Bad Dogs (Dirty Strays #1) (2024)

Day 7 of 365, my ninth read of the year, and my fourth 1-star read of 2024.

The only good thing about this was the angst—the poverty, the abuse Roman endured from his brother, the found family aspect, Roman’s mutism, food insecurity, sex work for money—I really liked it. This is my second read from this author, and unfortunately, it’s another miss. Despite that, I do believe this book has potential, but the BDSM representation, lack of character development, lack of relationship development, and how I was not the biggest fan of Scout made the reading experience unenjoyable and not emotional.

I’ll give it to this author for his ability to write angst. It’s well written and heart felt, and I could feel myself rooting for the characters as the story started. We find out about their terrible living conditions, making it out one way or another. While they’re both living in different situations and places, Roman and Scout aren’t entirely different in how they only have each other for reliable. Scout has his two best friends, Dallas and Beck, which makes it more worthwhile; Roman, on the other hand, doesn’t have anyone. The author’s ability to tug at your heartstrings shines here, not just with the topic of poverty but in how both men are broken and shattered in their own ways. Roman, especially, was easier to connect to, although I did feel a little conflicted about him in the end. His inner angst comes from his abusive relationship with his toxic brother. He’s never been properly cared for, not after his grandma was taken away from him, so finding trust and care for and from others isn’t easy for him. I loved how the author wrote his character, admittedly. His struggles were heartfelt. The author never cures or forgets his mutism, which I would say is selective mutism because Roman isn’t able to speak during certain times of anxiety. He slowly works up the courage when he needs to, including for his brother and Scout.

On the other hand, my issues with the book have to do with everything else, from Scout, to the poor BDSM representation, to the lack of relationship development.

I won’t comment much on the puppy play because it’s not my thing, but I will say it didn’t affect my enjoyment. It helped to know beforehand that this has puppy play and that Roman is referred to as ‘pup’ and ‘puppy’ by Roman, which isn’t my thing at all but in this world we don’t kink shame. I could see how the puppy role was something Roman felt connected to, given his need to obey, follow commands, and even bite. I personally think the author did a good job with this, especially as I am someone who isn’t super familiar with role playing and the like. Yeah, I wouldn’t look for a book with puppy play specifically but I’ll admit that I didn’t hate it. It felt fitting for Roman’s character, it just didn’t help the relationship much.

In my opinion, Roman deserved better. It was difficult to root for the two, especially for their BDSM relationship, when it felt like Roman didn’t even know what he was agreeing to, and Scout felt like he didn’t know what he was doing. There’s nothing wrong with him being a baby Dom. He’s inexperienced, so course it’s gonna take practice and experience, but that’s exactly my issue. Roman needed more caretaking and aftercare, someone more confident and sure. This has nothing to do with Scout also living in poverty and doing sex-work as a means for finances, but his Dominant role felt shallow, with no sufficient depth. He claimed to be experienced and someone who would teach Roman, yet he’d forget some of the most important, basic parts, like aftercare. And why did he forget aftercare after their first scene? Because he was so focused on his p*rn and editing the footage. I also thought he came off as unreliable for the entire book. His personality came off as ignorant, a little standoffish, and not sure enough on what he was doing. This wouldn’t have been an issue, considering he’s learning and doesn’t have the best gear and equipment, but Roman’s position didn’t help. The way I saw it, Roman agreed to his submission not because he felt that way, but because he thought there wasn’t anything better. There are some instances where Roman holds himself back for Scout’s sake, like not using a safeword.

A wave of dizziness washes over me and my stomach flips as I squeeze my eyes shut tighter, telling myself that I could probably snap the belt if I really had to. Trav has never restrained me, so I didn’t think I’d feel scared. But all I can imagine is that this is how it would feel if he tried, if I was helpless to escape and he could hurt me and hurt me and hurt me. Flexing my fingers, I tell myself not to safeword. We just f*cking started, and I can tell Scout’s happy with me. I don’t want it to stop.

1) He has to tell himself to not safe word.
2) He’s doing it for Scout’s sake despite not being the most comfortable in that moment.
3) He’s scared of taking away Scout’s happiness because he’s doing so good?

Just. No.

Scout’s experience on BDSM and being a Dom mostly came from his sex work. We don’t learn any backstory on why he is a Dom and/or wants a sub. We don’t know anything about previous experiences. We just know that once he locks eyes with Roman, he wants him, and he always gets what he wants. Excuse me as I roll my eyes.

Once again, his lack of experience isn’t the issue; it’s how Roman’s position didn’t help him, so to me, it felt like Roman was being used. Scout wasn’t patient, understanding, and kind all the time. Instead of coming off as authoritative, he came off as unreliable. Where was the kindness? The care? The patience? The trust? Roman needed someone else and more proper knowledge on what he was doing. Scout didn’t really give him that. Roman wasn’t taught right, he was simply doing as he was told. His character was broken too much that a submissive role didn’t feel appropriate enough for everything he needed.

I’m no expert on BDSM. I haven’t read that many kinky romances in general, let alone books with strict roles. While the D/s and Sir/boy dynamics are clear here, with what I have read and learned, this wasn’t the best. It also felt like Scout was using him for his p*rn, and if it weren’t for that, there wouldn’t be any other way these two would be together. They didn’t give me ‘happy ever after’ vibes. It’s as if Scout was more interested in his p*rn and footage than actually coming to properly care about Roman.

Also, Scout’s character was hardly explored. We learn more about Roman than Scout. All we know is that he stuffed himself with Oreo cookies and noodles when he could, he jerked off to horny men for payment, and came out with his own ways to make equipment for his p*rn. We also know his siblings ran off, his mom OD’d, and his dad was killed. Truly angst stuff, yet they offered nothing to his character. He was just someone who did sex work and was a baby Dom in the making. His relationship with Roman is mostly through the BDSM roles, especially for the first 50% of the book. We don’t really see them going out and getting to know each other unless it’s with Beck and Dallas, which is fine but I would’ve preferred to see more of them together and alone. This also prevented me from enjoying the book and rooting for the romance because there wasn’t enough connection.

This story had potential, but I started losing interest 40% in when Scout’s dominant role felt too underdeveloped. I really can’t use the excuse of them learning and them being inexperienced as a way to validate what they did. This wouldn’t be an issue if Roman came off as someone with more security and confidence. Instead, I saw him as someone unsure, scared, and willing to do things asked for him because he thought that was what he was good for. He was too broken, damaged, and traumatized. He couldn’t stand up to himself for himself. The only times he did were with Scout, and it was probably because he knew Scout wouldn’t hurt him. It makes sense, yet that’s where the character developing was lacking.

Then the ending comes along and everything is easy. It felt as if the author wrote this with that intention to excuse Roman’s lack of character development. No structure and build up is made throughout the book because the ending wouldn’t have required it. It’s very lazy writing to me.

Overall, not a fan in the slightest.

I absolutely loved Show Me Wonders and was excited for Jackson's brother Scout's story! Riley Nash knows how to shred your heart, make you feel pain, and piece you back together slowly.

Roman is filled with anger, despair, hurt and loss. He’s at his brother’s mercy, who does nothing but break him down. He’s lost his voice and struggles to be heard and seen. Fear has a grip on him, and anger is his outlet when it gets too much. He’s like a feral cat beaten down, weary and ready to fight if pushed, even when he knows acting out will bring nothing but hurt.

“But it’s been so long. I can only speak when I’m alone, and her little boy is a f*cked-up man made of muscle and fury and silence, sprawled on a piss-smelling couch with her quilt tangled around him.”

“He saw it as soon as he looked at me. I let people do whatever they want to me while I just kneel down and take it. It doesn’t matter that I have a strong body when it’s my head that’s weak.”

I literally dropped everything and stayed up to finish Bad Dogs. Roman broke my heart over and over again.

“But when Scout calls me puppy, I feel like the lonely boy saw the lost wolf in the dark and said come and get warm, I made this fire for us.”

Scout and Roman’s relationship is initially fragile. However, as they get closer, trust and love grow. Scout calms Roman’s wild mind and temper. I loved the little things, like how they touched and the biting. I found it to be both sweet and erotic. The way that Scout is protective and possessive of Roman is just lovely.

“I almost give up the secret that my heart doesn’t work like other peoples’, that the world is divided into mine and I don’t give a sh*t, and he was mine the minute I set eyes on him for reasons that I will never fully understand.”

I love kink and reading about kink exploration.I was curious to see how Riley Nash would write about a baby dom and baby sub who have so little. BDSM and kink can definitely be a rich person’s lifestyle. I enjoyed seeing the creativity and DIY BDSM equipment and bondage gear Scout came up with. While the story wasn't heavy on the BDSM I like seeing how Scout learned about being a dom and what it meant. Their path isn’t easy and there’s mistakes but they learn from them.

While there's filming caming is not the focus, which I am so glad for. I am not crazy about it, so I liked how it was more about their relationship rather than cam work.

The writing. I’ve stated this before but I will keep on saying it because Riley Nash’s writing is sublime. It pulls you in and holds you captive. His style is so beautiful and flows like water, and I could put down this book. I had to take a day off in order to immerse myself and recover once I finished this story. The angst, pain, fear, hope and love you feel from their words and characters….just beautiful. I can go on and on about it.

Finally, the found family aspect is terrific. Scout wants nothing more than to care for them and take them out of Paradise and to a safe space. That is his dream. I can’t wait for Dallas and Beck’s stories. I already adore those two!

This story isn't perfect and there was some issues with how certain things were handled but I love Riley Nash’s stories and Bad Dogs was no different. I’ll be eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.

4.5***** stars

I’m not okay.

WORDS ALWAYS SEEM TO FAIL ME when I try to review what I just finished reading when it comes to Riley’s books. He has just so much talent in using his words to make me feel all the feels. As always, this story was deeply emotional, angsty and heartbreaking but also filled with light and hope. And this time, it was also pretty kinky.

“Hi, puppy. It’s alright—you can play.”

I was only like 5% in when my heart was already aching for Rome. The amount of mental and physical abuse he has to endure by the hand of his brother is awful to witness —and he’s a big guy, even bigger than his brother. Rome’s mind is reeling and restless with piled up anger, frustration, fear and hopelessness. His only outlet whenever it is too much is destruction. Which mostly gets him into more trouble.

But when he meets Scout, his mind starts to calm —more and more the more time they spend together. Scout is a first-time Dom and dreamed of finding a perfect sub. And he found him; and learns what his pup/puppy craves and gives him what he needs. I LOVED how Rome expressed himself towards Scout when he wanted him to know he needed to get there.

Maybe Gran was trying to tell me that I’m going to be safe again, that I’ll have someone else to anchor me in place and help the raging animal in me lie down and rest.

The business with the subscription-only account on a kink website is not more than a side note, honestly. So no, I wouldn’t say this is another cam-boy romance because we don’t get much of it. Also… I’m not quite sure how I feel about how things ended with Rome’s abusive brother. With all the buildup throughout the book it felt a bit abrupt. But I was still satisfied in a way.

This was a great start to Riley’s new series. I practically read this in one sitting, basically as soon as the arc hit my kindle this morning.

*** please heed TWs!

**************

Book 1 - Bad Dogs - 4.5 stars
Book 2 - tbd
Book 3 - tbd

Book safety, content warnings, and tropes & tags down below.

Roman is another one of those characters I just want to wrap up, hug tight and keep safe for all eternity. He can live in my closet with all the other characters that make me cry every time they utter a single sentence or think about how they'll just have to live a sh*tty situation because there's nothing better on the horizon for them. Those characters have a direct line to my tear ducts, and they yank on it f*cking constantly. I know I cry easily, but damn. He's just the sweetest muscled teddy bear that goes absolutely feral when cornered, and has a habit of biting while angry, stressed, horny or happy. I think we can just say 'he has a habit of biting' after laying it out like that, lol. I still love him though. And I super enjoyed his interactions with Tubs (I think that's the dogs name, anyway), as well as Becks and Dallas. Their blossoming friendship and their acceptance of Roman and everything about him was some of my favorite bits.

“He saw it as soon as he looked at me. I let people do whatever they want to me while I just kneel down and take it. It doesn’t matter that I have a strong body when it’s my head that’s weak.”

This friend group is amazing. None of them have all that much when it comes to material possessions, they're involved in gangs, they live in falling-apart-at-the-seams trailers, they steal and vandalize cars, but they are nothing if not loyal to each other. There's just a blanket acceptance of all that they are. It just goes to show that it doesn't cost a damn thing to be nice, accepting and tolerant of others. it did take me a little while to connect with Scout, but we got there in the end. Even though he's new to the D/s lifestyle and made some (quite serious) mistakes along the way in the scenes with Roman, he wasn't a bad person at all. Just young and inexperienced.

I'm constantly going back and forth with my thoughts on the D/s dynamic with Roman and Scout in this book. One of my thoughts is that these boys shouldn't partake in a power exchange relationship at all. Lack of aftercare, the submissive pushing himself way past the threshold for safewording, etc. If this was done because of a lack of knowledge or understanding by the author, this would either be a DNF or extremely low rating, but I know it's done this way on purpose. These boys are inexperienced, and they make mistakes. That's the point. It's just highly uncomfortable reading it at times. Their D/s relationship, especially the sexual parts, is executed badly, but written well. I honestly confuse myself trying to explain it all. On the other side of this highly confusing coin, I do appreciate reading about a BDSM relationship that isn't based in some rich-person-only kink club. Kink should be for everyone.

I really enjoyed the underlying theme of being willing to do just about anything in order to better your situation. Scout had a really tragic backstory, but he was determined to make it a better one, and he wanted to take his friends with him as he did. Maybe he wasn't quite polished on the outside, but his soul was without a doubt really pure and sweet.

In fear of ending up with a several pages long review, I'll end with this: I love D/s dynamics that fall outside of the 'norm' in terms of perception. In this case, the size difference is reversed from what we often see in these kinds of relationships. Roman is a submissive, as well as being a large man. Scout is a dom, and he's smaller than Roman. Love it. Oh, and I loved the audiobook. Highly recommend.

⚠️ Spoiler alert ⚠️

Book safety

Cheating: No
OM/OW drama: No
Third-act breakup: No
POV: 1st person, dual POV
Genre: Contemporary romance, M/M
Strict roles or versatile: Strict roles
MC age: 20 and 21

TW/CW

Violence
Drug dealing
Grief
BDSM
Restraints
Impact play
Safewording
Online sex work
Stealing
Poverty
Food insecurity
Vomiting
Physical and verbal abuse
Bullying of a neurodivergent character
Death of a family member (off page)
Mentions of a neglected animal

Tropes & tags

Trailer park
Reverse size difference
Smaller dom, bigger sub
Neurodivergent MC
Online sex work
Found family
Poverty
BDSM
Secret relationship
Power exchange
Pet dog
Abusive family
Hurt/comfort

Everything feels shattered, sharp edges and new cracks, but in the end we can’t be broken because we were made from the pieces of unwanted things.

The above quote really gives the overall vibe of this book. This was not an easy book to read. It's fairly depressing. The MCs and their friends in this book are living in poverty and basically only have each other to rely on. They are all just scraping by. They don't eat well, they steal and participate in illegal dealings to make ends meet.

“I see you, Roman. No one else does, but I do. You want to fight until you’re worn out, and then you want to be so good.”

I felt so bad for Roman in this book. He has really been put through the wringer. His older brother is a real POS. I won't deny that I am satisfied with how things end up for him. Roman has been routinely beat down mentally and physically since he had to go live with his brother years ago, so much so that he barely speaks.

As soon as Roman arrives in town, Scout and Roman seem to feel a connection to each other before they even speak. Almost like they sense each others presence.

“You want to be good for someone, don’t you?” I murmur, combing my fingers deeper through his tangled hair. “You need it so bad you don’t know what to do with yourself.”

I appreciated the whole concept of trying to make BDSM accessible for everyone. Everyone has to start somewhere. That being said, there were a few times that Scout was really out of his depth with what to do with or for Roman. Roman has a lot of issues that he is still working through and while Scout tries his best, he doesn't always know what to do.

I almost give up the secret that my heart doesn’t work like other peoples’, that the world is divided into mine and I don’t give a sh*t, and he was mine the minute I set eyes on him for reasons that I will never fully understand.

I would have liked to have seen more from Scout in terms of where his head was at and a bit more romance between him and Roman. I did really enjoy the found family vibe and Tubbs. I'm really curious to know where in the timeline of Show Me Wonders this book falls into. Lastly, while I don't typicality enjoy "Daddy" talk, I don't seem to mind "puppy" talk, so that was a win for me here.

Maybe I haven’t been clear, puppy. If you want to get rid of me, you’re going to have to beg. You might have to safeword my entire existence. Because you’ve been mine since before you first saw me. Maybe before I first saw you.

Check out my review on Instagram.

*** I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest review. ***

3/5

I think no one will ever understand how excited I was to read this book. I was looking everyday to see if the release day already come, because I wanted to put my hands on this soo much I couldn’t wait anymore. So, I’m pretty, okay maybe more than that, disappointed with that the story didn’t captivate me as I thought it will. I adore Riley Nash writing style and Make Me Fall, but I wasn’t feeling this book at all.

It’s not your usual wholesome and sweet romance story, located in a picturesque village with nice neighbors working in cupcake smelling coffee shops. It’s a story about two broken, miserable boys who tries to make it through day after day, living in a sadly pretty sh*tty place. I actually love this type of books, because they are simply realistic, and it’s more easier for me to understand main characters. Sadly, while the whole setting and representation of characters ( which was brilliant by the way ) made me finish the book, I didn’t exactly liked how it was handled.

The romance between Scout and Roman didn’t make me believe that they were actually in love. I was trying to convince myself that maybe, they were so broken (which was kinda true), that when someone show them a little bit of affection and love they just reach for it, and take as much as they could. But, the interactions between them were mainly about the BDSM part in their relationship, or simply too shallow, or just not enough for me to believe they could fall in love.

While I liked how both main characters were described, I felt more connected to Roman. This guy was so sweet and vulnerable inside, and just wanted to be loved by someone, despite his 'dangerous' appearance. Reading his povs made me so sad that I just wanted to go inside the book and hug him for eternity.

"Travis makes me disgusting and helpless, while Scout makes me…real. I’d let him destroy me, because I’m going down anyway and at least this way I’ll feel something."

"He’s such a mess of power and softness—and rage, even if I can’t see it right now."

Scout's character was fine, but I wished there was something to make me feel more connected to him. His past was just mentioned, and I thought there will be longer interaction with Jackson (his brother). The sms exchange wasn’t enough for me.

The synopsis seems like the BDSM part of the book will be the main focus here, but it wasn’t exactly like that. If your are looking for a spicy story, you should look the other way. Maybe it's me, but the nickname "puppy" didn't appeal? to me too much.

The friendship between Scout, Dallas and Beck made the book definitely worth reading. Each of them was so different and special in their own way, that I look forward to reading all of their books in the future. Dallas story might be the one I look forward the most.

"Three lost boys, wild and forgotten and unwanted. No one looks out for us except each other."

The ending also felt a bit rushed, I was hoping we'd see more domestic and sweet scenes with Roman and Scout. In overall, I will definitely continue the series, because I’m curious about Dallas and Beck stories.

Audio - 5 Stars!
Story - 4.5 Stars

4.5 stars!

Swoon /5 🥰🥰🥰
Angst /5 🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
Steam /5 ♨️♨️♨️♨️♨️
Plot /5 🧐🧐🧐🧐🧐
LOLs /5 🤭🤭🤭

It’s been days since I’ve finished Bad Dogs, and it’s taken that long to formulate a review. It’s original - it’s like nothing I’ve really read before. It’s fantastic writing. It’s raw & gritty. It’s bone-achingly sad in parts. And it’s aspirational & comforting to see the protagonists find happiness after so much darkness.

It’s written in dual first-person narrative between the two main protagonists, Roman & Scout. Both have dire personal circ*mstances. Roman is neurodivergent & selectively mute, living with his verbally & physically abusive older brother. I need to highlight a content warning here - there is SIGNIFICANT bullying of Roman throughout the book, and neurodivergent readers in particular will find it a challenging read. And there’s also physical violence in parts.

Scout lives on his own, after growing up in extreme poverty & with neglectful parents (for those who’ve read Riley’s previous series, he’s Jackson’s brother from Show Me Wonders). He has two best friends who are queer & gender-diverse, and they are each other’s family & only supports. Scout is a baby Dom, looking for a sub to start a BDSM cam page to earn an income, and when he finds Roman, he sees the sub in him & pursues him. In saying this, it’s not a cam boy romance. I hesitate to call it a romance at all, and there’s minimal swoon. But that fits the protagonists & their backgrounds.

The strength of this book lies in 2 areas, the first being the sensitive depiction of how Scout & his friends connect with Roman & his neurodivergence. There’s so much beauty in people recognising difference in others but not making a big deal out of it, and changing themselves to adapt to their needs.

The other strength of this book is the really original depiction of Scout’s progression as a Dom. It’s not a smooth, incremental path of trying different toys & methods with Roman, like you usually see - it’s complicated, and he makes mistakes, and feelings get involved but aren’t expressed in clear ways. This book is truly like no other BDSM book I’ve read before, and it’s amazing because of that.

There IS a happy ending, but it’s still poignant. There’s a mix of happiness for their little found family with a sense of righteous justice but also a tinge of sadness. Well, that was me anyway. I loved it for its uniqueness, & I’m looking forward to more from this series. I hope you love it too.

Check out my reviews and MM content on Instagram, Facebook & Bookbub, all under the same name! I gratefully received an advance copy and this is my honest review.

Bad Dogs is a dark emotional read. I was captivated by Roman's story and his journey of finding his voice while escaping his abusive situation. The depiction of Roman's hostile relationship with his brother was handled very well and I appreciated the insight into this aspect of his life, which explained his selective mutism. I appreciated how Roman's eventual freedom and independence was a gradual change and seeing his growth was so rewarding.

At times I felt this story was more of a character study than a romance. Roman does develop a BDSM relationship with Scout and they develop a trusting dynamic, but the overall focus of the story is Roman's well-being and experiences while trying to escape his controlling brother.

Overall Bad Dogs is a powerful read and sets up a great group of characters who are very supportive of one another. I look forward to seeing more from them.

Revised rating - the more I thought about this book, the more I realized how much was missing. I also want to note that I think the blurb is misleading.

Poverty is one of my triggers so that being the basis of the struggles and then pile on an abusive brother, a neurodivergent MC with communication struggles, drug dealing, and a beast of a dog - it created a very sad picture, The absolute desolation and desperation of severe poverty was ever present – almost as if it played a character in the book.

The part that absolutely destroyed me had to do with chocolates at Christmas and all that it signified. I could not stop sobbing. My heart was decimated. It was a small thing but considering how real it all felt, the symbolism and what Roman risked was powerful.

Sweet, angel baby Roman needed to be protected at all costs. He was the most gentle, fearful man except when cornered. While he may have struggled with verbal communication, it certainly wasn’t his fault and it was made exponentially worse by the terrible physical and mental abuse his brother, Travis, inflicted on him. The fact that Roman would essentially rage out when upset, wasn’t a mystery. He had almost no control or say in his own life. He was basically a prisoner. He was worthy so much more than his life afforded him.

Roman needed more than Scout. Scout was a baby dom who had no clue about what he was doing and really didn’t give Roman what he needed. I also don’t think we got a fully fledged out character with Scout. He had a horrific life but we don’t get much insight. We also don’t get that deep emotional connection between Roman and Scout. And while Scout treated Roman much better than anyone else, there just this missing connection. It would’ve been great to have Scout really bare his soul. We also needed more about Jackson - who if he cared about Scout, why was Scout living in such squaller? It didn’t add up. I need the timeline.

Additionally, Terry was more of a non starter. Yeah he wasn’t nice but he never did anything to Roman.

I also don’t understand if Travis had a good job AND had drug money on the side, why were they so destitute? Also, the resolution with Travis was wildly anticlimactic. And if Roman was malnourished and didn’t work out, how was he so jacked?

I do wish we would’ve had more scenes with Scout figuring out how to be a better dom and a scene more about aftercare. Something that made Scout seem like less of an inept child.

Here’s what I think would’ve given a better dynamic - if Scout was a bit older (late 20s.) He was an experienced dom, who cammed on the side and ate more than just Oreos.

Easily a 5 star read, if not for the unsatisfying last 5%

Man, if there’s one author out there who can write about broken characters, it’s Riley Nash. His previous books broke me and set me back together again, and this one was no different.

It’s the story of Roman, a mostly mute giant with an older brother, Travis, who makes him feel like he’s worth nothing. And who abuses Roman not only physically , but mentally, too, and forces him to deliver drugs. Roman has a lot of bottled up rage that he occasionally lets loose, destroying everything that’s in his path.

And then there’s Scout, who lives in a trailer park with two friends, Beck, who’s in a gang, and Dallas, a young trans man. Scout is a baby dom without a sub, and when he spots Roman, he feels a pull towards him, sensing his need to submit and be told what to do, to feel safe within boundaries someone else draws for him.

Both characters are broken in a different way, and I loved how perfect they turned out to be for each other, despite the mistakes both of them make when dealing with their D/s relationship (well tbh it’s mostly Scout who makes mistakes, but he’s always ready to make amends and do better, trying to become the man, the dom Roman needs in his life).

I loved their relationship, and the friendship with Beck and Dallas. And most of all, I loved Roman, that big, beautiful, kind soul who aches to be bound, to fight and submit, and who loves so deeply even without being able to find his voice most of the time. No idea if his mutism is described accurately, but it felt real, and heartbreaking.

What I didn’t like, and why I’ll round down the 4.5 stars I’d rate this book otherwise, is the very unsatisfactory ending regarding Travis. Call me dramatic and bloodthirsty, but I’d have loved a real showdown where he ends up lying in a ditch. What a truly despicable man.

Other than that, a great book, and very well narrated by the two narrators I haven’t listened to before, Devon Ryder and Bryant Walker.

I am so surprisingly disappointed by this.

I saw another review or two that gave this 3 stars and I was like "nahh I'm not gonna feel that way, all my Riley Nash reads have been 4.5 stars and above" but...I have to sadly agree with those 3 star reviews.

I don't know what happened with this one. It had the bare bones of a Riley Nash book, it did.

It had Scout, Jackson's brother who is still living in the dilapidated trailer they grew up in, trying to find a way out of that life for him and his two best friends, Beck and Dallas. To do so, he's been doing cam boy stuff online, although he hates acting submissive in any way, he does it for the money. And he has the twink type body that makes one think "submissive."

But Scout is anything but. He is all the way a Dom. He just needs to find his perfect sub.

Which comes in the form of Roman, a shy, sweet, but sometimes volatile, big guy who most of the time can't talk, and has been constantly abused and beat down by his abusive older brother.

Their lives are pretty much sh*t, but when they meet, that's basically all she wrote. Roman is resistant at first, as he's scared, almost like a cornered...puppy...

Scout is basically all in from the start. He's just drawn to Roman right away, and isn't scared off when Roman lashes out.

See, the story was there for this to be another one of Riley Nash's masterpieces. But...it fell short for me.

It felt like the story was just getting started, when it ended. Now I know we're gonna get Beck's and Dallas' books, but I meant the story between Scout and Roman.

It felt like not enough time was spent on the BDSM portion. For someone who wanted a lot of money to be able to move him and his best friends out of the trashy trailer park, we only get like...2 filmed sessions between Scout and Roman on camera. Only one full on penetrative sex scene.

The BDSM elements outside of sex were pretty present in their relationship, like Roman wearing a collar and a co*ck cage and Scout calling Roman 'puppy' all the time (although Roman does act like a dog at times, there isn't full hardcore 'puppy play' in this at all), but I wanted more steam. I know Roman was going through a lot, but that just means it feels like we could have gotten the more steamy parts later on, as they got more comfortable with each other.

Things weren't touched on that I wish had been more thoroughly. Like, near the end, Scout and Roman are doing a scene and Roman doesn't safeword when he clearly needs to, and that greatly affects Scout. But Roman finally says he'll leave his brother and it's all fine and dandy again?

It felt rushed. I feel like Scout should have spent longer afterward having lost some trust in Roman. Also, the ending and how it dealt with Roman's brother was rushed as well.

It was too convenient, what happened, to tie up loose ends. It all happened quickly too. Maybe if we got to see it from Roman's POV, it would have felt less rushed and more complete. But it was all from Scout's POV and he wasn't there for the main event so we didn't even get to see the climax, really.

I also wanted Jackson to show up badly. All we got was Scout finally texting him near the end and Jackson replying that he missed him and hoped they could talk. I would have liked him showing up, actually, with Oliver and their daughter in tow. It would have rounded their story out nicely, to get to see these brothers interact and get back in touch and back in each other's lives.

I would have also liked to see Scout and Roman more settled together. They're happy and all at the end of this, and as such this is a HFN, but they're still young, they and their friends all moved into this dilapidated house they're supposed to fix up and all...but what are they gonna do with the rest of their lives?

Roman had no idea what he was gonna do, and we don't get an answer by the end of this. Yeah, he's gonna fix up other houses like theirs to keep their rent lower, but that's not an actual job. Are he and Scout going to just continue to do online p*rn together or what? What will Scout do otherwise?

Now that things aren't *so* sh*tty and are looking up, what are they gonna do with their lives? It's all up in the air, really, by the end of this. It felt incomplete, like there could have been more to their story and it just got cut off.

I'm super bummed about this, because I was so excited for this and was expecting to love it, and I didn't.

I liked it. It had its good moments, the start of what makes a good Riley Nash novel, but it didn't quite get there. I wanted more out of these two and their story, a lot more, if I'm honest.

And at times, it took me longer to get through some parts. It was slow sometimes. I kept waiting for it to pick up momentum and it didn't, really, until near the end.

Unfortunate. I could have loved this, but it just was missing what makes a Riley Nash book so f*cking good.

I'm really sad that I had to rate this so low. But I just couldn't get into it as much as I had hoped to.

Oh well. Hopefully Beck's and Dallas' stories return to form. I can only hope! 🤞

Reread: the audiobook for this is great, and I forgot how much I love the found family in this. I’m so excited for book two.

~

First read: 4.5/5 stars

Thanks to GRR for the arc ❤️

I don’t even know where to begin talking about this book and how much I enjoyed it.

Our MCs are Scout (Jackson’s brother from Show Me Wonders) and Roman. Scout and his friends live in a trailer park, and Scout is desperate to get them out to a better place and a home they can call their own. He does some solo camming, but what he really wants is to be a dom and find the perfect sub.

In enters Roman, who just moved to town with his asshole of a brother Travis. Roman is neurodivergent and mute more often than not. His brother takes advantage of the fact that he struggles to communicate and forces him into doing his dirty work. The first time Scout sees Roman, he’s destroying his stuff and pissing all over his brother car, and that’s when Scout decides that Roman is the person who has to be his sub.

I really loved Scout and Roman together. Roman’s mutism never affects the communication between these two, and he learns that he does not need to speak to be heard. There are elements of BDSM in this, such as collaring, co*ck cages, and flogging. But don’t let this deter you if it’s not your thing, because the sexual side to it isn’t a huge part of the story imo. Most of the focus is around Scout and Roman’s relationship and how being a dom and sub fits into their daily lives.

The side character in this might be some of my favourite ever. At the start I was a bit wary of Dallas and Beck cause I’d be pretty pissed if my friends ate all my groceries, but they grew on me pretty quick especially Dallas and I’m dying for his book to come out!

Of course since it’s a Riley Nash books there’s a healthy dose of hurt/comfort too, but he writes it so well and I always look forward to the tears I know I’m gonna shed reading his books 😂 the found family in this is so strong and I really can’t wait to see them all living their best lives in future books.

rtc

I swear, 3 star reviews are the absolute hardest to write. Riley Nash is such a talented writer and author. The poetry in his descriptions of thoughts and emotions is gorgeous. Even in the grittiest moments and in the most derelict of places, his words bring out the beauty within the muck. And it never feels forced or overdone. It never crosses the line into cheesy prose or over exaggerated drama. It lands quickly and quietly and perfectly, every time. The writing in this book met all of those impeccable Riley Nash standards for me, yet I struggled to engage with the story.

Because I already knew of Scout from Show Me Wonders, I assumed this book would focus heavily on him. Instead, his character felt underdeveloped, leaving Roman to carry most of the story arc on his own. As fiction, Roman was an interesting enough character to shoulder that burden. As romance, which I would argue this book is not, the relationship between Scout and Roman fell flat as a result. Part of me thinks that this story would have worked better if it had been solely about friendship and found family. The hurt/comfort of it was done beautifully and I'll call this a love story until I'm out of breath, but I didn't think there was anything remotely romantic about it. There was care and need and safety, but not romance.

My knowledge of BDSM is restricted to what I've learned from books, podcasts and a few gothic industrial club nights, so if you tell me this is how it's done, I'm easy to convince. However, the D/s scenes in this book made me uncomfortable at times because I was so afraid that Scout was doing more harm than good. Scout was a self proclaimed Dom. He had decent instincts, but was operating on an internet education and zero experience. Taking on a skittish kitten with a feral recoil and history of abuse like Roman seemed irresponsible. I didn't doubt that Roman was naturally submissive and that having a person in his life to help alleviate the pressures of autonomy would make him feel safe and cared for, but Scout was in over his head and I got mad at him more than once when his mistakes caused damage. He came across as a little kid trying to engage in an adult conversation using SAT words that he'd learned on TikTok. I wondered what exactly made him think he was qualified to handle another person in that way. I didn't understand his motivations at all, other than wanting to make money to get himself and his friends out of the trailer park. But if that were his only reason, he could have just made good old fashioned p*rn. It would have cost less and been a hell of a lot easier. So why did he need that dynamic specifically? I have no clue.

The ending felt rushed and extremely convenient. Everything went from seemingly impossible to easy peasy within a couple of chapters and I started to wonder what the point of it all was. I was left with quite a few questions that I can only hope will be answered in future books in this series, which I do intend to read. I adored Beck and Dallas as side characters so there's no way I'll pass on their books just because I didn't love this one.

Had to think about this one because I wasn't entirely sure at first what it was that put me off, but there was just too much missing for me to rate any higher.

I don't think this is a romance, if anything it's relationship building with friends/found family which grows into more with one of them. It felt a little like Nora Sakavic's For The Game series, where 'romance' is an element but not the focus.

I really liked Roman's character and having his POV, but it still didn't feel like I got to understand him enough. What happened to the farm? Do they carry on with the kink site after the flogging goes bad? Nothing is really mentioned!

Scout was interesting but again there wasn't enough there. Why does he struggle with emotion and tact? He's also emotionally really immature and doesn't look after himself, and although he's into BDSM it felt like he hadn't quite figured out what kind of Dom he was. It would have been nice to see why he was adamant he was a Dom but kept forgetting how to take care of Roman. Does he have an attention issue? There was really nothing in depth about him which was disappointing.

I also wanted to see Scout, Roman and Jackson together after Roman had such a sh*tty life with Travis but it was briefly mentioned and nothing ever came of it. Also I thought Jackson grew up in New York for some reason, not Colorado so that threw me 😂

The end was too neat for me - Travis is conveniently killed so Roman won't face repercussions and can go live the life he wants, then Terry just rolls over... Very abrupt and it just felt rushed. I'd be interested to keep reading the series because Dallas and Beck both intrigued me.

⭐️ 4 stars ⭐️

Bad Dogs was an emotional story of two broken and fragile characters.
I loved how their flaws and imperfections came through in their storytelling.

Roman was so perfectly puppy, the man was feral and wild and hurt — i mean he f*cking

«I wedge my back into the corner and rumble a warning growl in my chest.»

“But look at you now—a big, tough puppy begging in his new collar. Does that sound like you?”

The unsafe BDSM made me slightly uncomfortable, but it still felt part of their story — reminded me once again that these guys have flaws, they’re only human, and nothing is perfect in this world.

Even though their relationship is founded on the whole camming thing, there was less smut and overall actual camming than I expected. I still very much enjoyed this, but wouldn’t have minded seeing them learn more about their dynamic and explore.

CW and tropes(spoilers):
- Physical and verbal abuse
- Trailer park
- Neurodivergent MC w/ selective mutism
- Violence
- Grief/loss
- D/s dynamic
- Inexperienced BDSM
- Size difference
- Bigger sub vs smaller dom
- Found family
- Restraints and impact play
- co*ck cage
- Strict top/bottom

Audio: 4.5 stars

Book: 3-3.5 stars

As usual Riley Nash’s writing was addictive, but sadly I didn’t think the characters were as fleshed out as I’d want them.

I think that Scout said he wanted to be a Dom but it was just fact and that he didn’t really give background on why. Roman was way more well rounded and I enjoyed his scenes. I just wished for something more from these characters to really bring it to that 4-5 star read.

I do love the found family aspect of this story and I can’t wait to read Dallas and Becks book! I did enjoy when all 4 of these guys were together and their acceptance and interactions.

I just hoped for more. I really loved the beginning and thought it would be at least a 4-4.5 star read, but somewhere along the middle it just fell flat.

"Everything feels shattered, sharp edges and new cracks, but in the end we can’t be broken because we were made from the pieces of unwanted things. If we fall apart, we just put ourselves together again, even stronger than last time."

Bad Dogs is another Riley Nash classic - angsty, dark and hard to read at times because of its content, so take care to read the author's notes.

It's a found family story at heart, as well as a hurt/comfort dom/sub-esq romance between Scout and Roman. I loved the boys' dynamic and their acceptance, loyalty and devotion towards each other. Beck and Dallas' stories will make for interesting reading for sure!

BDSM is not my preferred trope and with both boys being new to the practice, it all felt a bit awkward at times, but equally that may well have been Riley's intent, as Scout and Roman worked their way through their new relationship.

If you love Riley's work, Bad Dogs will be another winner and must read book ❣️.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to put this story on hold. This isn't what I was expecting and I'm having a hard time enjoying it. The extreme poverty, everyone's terrible diet 😆, the filth in every corner, Scout's inexperience... it's all too much. Plus, I don't know if Roman is really in a place to be agreeing to do all the things Scout is proposing.

The writing here is excellent and there isn't anything wrong with the story. This is just a case of the story not being for me (at least not right now). If you've ever read Quin Perin's Like Father, Like Son that is how strong the presence of poverty is in this story. So far, I haven't seen anything even hinting at romance, but I'm stopping at 35% so maybe that comes along later.

3.5 stars - Bad Dogs is the first book in Riley’s Dirty Strays series and is full of hurt/comfort, angst and struggle due to poverty and family responsibilities.

Roman Pierce is an absolutely broken man who is awkward in his own body and holding on to more rage and frustration than anyone can imagine. After eight years of being beaten down by his older brother Travis and clinging onto the memories and life lessons taught to him by his grandparents, Roman isn’t quite sure who he is or what he can do in the world. He’s neurodivergent and has selective mutism, making it difficult for him to communicate most of the time, relying on some basic sign language and practicing speaking when he’s alone or with Tubbs, the dog owned by their new housemate. Roman was so sweet and broke my heart - even years later, he’s grieving the loss of his grandparents, the two people who loved him unconditionally, and he’s struggling to see past the day-to-day cycle of doing Travis’s bidding and being the target of his abuse.

Scout Moreno is an aspiring Dom who cams on his own to make some money, but he’s been looking for a sub to take his camming to the next level and get him out of the run-down trailer park he’s called home his whole life. He’s small but he has a presence about him that’s intimidating and he’s a natural protector, always looking out for his friends and wanting to give them all a better life. Honestly I wanted some more character development from Scout - I feel like we didn’t get to know much about him since he was so obsessed with figuring out the Dom/sub relationship, doing kink on a budget and stealing to make ends meet, which made it feel much more like Roman’s story with Scout being a side character. I would have loved more than a simple text conversation between him and Jackson, since that could have been an avenue to explore to save him and his friends from the poverty surrounding them every day.

Scout spots Roman the day he and Travis move into town and immediately knows Roman’s the one he wants to be his sub on his channel. They become kind of friends and quickly take their relationship to the next level, adding in the BDSM element almost from the beginning. Overall I really just didn’t feel the romance between Scout and Roman. They definitely had a connection and helped each other in some ways, but I wouldn’t say it was romantic. They recognized something in each other that bonded them, a resilience, a hurt, an irritation with their situation, and it helped to carry the story even though the romance wasn’t there.

I loved the group of guys in this story - Scout, Roman, Beck and Dallas were quite the group to read and I can’t wait to read more about them. But, in this story, I felt like the last 25% of the book was rushed - it was missing detail and some of the biggest things happened here, but it was glossed over or rushed. Everything with Travis felt a bit unsatisfactory and honestly a little convenient - I was wracking my head trying to figure out how Roman could get out of his situation relatively unscathed and while it was fine, it felt too easy considering everything else that had happened. And the guys’ abrupt and easy exit from the neighborhood left me feeling unsatisfied and wanting more. They even say themselves that they could have made the move months ago and no one would have known. It just all ended too abruptly and too conveniently for me.

So this book was a different read for me, I love Riley’s work his books are my top reads. But I have mixed feelings on this one. I think mostly because I have a child with selective mutism, she can talk but chooses not to. I can 100% relate to Roman and his struggles to communicate, the frustration of having the words but not being able to say them. It hurt so bad that he was treated so cruelly and made me hurt for my own child.

I feel like Scout wasn’t prepared enough to deal with someone like Roman, he did need an experienced Dom to get him more under control, but they were both learning on the new journey they were on. I’m glad that Roman found some peace when he was looked after by Scout and the boys.

I loved the family dynamics when all the boys were together, Christmas broke me. They’re’s no doubt that Riley knows how to reach inside you and tap into emotions you didn’t know you had, Or ones that you locked up, he has the key to them.

I do feel that there is a lot of missed information in this book, we got snippets of stuff but not the full story or back ground to things, but maybe they will be cleared up in the next books to come. Im looking forward to Dallas story.

Also #TeamPickles

TW read them if your sensitive

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

Book content-
💙BDSM
💙Smaller dom
💙Bigger sub
💙Found family
💙So much hurt/comfort
💙Bullying
💙Abuse from sibling

Riley is a master at writing hurt/comfort and I absolutely adore it. This book was no exception. Roman is deeply broken and traumatized. My heart absolutely shattered for this sweet boy. He deserves all the protection, safety, and happiness in the world. And every time he thought back to his idyllic childhood with his grandparents 🥺😭

Scout, while significantly less traumatized, is also a broken boy. His upbringing was extremely dismal and he is desperately trying to get himself and his best friends into a better life. The utter poverty and the circ*mstances that all these boys are living in is very depressing.

One highlight for me was how Riley tackled the fact that Roman is almost solely mute - unless he feels comfortable letting his voice out he just cannot speak. I found that Scout was very sweet in initially trying to communicate with him and then all the friends learned sign language to be able to better communicate with him. LOVE. I love this for Roman - they didn’t try and make him find his voice or push him in any way - they respected his boundaries and put in the work themselves because they wanted to communicate with him.

Okay so the BDSM thing was… It’s hard to articulate why I felt it didn’t work in this story. Perhaps because Roman is so very traumatized and in a place where I feel like he shouldn’t have been taken at his word for consenting. Also Scout is a baby dom and did some borderline damaging actions (and even admitted in his own thoughts that he f*cked up). I felt like neither had a place to participate in this type of relationship together. Each would have been fine with another dom/sub but together I felt concerned. I do understand Roman’s need to turn off his thoughts and be told what to do - it’s a way for him to go into a quiet headspace. And this plays out even outside of their sexual relationship. Perhaps they could’ve started there and explored their dynamic a lot more safely before jumping in with both feet sexually into the more hardcore BDSM.

And this leads into their romance. I will say that unfortunately I didn’t really feel the romantic connection with Scout & Roman. I could see it forming but I feel like the pacing was off. The initial trust-building, etc. was great and then we could see them growing more affectionate but I never saw the full HEA. But this may also be due to the fact that Roman was nowhere near fully healing from his trauma and has a long way to go. It more so felt like the beginnings of a great love story.

Now onto what I loved - I absolutely ADORED Beck & Dallas. When I say they were probably the highlight of this book I mean it 🤷‍♀️ This friend group and their powerful friendship was ELITE. Found family at it’s finest 👌 The Christmas scene, the stargazing scene, their total acceptance of Roman into their trio, sleeping all together for comfort *sigh* 🥺🥺

I can’t wait for them both to get their HEA too. I think Riley has plans for them to get their own books but honestly I would very strongly not be opposed to them ending up together. Friends to lovers - am I right?!?

What just happened here? This book was so utterly disappointing and frivolously messy. Just until reading this book, I was so convinced that Riley Nash can never write a bad book...I could give their books five starts with even my eyes closed. But this book really changed perception. I'm not so sure anymore.

Ask me what's wrong with this book...I would say EVERYTHING. Roman was the only reason I could finish it. Otherwise I would've surely dnf'ed it. The main characters had zero chemistry, zero growth. It's not even a proper romance. Found family was one of the highlights of the story; however it wasn't done well. Scot was an annoying as**ole. All I wanted to do was punch his pretty face. You proud yourself on being a perfect dom, but you forget to provide your sub the basic aftercare?? Woah..way too go. All in, I could never like this man. And when it comes to the romance genre, I need to like the characters first to like a book....

Looking forward to read Riley Nash's other works...I trust them.

i'll need some more time to think about certain components of the plot before i can decide on a final rating, because this was quite different than what i was expecting, but rest assured, we have long established that i enjoy this author's writing style and that was also the case here.

FRTC

Thank you to GRR and the publisher for providing a complimentary copy of the book. This is my honest review :)

The authors description of poverty, abuse, and hopelessness is heartbreaking. I love a good story about misery so this was a win for me. Can't wait for more in this series.

3⭐️ I really wanted to love this. Riley Nash is such a great writer and I will continue to read anything they write because the Water, Air, Earth, Fire series is some of the best writing I’ve ever read.

But unfortunately, this one just fell flat for me. It felt like an outline for a book—nothing was fleshed out. So many important scenes happened off-page and we’re just told about them without seeing or feeling them. There was a whole lot of tension build-up that never actually played out. There was very little spice and even less romance. There were a few sweet moments, like their Christmas together, and that’s why I landed at 3 stars instead of 2.

I loved the premise and was close to loving the characters but the dead ends and inconsistencies and missed marks just made it frustrating. It just felt too rushed. And even the HEA felt too convenient and yet, not very happy at all.

“𝙸 𝚊𝚕𝚖𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚞𝚙 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚌𝚛𝚎𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗’𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚔 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚜’, 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚍𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚘 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯’𝘵 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘵, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚞𝚝𝚎 𝙸 𝚜𝚎𝚝 𝚎𝚢𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝙸 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚗𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚗𝚍.”
•
Bad Dogs possesses my very heart and soul. It is the epitome of perfection for me and I am emotionally bonded to Scout and Roman forever. @rileynashbooks superpower is that he writes such unique and special characters that entice you from the start and are impossible to forget. Then he has the nerve to write such a heartbreakingly beautiful story about experiencing trauma, finding your home in people you’d least expect, and kinky sexual exploration that got hotter as the book progressed. I was a goner before I finished the first page.

Scout is me in SO many ways… we share a brain and I frequently found myself anticipating what he would do next because I understood him so innately. He is unapologetic, possessive, bratty, and outgoing while carrying the happiness of his people on his shoulders. He ALWAYS ensures that Roman has a voice. He makes mistakes as he’s navigating being a (Daddy) Dom for the first time, but acknowledges them and does everything in his power to make them right. He is perfectly imperfect.

Roman. He owns me. My heart bled for him throughout this book, which led to me crying on more than one occasion. He is pure, empathetic, and cares so much about doing right by others. I felt his rage and fear as I read his story and ALL I wanted to do was protect him. The way he growls, bites, and craves being tamed consumed me. He is the absolute perfect puppy.

Tubbs. The actual main character of this story.

Dallas and Beck. The found family everyone deserves. The amount that I NEED their books is unimaginable.

Read. This. Book.
•
What I LOVED:
🖤 The found family.
🖤 TUBBS.
🖤 The BITING.
🖤 Sir/puppy
🖤 SO much hurt/comfort
•
To Riley, I am so incredibly proud of you, grateful for you, amazed by you.

* 4.5 stars *

This new series starts with a familiar name. Scout is Jackson's brother from Show Me Wonders and it's his turn to get a story.

With every page I read I liked him more and more. He was a character down in his luck trying to get out from the situation he was born in and protect those he cared about the most. He didn't have ties with any blood relatives but he had a family all the same with his chosen brothers.

Beck and Dallas were both interesting and I look forward to reading their stories. They're both important secondary characters and are present for a big part of the book. They support the main story and don't overwhelm the plot with their presence, so we learn just enough about them to want to know more.

Roman is the other half of the main couple. He had a good childhood being raised by his loving grandparents before his brother showed up. From that point on his life wasn't the same. He suffered physical and psychological abuse from his brother for years and couldn't see a way out from that situation. He always had trouble finding his voice but since living with his brother it had gotten worse. When Scout entered his life he showed him kindness, respect and care.

I liked how they both fumbled together in their first relationship with a Dom/sub dynamic. Roman learned everything from Scout who was well-read on the subject but had no actual experience. Seeing the Dom mess up for once and not have all the answers to every problem immediately was interesting and different. It also made a lot of sense since Scout was so young and it was the first time he had a sub.

When the book ended I actually hoped it was longer since it seemed like it ended right were it could have began. What I mean is, it ended right at the beginning of something and I wanted to know more about what was next for them. I guess though that we'll see Roman and Scout again in Beck's and Jackson's stories so I'm not too disappointed about where the book ended.

Tubbs was an adorable addition to the story and an integral part of it.

~ I read an ARC of this book. ~

5 stars audio
4 stars story. When is book 2 coming out?!!!!! I need it!