this hooked me from the beginning and it was difficult to put the book down.
I think this was the author's debut novel (correct me if I'm wrong), and for a debut, it was really good. There are some things in the book that bothered me, but for the most part, it worked.
Wren and Tate were both so sweet in a way and they were clearly so smitten with each other. The flirting, the slow burn, the tension—I was here for it. The book has an appropriate amount of spice, but that wasn't the main focus, which I appreciated. Both of them go through their own personal growth, and the author does a decent job of bringing out their inner conflicts, but maybe the characters could have had a little more depth.
What bothered me the most was that Tate's past with Franklin was somewhat downplayed. Throughout the book, I was waiting for his dad (Sam) to find out and for his reaction, and it was somehow really anticlimactic. In general, everyone's reaction and the book’s overall approach was somehow really flat about the matter.
There were some shortcomings in the book in terms of conversations or certain events. For example, whenever Tate talked about his past, it was just "and he told them." Usually, I want to hear how the conversation actually goes -this would’ve created more depth. It felt like the book skipped many important things. Also, sometimes the events, conversations or their locations jumped around strangely without any chapter or section breaks.
Overall I did enjoy this and I intend to read more books by this author.
____________
”You’re gonna pay for that, Big Country.”
”So scared, City Boy. What will you do? Make me iron your sweaters? Be warned, I’ll burn ’em.”
”You don’t iron sweaters, dumb shit.”
For him, my heart ached. But for me, I only saw a raw sort of beauty. I saw someone who had lived, who had been hurt, and who had survived. I saw power.
“You chasing me?” I kept my shoulders in the water and followed him at a slow pace.
”What if I am?”
”I think the better question is what will you do when you catch me?”
“I don’t understand what you make me feel.” Truth serum at its finest.
”Do you like it?” he asked.
”Yeah.”
”Then it doesn’t matter if you understand it.”
”Maybe.”
I wasn’t usually the type to roll with things like that. I picked it apart, like music. I wanted to hear each note, then throw it back together and hear it again. The same I wanted with Tate. All the good and bad, the things he kept to himself and the things he was proud of, I wanted, no, needed to know it all, to get my hands on it, to find out how he worked, then let him play his tune for me.
I think this was the author's debut novel (correct me if I'm wrong), and for a debut, it was really good. There are some things in the book that bothered me, but for the most part, it worked.
Wren and Tate were both so sweet in a way and they were clearly so smitten with each other. The flirting, the slow burn, the tension—I was here for it. The book has an appropriate amount of spice, but that wasn't the main focus, which I appreciated. Both of them go through their own personal growth, and the author does a decent job of bringing out their inner conflicts, but maybe the characters could have had a little more depth.
What bothered me the most was that Tate's past with Franklin was somewhat downplayed. Throughout the book, I was waiting for his dad (Sam) to find out and for his reaction, and it was somehow really anticlimactic. In general, everyone's reaction and the book’s overall approach was somehow really flat about the matter.
There were some shortcomings in the book in terms of conversations or certain events. For example, whenever Tate talked about his past, it was just "and he told them." Usually, I want to hear how the conversation actually goes -this would’ve created more depth. It felt like the book skipped many important things. Also, sometimes the events, conversations or their locations jumped around strangely without any chapter or section breaks.
Overall I did enjoy this and I intend to read more books by this author.
____________
”You’re gonna pay for that, Big Country.”
”So scared, City Boy. What will you do? Make me iron your sweaters? Be warned, I’ll burn ’em.”
”You don’t iron sweaters, dumb shit.”
For him, my heart ached. But for me, I only saw a raw sort of beauty. I saw someone who had lived, who had been hurt, and who had survived. I saw power.
“You chasing me?” I kept my shoulders in the water and followed him at a slow pace.
”What if I am?”
”I think the better question is what will you do when you catch me?”
“I don’t understand what you make me feel.” Truth serum at its finest.
”Do you like it?” he asked.
”Yeah.”
”Then it doesn’t matter if you understand it.”
”Maybe.”
I wasn’t usually the type to roll with things like that. I picked it apart, like music. I wanted to hear each note, then throw it back together and hear it again. The same I wanted with Tate. All the good and bad, the things he kept to himself and the things he was proud of, I wanted, no, needed to know it all, to get my hands on it, to find out how he worked, then let him play his tune for me.
May 7, 2025
MY OPINION: As a debut novel, this is really good. I have a lot of feelings about this book, most of them very good. These are two high school guys, one is eighteen, one is seventeen, nearly eighteen. I am not sure how I feel about this; to me, they feel young (this is my opinion). I also can’t get past the seventeen part, I think this is a personal thing with me, and I know I have mentioned it in other reviews, my head insists on thinking of these two as kids, and they are behaving very mature, to me too mature for their ages and life experiences.
That being said, I really liked this book and the story around it. These two have been through a lot of things and have to work through their demons. Wren is a big guy but has a gentle artistic side, which is opposite to his size and upbringing. He is a country boy who loves to play cello, doesn’t want to play football, and is at home in the quiet. He has had to live with scars from an accident that stole his father and damaged his heart, which opened him up to bullying since one was on his face. He struggles. His senior year of high school changed when his stepbrother came to live with them.
Tate was abused, but it was more than that, and he fled to his father’s home a few days after his eighteenth birthday. Now an ‘adult’, he still feels like the abuser has a hold of him, and he can’t quite find his footing. When he settles into his new home in Alabama, his father embraces him, his stepmother is kind, and his stepbrother is sensational.
These two find solace in each other’s arms and explore it slowly. I would say this is a slow burn with some spicy bits. They learn about themselves and each other, exploring their identities while accepting some difficult truths. It was a good story, with some great guys, and it had some very emotional parts. It’s for sure worth reading, be aware that child abuse is a running theme, and there are some difficult topics addressed. I’m glad I got to read this book; it has a little bit of the stepbrother taboo, but they were so separated that it didn’t feel weird. If you are looking for a new author, pick it up, be ready to have some tissues toward the end. Otherwise, you get to enjoy a great story with some great characters.
That being said, I really liked this book and the story around it. These two have been through a lot of things and have to work through their demons. Wren is a big guy but has a gentle artistic side, which is opposite to his size and upbringing. He is a country boy who loves to play cello, doesn’t want to play football, and is at home in the quiet. He has had to live with scars from an accident that stole his father and damaged his heart, which opened him up to bullying since one was on his face. He struggles. His senior year of high school changed when his stepbrother came to live with them.
Tate was abused, but it was more than that, and he fled to his father’s home a few days after his eighteenth birthday. Now an ‘adult’, he still feels like the abuser has a hold of him, and he can’t quite find his footing. When he settles into his new home in Alabama, his father embraces him, his stepmother is kind, and his stepbrother is sensational.
These two find solace in each other’s arms and explore it slowly. I would say this is a slow burn with some spicy bits. They learn about themselves and each other, exploring their identities while accepting some difficult truths. It was a good story, with some great guys, and it had some very emotional parts. It’s for sure worth reading, be aware that child abuse is a running theme, and there are some difficult topics addressed. I’m glad I got to read this book; it has a little bit of the stepbrother taboo, but they were so separated that it didn’t feel weird. If you are looking for a new author, pick it up, be ready to have some tissues toward the end. Otherwise, you get to enjoy a great story with some great characters.
May 6, 2025
Tate is running from his past and present and ends up in the rural back country of Alabama moving back in with the father he’s barely seen (and his blended family), is it far enough to outrun his demons though? Wren is a country boy born and bred, but he doesn’t fit in with his classmates and that leaves him feeling isolated and alone, apart from his BFF and his mum and stepdad.
These broken boys end up gravitating towards each other, unable to resist the pull. The attraction might have been instant but the feelings and the love developed slowly and I think realistically and yes, they made stupid decisions during the course of the book, but they’re teenage boys and the missteps they make helps to bring them to life. I absolutely adored Wren and what Tat went though broke my heart.
I really like Elwood’s writing style, the way you could almost feel the heat and humidity of the Alabama countryside, it was as much a character as the people in the story. 😊
Please pay attention to the trigger warnings at the start as parts of this book are pretty dark (not between the MCs), but are sensitively handled (in my view) within the story and not just used for shock effect. Both Tate and Wren deserved their hard-earned HEA.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the slow, organic way Tate and Wren’s relationship developed and how they were there lifting each other up. If you love hurt/comfort books then this might be of interest to you. I think this is an excellent debut and I’m looking forward to reading more by the author in the future.
I received an ARC of this book from GRR and this is my honest review.
These broken boys end up gravitating towards each other, unable to resist the pull. The attraction might have been instant but the feelings and the love developed slowly and I think realistically and yes, they made stupid decisions during the course of the book, but they’re teenage boys and the missteps they make helps to bring them to life. I absolutely adored Wren and what Tat went though broke my heart.
I really like Elwood’s writing style, the way you could almost feel the heat and humidity of the Alabama countryside, it was as much a character as the people in the story. 😊
Please pay attention to the trigger warnings at the start as parts of this book are pretty dark (not between the MCs), but are sensitively handled (in my view) within the story and not just used for shock effect. Both Tate and Wren deserved their hard-earned HEA.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved the slow, organic way Tate and Wren’s relationship developed and how they were there lifting each other up. If you love hurt/comfort books then this might be of interest to you. I think this is an excellent debut and I’m looking forward to reading more by the author in the future.
I received an ARC of this book from GRR and this is my honest review.
May 4, 2025
Burning Demons by Mina Elwood was an intense ride, and I'm counting down the days until the next installment!
These two characters, each struggling with their own battles, completely captured my heart. Their journey of overcoming their darkest fears and challenges, both separately and together, was raw and powerful. The way they faced it all head-on left me totally speechless!
Initially, Tate and Wren can't stand each other, always at odds and pushing each other's buttons. However, as the summer unfolds, they begin to understand one another, and the tension between them transforms into something much deeper.
Tate and Wren’s relationship is far from simple, with obstacles at every turn, being stepbrothers means they must keep their love hidden, Wren faces the pressure of living in a small southern town while being closeted, and Tate has to deal with his overbearing, cruel stepfather constantly causing trouble.
Tate really deserved his happy ending. While the story lightens up after the intense beginning, there are still moments that tug at your emotions, and I could feel that every time they appeared.
Wren is just too precious. He’s shy, lovable, and protective in the most endearing way. Though he makes a few mistakes, he owns them and immediately works to make things right. Watching him grow and figure out who he is while navigating the changes in his life was truly heartwarming.
If you’re craving an emotional journey with plenty of hurt/comfort, this book is a must-read!
10/10 - 5 Star Read!
These two characters, each struggling with their own battles, completely captured my heart. Their journey of overcoming their darkest fears and challenges, both separately and together, was raw and powerful. The way they faced it all head-on left me totally speechless!
Initially, Tate and Wren can't stand each other, always at odds and pushing each other's buttons. However, as the summer unfolds, they begin to understand one another, and the tension between them transforms into something much deeper.
Tate and Wren’s relationship is far from simple, with obstacles at every turn, being stepbrothers means they must keep their love hidden, Wren faces the pressure of living in a small southern town while being closeted, and Tate has to deal with his overbearing, cruel stepfather constantly causing trouble.
Tate really deserved his happy ending. While the story lightens up after the intense beginning, there are still moments that tug at your emotions, and I could feel that every time they appeared.
Wren is just too precious. He’s shy, lovable, and protective in the most endearing way. Though he makes a few mistakes, he owns them and immediately works to make things right. Watching him grow and figure out who he is while navigating the changes in his life was truly heartwarming.
If you’re craving an emotional journey with plenty of hurt/comfort, this book is a must-read!
10/10 - 5 Star Read!
May 8, 2025
Thank you GRR for the arc!
3.5 stars
I'd like to start the review by saying how great of a job the author did since this is their first novel!
I enjoyed the story and it seemed to go by quickly.
I'm glad that the author took a big, ambitious bite with their first piece too. Taking on heavy themes and complex characters with their own demons.
This story features Tate and Wren, two guys who couldn't really be more different.
Tate comes from New York, and takes his chance to escape his toxic environment.
He's a city boy, he moves out to Alabama to live with his dad, stepmother and stepbrother.
He was an interesting character, because despite living through a lot, he wasn't bitter. He keeps to himself, suffering in silence, but he never lets it effect others. Treating others with the kindness he never received.
His stepbrother, Wren, is a big guy who keeps getting hounded to go out for football, but he's more about the cello. The other jocks don't get it, but Tate is an immediate supporter, encouraging him to follow his dream no matter how far fetched it seems to be.
The two guys bond, and find out that their differences compliment each other, but the lines begin to blur and feelings get complicated.
Then, after they acknowledge their feelings for each other, is sneaking around behind their parent's backs and holding hands when nobody else is around enough? Or do they want more?
I also am looking forward to the rest of the books in the series too, especially with more adult characters.
3.5 stars
I'd like to start the review by saying how great of a job the author did since this is their first novel!
I enjoyed the story and it seemed to go by quickly.
I'm glad that the author took a big, ambitious bite with their first piece too. Taking on heavy themes and complex characters with their own demons.
This story features Tate and Wren, two guys who couldn't really be more different.
Tate comes from New York, and takes his chance to escape his toxic environment.
He's a city boy, he moves out to Alabama to live with his dad, stepmother and stepbrother.
He was an interesting character, because despite living through a lot, he wasn't bitter. He keeps to himself, suffering in silence, but he never lets it effect others. Treating others with the kindness he never received.
His stepbrother, Wren, is a big guy who keeps getting hounded to go out for football, but he's more about the cello. The other jocks don't get it, but Tate is an immediate supporter, encouraging him to follow his dream no matter how far fetched it seems to be.
The two guys bond, and find out that their differences compliment each other, but the lines begin to blur and feelings get complicated.
Then, after they acknowledge their feelings for each other, is sneaking around behind their parent's backs and holding hands when nobody else is around enough? Or do they want more?
I also am looking forward to the rest of the books in the series too, especially with more adult characters.
May 4, 2025
🧡 𝙱𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙳𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚗𝚜 🧡
𝚋𝚢 @authorminaelwood
🄰🅁🄲 🅁🄴🅅🄸🄴🅆
4.25/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️
↓↓
Tate and Wren sucked me right in.
My heart absolutely broke for Tate from the beginning but when more of his past comes to light, I was sobbing right along with him when he was talking about it. You could feel the confusion, pain, grief, every emotion, you could feel it right along with him.
Wren has his own grief that he has to bare the scars of everyday of his life. He is just trying to navigate his life in his small minded town, get done with high school and start a career with his music. That is until Tate comes along and crashes in to his life.
Both of these both had a struggle to their HEA, they both needed to grow and to heal to offer the love they both deserved. I loved watching these two slowly open up to each other and heal a part that they didn't damage.
When Tate finally stood up for himself in every way, ahhh I loved that so much. I was so happy!!!
This does come with the typical small town, high school drama and angst but was well written where it didn't overshadow the true stars of the book/ I thought there was really great character development.
Debut author and wow what a first book. I can't wait to see what is next!
𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤 / 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥
🧡New Stepbrothers
🧡Fish-out-of-water
🧡Hurt/Comfort
🧡Forced Proximity
🧡Antagonists to friends to lovers
🧡Slow burn
𝚋𝚢 @authorminaelwood
🄰🅁🄲 🅁🄴🅅🄸🄴🅆
4.25/5 ⭐️
1/5 🌶️
↓↓
Tate and Wren sucked me right in.
My heart absolutely broke for Tate from the beginning but when more of his past comes to light, I was sobbing right along with him when he was talking about it. You could feel the confusion, pain, grief, every emotion, you could feel it right along with him.
Wren has his own grief that he has to bare the scars of everyday of his life. He is just trying to navigate his life in his small minded town, get done with high school and start a career with his music. That is until Tate comes along and crashes in to his life.
Both of these both had a struggle to their HEA, they both needed to grow and to heal to offer the love they both deserved. I loved watching these two slowly open up to each other and heal a part that they didn't damage.
When Tate finally stood up for himself in every way, ahhh I loved that so much. I was so happy!!!
This does come with the typical small town, high school drama and angst but was well written where it didn't overshadow the true stars of the book/ I thought there was really great character development.
Debut author and wow what a first book. I can't wait to see what is next!
𝕋𝕣𝕠𝕡𝕖𝕤 / 𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕥𝕠 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥
🧡New Stepbrothers
🧡Fish-out-of-water
🧡Hurt/Comfort
🧡Forced Proximity
🧡Antagonists to friends to lovers
🧡Slow burn
September 30, 2025
This is the author's debut and it is crafted so well! I got a full sense of the characters, the setting, and the turmoil. While I was raised in a different part of the South, Hickory Bend, AL felt very real to me as did the characters who inhabit this locale. First thing to know: the opening chapter is heartbreaking!! It's emotional and we really feel what Tate feels. Poor Tate!! His mother is horrible and unfeeling and his stepfather is a predator. It's amazing he retains his soul living with those monsters. However, he realizes that he needs to leave and make something better of himself and he does...right to his birth father's home and his father's family, which includes his stepbrother Wren. Both Wren and Tate discover a lot about themselves and undergo lots of change in the course of this story. They each feel they have something ugly about themselves but with the help of the other, they seem themselves with new eyes. They both struggle a lot, both separately and together, but in the end, they have their HEA. I love how they are friends first but then a flirtation happens gradually...along with the excitement of the "is he like me?" and then they full on fall for each other and it's beautiful. I love Sam and Winnie (the Alabama parents) - so nice to see such supportive, good parents! The friend group is also good and I have a feeling I'll be seeing some of these characters again in the future books.
One last thing - this book has a lot of beautiful, wonderful quiet moments with our MCs. I loved them.
One last thing - this book has a lot of beautiful, wonderful quiet moments with our MCs. I loved them.
April 29, 2025
MM. Dual first-person POV
Loss of a parent
underage drinking
bullying
depression
Homophobic language
sexual abuse
Off-page child abandonment
Tate was 13 years. His mother remarried a man named Franklin. He was rich, handsome, and belonged to some of the biggest elite groups.
Tate's mother had struck a deal with Franklin.
That was so she would be in these Elite groups and
Franklin could have Tate.
Tate didn't know all he wanted was love.
Years later Tate he over them talking
That's when he ran. He felt betrayed and confused
He was a few years older now. He went to his real father's house with his new wife Winnie and her son Wren.
He formed a friendship and got reacquainted with his natural Dad.
All was going well until it wasn't.
This author is a new read for me. I would like to explore more of her and would like to follow up on the next installment of this series, " Burning Enemies ".
I was sorry to see it end because I felt Wren and Tate's character worked well together. I also liked Percy. Hope to see him as well. Sienna was a hoot in the book as well. Loved her straightforward attitude.
To round this review out. I recommend this book to all those who can handle the heavy trigger load type of books.
ENJOY!!
Loss of a parent
underage drinking
bullying
depression
Homophobic language
sexual abuse
Off-page child abandonment
Tate was 13 years. His mother remarried a man named Franklin. He was rich, handsome, and belonged to some of the biggest elite groups.
Tate's mother had struck a deal with Franklin.
That was so she would be in these Elite groups and
Franklin could have Tate.
Tate didn't know all he wanted was love.
Years later Tate he over them talking
That's when he ran. He felt betrayed and confused
He was a few years older now. He went to his real father's house with his new wife Winnie and her son Wren.
He formed a friendship and got reacquainted with his natural Dad.
All was going well until it wasn't.
This author is a new read for me. I would like to explore more of her and would like to follow up on the next installment of this series, " Burning Enemies ".
I was sorry to see it end because I felt Wren and Tate's character worked well together. I also liked Percy. Hope to see him as well. Sienna was a hoot in the book as well. Loved her straightforward attitude.
To round this review out. I recommend this book to all those who can handle the heavy trigger load type of books.
ENJOY!!
May 7, 2025
Burning Demons was such a powerful, emotional read—I was hooked from the start. Tate and Wren completely stole my heart. Both scarred by trauma, they slowly learn to trust, heal, and grow—with and because of each other. Their connection felt so natural and necessary, building from tentative friendship and banter to a slow-burn romance full of hurt/comfort, sweetness, and support.
The writing is beautiful and immersive, with Hickory Bend coming to life around these layered, vulnerable characters. I loved how Wren and Tate strengthened one another, and how characters like Sam and Winnie showed what real, unconditional love looks like.
While the story touches on difficult themes—abuse, abandonment, and identity—it’s surprisingly low on angst, balancing the emotional weight with warmth, humor, and hope. A must-read for fans of forced proximity, stepbrothers-to-lovers, and slow, meaningful romantic progression. Can’t wait to see more from this author.
Tropes & Themes:
- Stepbrothers (didn’t grow up together)
- Opposites attract
- Antagonistic banter → friendship → love
- Secret relationship
- Dual POV
- Hurt/comfort
- Small town + forced proximity
CW: abuse, grooming, homophobia, bullying, childhood trauma, loss of a parent
The writing is beautiful and immersive, with Hickory Bend coming to life around these layered, vulnerable characters. I loved how Wren and Tate strengthened one another, and how characters like Sam and Winnie showed what real, unconditional love looks like.
While the story touches on difficult themes—abuse, abandonment, and identity—it’s surprisingly low on angst, balancing the emotional weight with warmth, humor, and hope. A must-read for fans of forced proximity, stepbrothers-to-lovers, and slow, meaningful romantic progression. Can’t wait to see more from this author.
Tropes & Themes:
- Stepbrothers (didn’t grow up together)
- Opposites attract
- Antagonistic banter → friendship → love
- Secret relationship
- Dual POV
- Hurt/comfort
- Small town + forced proximity
CW: abuse, grooming, homophobia, bullying, childhood trauma, loss of a parent
May 9, 2025
It was just superb! Immediately, I became engrossed. Everyone must do what is necessary to ensure the safety of Wren and Tate. They had to discover a method to express themselves after enduring terrible things; doing so would help them find their place in the world. Both of their stories broke my heart, but it was inspiring to watch them triumph over adversity and live the life someone deserves. Their bond was so effortless; it was as if they were dependent on one another for the healing and maturation of the men they were meant to be. Their playful banter and tentative friendship blossomed into something more, and I adored seeing it all unfold. It was lovely to read about how their romance progressed slowly, which was perfect for them both. Because of the exquisite writing, I felt as though I had stepped into Hickory Bend alongside the characters. I put everything else aside to read this book because the emotions were so intense. Despite the weighty subject matter and several emotionally charged passages, the novel is rather low-angst, and Tate and Wren share many charming, endearing, and entertaining moments. The vibrations of hurt and consolation were incredibly positive, in my opinion. I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.
July 5, 2025
Wren & Tate
"All of it, all of him, Tate was my music."
🧡 New stepbrothers
🧡 Fish-out-of-water
🧡Tragic backstory
🧡Abuse
🧡Hurt/Comfort
🧡MM Romance
🧡New Adult
🧡Virgin MMC
🧡Dual 1st person POV
🧡Antagonistic Friends to Lovers
🧡Country v. City
These two need to be protected by whatever means necessary. I'm not the most versed in M/M romance so I don't have much to compare this with, but I really enjoyed the author's debut! From page one, though - be ready to be thrown into the deep end of trauma. I wanted to wrap Tate up and place him in a protective bubble from the beginning. Definitely encompassed raw high school drama with the whole coming-of-age and self-discovery.
Tate takes his life into his own hands and moves from New York to Alabama to live with his biological father, where he meets Wren and Winnie. Overall, it's a beautiful story and has a HEA. (Thank, goodness).
There were a few points where I wished Tate's character had a bit more dialogue with Wren - whether intentional or not by the author, he definitely has a solid 'mask' to hide the trauma within. Both have their own traumas, but at points, he was so calm, cocky, and flirtatious (from the beginning), it was difficult to really connect with his character at times.
Definitely check into the trigger warnings - most don't happen on-page, necessarily but Tate's past (and present) is sickening for obvious reasons and I am very thankful for how this book ended.
**Thank you to Nisha's Books and Coffee PR, as well as the author for an ARC!**
"All of it, all of him, Tate was my music."
🧡 New stepbrothers
🧡 Fish-out-of-water
🧡Tragic backstory
🧡Abuse
🧡Hurt/Comfort
🧡MM Romance
🧡New Adult
🧡Virgin MMC
🧡Dual 1st person POV
🧡Antagonistic Friends to Lovers
🧡Country v. City
These two need to be protected by whatever means necessary. I'm not the most versed in M/M romance so I don't have much to compare this with, but I really enjoyed the author's debut! From page one, though - be ready to be thrown into the deep end of trauma. I wanted to wrap Tate up and place him in a protective bubble from the beginning. Definitely encompassed raw high school drama with the whole coming-of-age and self-discovery.
Tate takes his life into his own hands and moves from New York to Alabama to live with his biological father, where he meets Wren and Winnie. Overall, it's a beautiful story and has a HEA. (Thank, goodness).
There were a few points where I wished Tate's character had a bit more dialogue with Wren - whether intentional or not by the author, he definitely has a solid 'mask' to hide the trauma within. Both have their own traumas, but at points, he was so calm, cocky, and flirtatious (from the beginning), it was difficult to really connect with his character at times.
Definitely check into the trigger warnings - most don't happen on-page, necessarily but Tate's past (and present) is sickening for obvious reasons and I am very thankful for how this book ended.
**Thank you to Nisha's Books and Coffee PR, as well as the author for an ARC!**
May 6, 2025
FIRE AND ICE AND ALL THINGS NICE!🔥😈💕
This series by this new to me author is going to be fire and I can’t wait for the next couple!🔥😈
Oh my freaking heart these two broken souls just slayed me with all their inner and outer demons they had to face , conquer and burn down to the ground alone and together!❤️🔥
🔥😈 Off page sexual Abuse of a minor
🔥😈 Sexual Predator
🔥😈 Off page Grooming of a minor
🔥😈 Suppressed Sexuality
🔥😈 Homophobia
🔥😈 Bullying
🔥😈 Emotionally and Physically scarred
🔥😈 Off page mention of death of a parent
🔥😈 Eating disorder re emotional stress
Tate Decker ran away from his demons the minute he turned 18 and found the love of a family he so desperately hunkered for all his life with his estranged biological father- Sam Patterson, stepmom -Winnie and stepbrother Wren Wilkerson…
The bond they formed was spectacular and heartwarming and the love and support between them was so precious and inspiring together with their emotional growth and ice melting chemistry, however insecurities, pain, confusion, shame and homophobia might be the driving forces to mar their happiness…
I loved their friends and extended friends that supported them in their journey to confronting their inner and outer demons and the way they uplifted each other and stood by each other even if one of them got lost along the way…
A beautiful epilogue follows five years later with rounding off of issues and subtle hints to the next characters…..
I voluntarily received an ARC from Nisha’s Books & Coffee Pr for an honest non biased review.
This series by this new to me author is going to be fire and I can’t wait for the next couple!🔥😈
Oh my freaking heart these two broken souls just slayed me with all their inner and outer demons they had to face , conquer and burn down to the ground alone and together!❤️🔥
🔥😈 Off page sexual Abuse of a minor
🔥😈 Sexual Predator
🔥😈 Off page Grooming of a minor
🔥😈 Suppressed Sexuality
🔥😈 Homophobia
🔥😈 Bullying
🔥😈 Emotionally and Physically scarred
🔥😈 Off page mention of death of a parent
🔥😈 Eating disorder re emotional stress
Tate Decker ran away from his demons the minute he turned 18 and found the love of a family he so desperately hunkered for all his life with his estranged biological father- Sam Patterson, stepmom -Winnie and stepbrother Wren Wilkerson…
The bond they formed was spectacular and heartwarming and the love and support between them was so precious and inspiring together with their emotional growth and ice melting chemistry, however insecurities, pain, confusion, shame and homophobia might be the driving forces to mar their happiness…
I loved their friends and extended friends that supported them in their journey to confronting their inner and outer demons and the way they uplifted each other and stood by each other even if one of them got lost along the way…
A beautiful epilogue follows five years later with rounding off of issues and subtle hints to the next characters…..
I voluntarily received an ARC from Nisha’s Books & Coffee Pr for an honest non biased review.
May 6, 2025
I found myself in a darkness so profound I couldn’t tell if my eyes were open. Lost. Broken. And some broken things couldn’t be fixed.
These guys, two boys trying to find their way into the world, Wren comming to terms with his sexuality in a small southern area in Alabama .. and Tate running away from his abusive stepfather, being confused over his feelings & trying to understand and know who he is without his stepfather’s influence.
“I don’t wanna just kiss you in the night. I want you to be mine, my boyfriend.”
These boys had gone through some stuff, alone & together. They started off slow, figuring each other out .. and with Wren being closeted & also a virgin in everything they took it at a pace that suited them.
“I’m gonna marry you one day. I’m not asking now. I’m not ready. I’m not the man I wanna be for you yet. But one day, I’ll ask, and you better say yes.”
I loved how Wren kept to himself, tried to stay hidden, but when Tate came along he felt like a protector & wanted to protected Tate.
I LOVED the epilogue … They both got to accomplish their dreams😍
Can not wait for the next book 😉
These guys, two boys trying to find their way into the world, Wren comming to terms with his sexuality in a small southern area in Alabama .. and Tate running away from his abusive stepfather, being confused over his feelings & trying to understand and know who he is without his stepfather’s influence.
“I don’t wanna just kiss you in the night. I want you to be mine, my boyfriend.”
These boys had gone through some stuff, alone & together. They started off slow, figuring each other out .. and with Wren being closeted & also a virgin in everything they took it at a pace that suited them.
“I’m gonna marry you one day. I’m not asking now. I’m not ready. I’m not the man I wanna be for you yet. But one day, I’ll ask, and you better say yes.”
I loved how Wren kept to himself, tried to stay hidden, but when Tate came along he felt like a protector & wanted to protected Tate.
I LOVED the epilogue … They both got to accomplish their dreams😍
Can not wait for the next book 😉
May 7, 2025
My heart hurts. I want to wrap Wren and Tate in a hug and never let them go.
I’m still so angry at Tate’s mom and stepfather. I seriously want to get inside this book and beat the loving crap out of them.
Tate is a young man whose mother constantly reminded him of not being wanted. She used him to get social status without a care of what her son needed.
For years he was constantly emotionally abused until one day he couldn’t take it anymore. He fled his mother’s house and moved to Alabama with his father.
There, he meets his stepbrother, Wren who has as many inner traumas as himself. His low self esteem due to the scar on his face and the turmoil of being gay, make him shrink into himself.
Despite his pain, Tate becomes Wren’s pillar of strength and shows him just how strong and beautiful he is. He shows Wren how worthy he is and how he should follow his dreams.
Together they face challenges that would bring anyone to their knees yet they fight together for the happiness they know they deserve. Come hell or high water, together they build a life they can be proud of.
This is the first book of the Burning Torments series. Highly recommend it.
I’m still so angry at Tate’s mom and stepfather. I seriously want to get inside this book and beat the loving crap out of them.
Tate is a young man whose mother constantly reminded him of not being wanted. She used him to get social status without a care of what her son needed.
For years he was constantly emotionally abused until one day he couldn’t take it anymore. He fled his mother’s house and moved to Alabama with his father.
There, he meets his stepbrother, Wren who has as many inner traumas as himself. His low self esteem due to the scar on his face and the turmoil of being gay, make him shrink into himself.
Despite his pain, Tate becomes Wren’s pillar of strength and shows him just how strong and beautiful he is. He shows Wren how worthy he is and how he should follow his dreams.
Together they face challenges that would bring anyone to their knees yet they fight together for the happiness they know they deserve. Come hell or high water, together they build a life they can be proud of.
This is the first book of the Burning Torments series. Highly recommend it.
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