Top Secret

4.5 stars — Dudes, isn’t it weird how you don’t know you’ve missed something until you get it again? I really love the way this duo writes together. I don’t even know how to describe what it is about their writing, but it’s just seamless. And you get the best of both writers. And OMG, their M/M romances in particular are just super steamy and hot combined with realism and dimension. And that’s the thing that stands out the most for me in this book, the depth of our two heroes. They are so real. I love how completely different they are from one another, yet I empathize with both of them, and truly feel like I understand how they came to be the men that they are now. And they’re both eminently likable! Keaton truly is a lovable puppy dog, seeking approval from his loved ones, while trying to embrace who he is inside. I loved his nerdy mind, his passion for animals, and his willingness to look deeper within himself. I LOVED that he didn’t try to hide or squash the new things he was learning about himself…I mean, he panicked and was confused, but he forged ahead. And Luke just broke my heart. He had so much drive, but it came from a place of insecurity. He was truly shaped by his past and his childhood, and it was hard to watch the arrows keep coming his way. I wanted him to discover his worth earlier, to learn to trust faster, but in the end it wouldn’t have been believable. And in the end it made every step forward that much more satisfying. And the two of them together…

This M/M college romance was such a fun and compelling read! I absolutely loved the dynamic between Luke and Keaton. Their initial dislike for each other, paired with their anonymous conversations on a dating app, created a fascinating contrast as they started to connect in completely different ways. I was obsessed with their chemistry and the way their story unfolded. Luke and Keaton come from very different backgrounds, and I appreciated how the book explored their struggles despite their vastly different upbringings. Their growth as individuals and as a couple made their romance feel real and heartfelt. The story kicks off with Keaton's girlfriend suggesting a threesome, which leads to the app download that sets everything in motion. While I liked her character, I do wish she had been more upfront about what she truly wanted. That said, if she had been, we wouldn’t have gotten Luke and Keaton’s incredible love story—and that would have been a tragedy! Overall, I loved this romance and can’t wait to dive into more books by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. Their ability to craft dynamic characters and a compelling story is top-notch, and Top Secret is no exception. Highly recommend!

I’ve read Top Secret twice. It’s a light read with a little bite to make it sink in. I remembered a fun scene in the swimming pool toward the end of the book, well after I finished it the first time. I didn’t remember that it was in this book until I was just about to reread the scene. I’m glad that I reread this. It is one of those books that I remembered as I reread it. I’ve read over two hundred books since I first read this one. If you are looking for a college-age MM romance that is non-sports related, but still has a jock, then this is a good book to fill that yearning. Top Secret is a slow-burning gay awakening with an established bisexual partner. This is also a cute enemies-to-lovers book with anonymous texting coinciding. In all, I enjoyed Top Secret and the extra scene emailed to me. Though I did want to know what Greg’s party idea was the next night. 😉 Sometimes we need light, fun books to read, and this fits the bill nicely.

I finished listening to Top Secret earlier this month (February 2023) for the Romanceopoly challenge created and hosted by @UTCBookBlog. It fulfills the Rainbow Row Challenge – Read a romance featuring an LGBTQIA+ main character. Storyline/My Thoughts: This is not my first MM Romance from Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy. I read these authors’ books, Him and Us, which became an instant fave of mine. I was excited to read another MM from these authors. I had Top Secret on my TBR for a long time and decided to read it finally or listen to it in this case—all thanks to Teddy Hamilton and Christian Fox for bringing the MMCs to life for me. Luke and Keaton are enemies at their college and fraternity and complete opposites. Keaton is the rich, smart jock, while Luke is the one who works as a male entertainer at night and on the weekends to have money for food and other things, hopefully. He also has sometimes to help his mother and brother when they need things, but he knows he shouldn’t help them, especially his a-hole brother. I liked both main characters in the story. Keaton is the smart jock who wants to be a Marine Biologist and not work for his father. He wants to live his own life and is determined to make it happen. I loved his geekiness in this book. He would spur out random facts about lobsters, orcas, and such that made him adorable. Luke was my favorite, though, since he didn’t care what people thought of him and was upfront from the beginning. His life hasn’t been easy,…

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed Top Secret. It was a very quick read with some laugh out loud moments, great banter and just a pinch of angst to stir some feels. What it wasn’t was especially realistic in terms of plot or characterizations; but hey, it was fun. It did take me a little while to warm up to the story given there’s not much I find less appealing than Frat boys or the Fraternity/Sorority lifestyle; or sexting/phone sex. Keaton Hayworth the third; is actually a pretty down to earth rich kid with a good heart. Keaton is a nice person despite his life of privilege. He’s never questioned his orientation as he’s been with his girlfriend Annika since high school. It’s been 6 years and he loves her. She’s his best friend. He never thought much about the lack of passion in their relationship as they’re comfortable. Annika has also noticed the lack of passion and thinks asking for a threesome for her birthday might shake things up. Annika is thinking M-F-M; but Keaton’s efforts to fulfill her fantasy through a hook-up app, quickly turn to M-M-F and then M-M because guess who eventually realizes he’s gay? Purely by coincidence it turns out that the guy Keaton has been sexting up a storm with; is Luke Bailey - his outsider, townie, here on a full scholarship but struggling financially, rocking the dysfunctional family and has the room next door - Frat brother. Keaton and Luke don’t really get along. In his head, Luke refers to Keaton as Mr. Jockface and thinks he’s…