Title: ⟫ Stepbrother Dearest (Crimson Club #1)
Author: ⟫ Willow Dixon
Rating: ⟫ 4/5
Blurb: ⟫ Of all the people who could have seen me when I was at my most vulnerable, it had to be him.
Caleb. My stepbrother and the golden child of our messed up blended family. We barely know each other, but for some reason he takes care of me when an incident at the club leaves me helpless and alone.
He hates me as much as I hate him, but something about his bossy attitude and unflappable calm soothes me. I don’t want to want him, but no one has ever made me feel the way he does.
Hooking up with my enemy is stupid as f*ck. So is breaking my rules for him. I know this, but whatever is between us will eventually burn out and I can go back to my solitary life and forget all about how amazing it feels to let someone else take control.
* * * * *
Gray and Caleb’s story is an enemies-with-benefits-to-lovers romance between stepbrothers who discover that sometimes the person you hate is the only one who can give you what you need. Expect lots of steamy encounters, tons of dirty talk, and reluctant feels as these two enemies learn the truth about themselves, and each other. It is the first book in the exciting new Crimson Club series but can be read as a stand-alone.
Review: ⟫ I’m always fascinated by the stepbrother trope – I have seen it written so many different ways but I enjoyed reading this one. Gray and Caleb are stepbrothers in name more than anything else – there was very little interaction between them when they were growing up and they didn’t have a sibling relationship. I know that can be something that puts people off reading this trope (although others prefer it if the couple DID grow up together – YMMV).
Gray was very close to rock bottom and feels like a failure when he meets up with Caleb again and lingering resentment from the past taints their interactions. I thought Caleb sounded dreamy and could well understand Gray’s feelings of insecurity and resentment – it seemed like everything had gone Caleb’s way whilst Gray was left to struggle. Add that to his brother’s relationship with Gray’s rival from his past, potentially losing his job and being forced to live in his car again and Gray was not in a good place.
What I loved about Gray was his ability to be honest with himself – to see his brother’s relationship as something to be happy about; his ability to make the most of what he had, especially with his relationships with the other dancers and how that grew stronger throughout the story; his feelings for Caleb and how he slowly began to relax and see that he could have this, that his life could take a new, unexpected turn that gave him a chance for happiness.
Caleb was brilliant – I loved his character, his caring nature, his ability to see past Gray’s prickliness to what was underneath, and ultimately how well he fits with Gray. This was a sexy, involving read, with a host of entertaining characters and a satisfying ending. Definitely a good read and I would recommend it.
I received an ARC from GRR.
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