From USA Today bestselling author K Webster comes a MM high school bully romance called Hood River Rat! Hood River was supposed to be the change I needed.A fresh start.An escape from my painful past.Better in every way. I’m a popular guy. Approachable. I make friends easily.Cool car. Nice clothes. Good attitude. Everything will be fine. School is school. I’ll keep my head down until graduation …
School is school.
I’ll keep my head down until graduation and try not to stick out.
College will be here before I know it.
Yet my first day proves to be anything but easy.
The Hood River Hoodlums—our school’s most notorious group of bad boys—have put a target on my back.
Their leader, Roan, hates me.
He calls me Rat.
To him and his friends, I’m a loser who doesn’t belong at their school.
I could pretend I don’t care about their hate.
If only Roan wasn’t so hot.
He’s mean, cruel, and sexy as hell.
My nemesis is impossible to ignore…and a secret part of me doesn’t want to.
Here I thought being gay was the worst of my problems.
Turns out, being gay and crushing on your enemy takes the cake.
This is a full-length high school enemies-to-lovers and new adult romance with high angst, suspense, and gutting emotion. It’s book one in the Hood River Hoodlum series that will have interlinking storylines. Hood River Rat can be read as a standalone and starts off a four-book planned series that gives each Hoodlum a book. This is the only MM story. The others are MF.
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I enjoyed the characters and storyline in Hood River Rat. Both Roan and Hollis have quite a load on their shoulders for high school kids. The journey of self-discovery and realizing what does, and doesn’t matter, is usually a tumultuous road, especially in high school. I thoroughly enjoyed reading how these kids navigated it.
Hood River Rat (Hood River Hoodlums Book1
Hollis & Roan
The books was my new favorite I loved
How the MC was introduce Hollis was dealt with something that was so unfair so
That why he feels guilty for having his mom and sister move but In my opinion he did nothing wrong and I could feel for his character.
When he arrives to his new school is we’re he meets the other MC Roan
These two have a rocky start but get interesting as you read the book.
Overall I loved the story content and
This was a well written book that I would recommend to read.
This book meet my expectations and I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book and my opinion are my own.
When Hollis English starts in a new school with a new beginning he is looking for “normalcy” or at least what you can get in a high school but when the school’s trouble makers, the hood river hoodlums, zero him out, Hollis won’t be so lucky. Roan Hirsch is their leader and when he spots Hollis he knows this one will feel his wrath but what do you do when you also start to have new and unexpected feeling for him? They are both from broken homes and just may be able to find a common ground…or not. This is a steamy high school MM bully romance but with depth. My heart breaks for what both these young men have been through. I have not read many MM romances but omg this is ghost pepper hot!! I’m gonna need a cold shower! I truly enjoyed the dynamic and storyline. Very well written and even if you’re not into MM I would give this one a shot, Told in dual POV
I can’t believe I’m only just finding this book. I read an excerpt in the Bully Me anthology and had to download the complete book instantly. What a story!
This chemistry filled MM bully romance had me on the edge of my seat, desperately turning each page hoping for their HEA. I devoured this book in one day as I just couldn’t put it down. So emotional and so worth reading, I can not recommend it enough.
ARC received from author
I debated not reading this due to it being MM and this typically isn’t my thing. But it’s K. Webster and she always surprises me. Plus being the first of a series. I’m so happy I did give this a shot. I’m thinking I now need to look for future MM books.
Take the typical enemies to lovers romance you’d see in a MF and replace an F with a M. It’s hot and intense. Roan is the bad boy of the school who’s only care in life is his little sister, Roux. Hollis is the new kid, a bit shy and quiet, who for no reason at all is hated by Roan instantly. No matter what he does Roan dislikes him. Once they spend a bit of time together, Roan realizes he’s not so bad. Add some attraction from both sides into that relationship and BOOM there’s something there.
They both also have their own side stories. Hollis is dealing with his gay-hating father and eating issues, while Roan is trying to keep his sister away from their mother and her druggie boyfriend. The only thing I disliked about this book is that it all came to a conclusion at the same time. Roan’s troubles were bigger and this took away from Hollis’ hospital visit.
Overall, it’s a cute story. Really hot. And I so look forward to the rest of this series!
Even before the epilogue, I suspected that Roux and Jordy would be an upcoming couple. The result of this book makes sense. It’ll give the years in order for Roux to age a bit more before they get together. Can’t wait for their story! I suspect it’ll be the last of the four.
Also, see this review on my blog where I talk about it more!
https://daniellereads.home.blog/2020/05/01/hood-river-rat-by-k-webster-arc-review-a-new-favorite/
Goshhhhh, you guys!! I love this book so much! Also, I have a confession. This is my first ever K Webster book! I know, I know! I’ve known of her work and have seen rave reviews of it for some time but never got the opportunity to read her work… until now. And now I’m obsessed!
Let’s talk about one of our MCs in this dual POV book, Hollis. Hollis just moved to a new town in his aunt’s house with his mom and two little sisters. They moved out because Hollis came out to his family and his shitty dad basically disowned him. Hollis’ mom, Kelsey, wasn’t having it so she moved the family (except for dad) to Hood River. Then, he meets the Hood River Hoodlums and has an eye for one in particular, Roan.
“My nemesis is impossible to ignore…and a secret part of me doesn’t want to.”
Now, let’s talk about Roan. He’s a broken boy. His dad is in prison for killing some folks. His mom is an addict and he has a little sister that he is fiercely protective over, Roux. And as soon as he lays eyes on Hollis he hates him. Roan and Roux truly go through some fucked up shit in this book and it left me a bauling freaking mess. As the child of an addict I can relate to Roan soo much. Unlike Roan, I didn’t have any siblings that I had to take care of, but the love he has for his sister is so true and so fierce.
“He’s a rich prick and I’m me.
Our kinds don’t play nicely together.”
K Webster truly nailed the characters! They are perfect. I truly wish that I could hang out with Roan, Hollis and everyone else in this book! I couldn’t get enough of these characters and storyline. Both combined just pulled me in. This is so much more than just a bully story. The story and characters had so much depth, real, raw, relatable and un-put-down-able once started!
Also, I love the love that Roan has for his little sister!!
I absolutely loved Roan and Hollis in this MM romance By K Webster. A compelling read recommended to all high school bully romance lovers.
ARC received for an Honest Review.
Ever since I read the prologue of this novel n the bully me anthology , I have been waiting for this book.
So this is the story of Hollis , a new comer in the college and Roan, one of the Hoodlums whom he meets there. Roan instantly takes up to hating Hollis because he and his friends think that Hollis is too basically a showoff who thinks he owns the place.I think it was a bit harsh of Roan to just assume things like that , just because he saw Hollis come “rolling” in his mustang. But then too i guess his hate was just a cover up for the attraction he felt for the new boy in college.
After sometime things finally start to smooth down between Roan and Hollis, when Hollis unintentionally fucks it all up. Roan and his friends then make it their life’s mission to ruin Hollis’s life. An accident occurs that causes Roan to acknowledge his feelings towards Hollis and from there they basically start dating.My favorite parts where the ones where Roan showed his soft side. These parts were rare and precious showed his real side. In this book we got to know a lot more about the other hoodlums too and specifically Jordy , who i hated in the starting, But slowly warmed up to him.
Particularly I don’t like MM because many authors and not able to portray the relationship accurately and it just looks sleazy , but K Webster has done a great job in this story and I really enjoyed it .
Hood River Rat was part of the Bully Me: Class of 2020 Anthology. After enticing us with a few chapters, K. Webster left us with a major cliffhanger.
There’s only a few authors who can pull off M/M romance and K. Webster nailed it. Good gahhhh is this one insanely hot!!!
Hollis and Roan come from different backgrounds. No matter how hard they try to ignore each other their similarities bring them closer. A connection they’ve never had with anyone before. This was not an easy read. They both struggle with some major issues with family and friends. This story will pull your heart strings.
What an amazing read. I can’t wait for Little Hoodlum!
K Webster surprises me yet again with a MM romance that goes way beyond smut.
Tropes:
– MM romance
– high school bully romance
– grumpy/sunshine dynamic
– insta-lust
I didn’t expect this book to pack such an emotional punch. I don’t read a lot of MM romances but this one was definitely well written.
Hollis is a sunshine type character. After coming out to his family, his dad acts like the asshole he is and tries to essentially kick him out of the family. This backfires as Hollis’s mom steps up and divorces his ass. Hollis, his mom and 2 younger sisters move to River Hood with his aunt Karen. First day of school is really bad for Hollis. He goes to school all dressed up and preppy and get the “wrong” attention from the Hoodlums, a local group of 4 boys.
The most rude to him in the beginning is Roan, who bullies him pretty badly but who turns out to be just a kid in a very very bad situation.
I liked Hollis a lot. He doesn’t take his bullying lying down. He pushes back but still he reaches to his bully and tries to make peace. As Roan’s sister Roux befriends Hollis’s sister Charlotte, they end up spending more time together and things start to happen.
Roan’s life situation is bad, so bad and so realistic. I felt so sad reading about his struggles to keep himself and his sister safe. I appreciated that the bullying lasted for a bit until the two boys began a secret relationship.
Both characters are multi-dimensional and pretty well developed. There are a lot of things happening so the plot is far from boring or focused only on the romance part. The smut was not over the top, which I appreciated a lot too.
What I didn’t like was the insta-attraction but other than that, it was an unexpected good read.
Trigger warnings: assault, attempted drowning, attempted rape on a minor, violence, drug abuse, murder
Safety: 3+ semi-explicit scenes but not over the top in terms of the smut
La historia de Hollis, el chico nuevo del instituto, que acaba de mudarse con su tía después de que su madre dejara a su padre por rechazarle por ser gay, te toca el corazón.
Pero en cuanto conoces a Roan y Roux y el infierno que tienen que vivir cada día se te va a partir el corazón del todo. Una madre drogadicta, con un novio abusivo hacia sus hijos.
Roan no trata muy bien a Hollis cuando llega al instituto, es más, se convierte en su bully. Hay algo en Hollis que hace que pierda el control.
Ver pasar a Roan del amor al odio y ver cómo el amor de Hollis le permite ver la luz al final del túnel, además de Jordy. El sacrificio de Jordy hacia su amigo me hizo saltar las lágrimas.
Me muero de curiosidad ver que pasa con Jordy y Roux. El siempre ha sido muy protector con ella, y ahora viendo con la gente con la que se está moviendo ella…
Un gran libro y una bonita historia.
I’m up way past my bedtime because I needed to read “just one more chapter”…so basically, once again, I’ve read an entire book in one sitting.
I liked Hollis and Roan as individual characters and think I would have liked hanging out with them. I love how Roan simply accepted his new feelings without a lot of angsty back and forth. Good read!
New to me author. This is a mm contemporary story set in the USA. Enemies to lovers, the main characters are Hollis and Roan. I got sucked into their world. Not everything is great in either characters world. Told from duel POV.
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this BUT….. I can tell you I was completely and utterly hooked from the start.
I absolutely love Hollis & Roan. They make my heart swell.
The storyline in this is by far one of the best I’ve read. You just keep turning those pages. I couldn’t put it down and had to finish it in one sitting. It had me gripped and routing for them.
Hollis & Roan certainly deserve all the happiness in the world. They’ve had a tough life, especially Roan.
An amazing m/m bully romance, at its best.
Can’t recommend it high enough. So well written Can’t wait to read the other books in this series and see what else K. Webster has to offer.K Webster
Hollis (along with his mother & sisters) move to a new city after being disowned by his father for being gay. He is instantly disliked by Roan because Roan thinks he’s just a rich kid who has everything, while he has nothing.
Despite being seemingly so very different from one another, Hollis & Roan have an instant connection, one they’ve never felt before for anyone else. It’s a love hate type of relationship, each not knowing where they stand with the other.
‘Road has stuck his hand inside my chest & plucked my heart from its cage. It beats like crazy in his fist. He can keep it, or he can crush it. No matter what he does, it won’t matter. I’ve given it to him…’
….
“Ten bucks, huh?”
“Yep.”
“When you lie, your cheek twitches.”
“When you’re being an asshole, your mouth moves and words come out.”
He barks out a laugh. “I hate you.”
“Now you can call me on your phone and tell me how much. Just make sure you breathe heavily into the phone. For reasons.”
….
“You’re growing on me… like fungus.”
“You should get a job writing inscriptions at Hallmark cards.”
Hollis is trying to adapt to his new life without his homophobic father, while Roan is trying to forge his way on his own while taking care of his sister.
Jordy… what can I say? He’s surprising in so many ways…
When Roan really took notice of Hollis & what he was eating at the dinner table… & when he took the thin slice of meatloaf off of Hollis’ plate, my heart melted a little.
They’re both dealing with very serious & very different issues… It’s a bit dark in the beginning, but after a bit of time, some light shines through & some humor is added… along with some love…
I did enjoy this book !
Fantastic!
Loved this.
Whew!! This kept me going right from the start. This is only my third MM book but it blew me away (no pun intended). For me it could have been a lot darker and more twisted but it’s still a very good read.
I’ll be getting the rest of the series
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Hollis English is suffering quietly he blame himself for his parents separation and his sisters uprooting there lives all because his father couldn’t deal with him being gay and it’s got him all twisted up. Now a new school and a group of bullies the Hood River Boys but one of his tormentors has him twisted up in another way Roan.
Roan his life is a mess his dad’s in prison and his trashy mother makes even worse decisions ones that put Roan’s sister Rouxe in danger. There life is one roller-coaster moment of danger to the next. Roan hates Hollis because he thinks life is so much better for him but somewhere in the middle of there antagonism of each other Roan finds out hes way different then he he’s hurt and scared and Hollis because everything good in his life.
Loved the natural progression from bully to romance between Hollis and Roan it was nice that Roan didn’t question his feelings too much and went with it. There was allot of heat between them the there was allot of other things going on which added another level of tension to the story. I wish there had been some kind of ending to read about Hollis friends Jordy Roans friend was interesting and his and Rouex story should be interesting.
The only things that were harder for me to understand why didn’t Hollis mother try and get more out of her husband when she left him. I would have liked there to be more delay in the relationship between Hollis and Roan it moved a little fast. And Rouex seemed much younger and naive about things for a 14 years old girl raised in such a harsh environment these were my only problems with the book other wise it read really well..
I was allowed to read and advance copy of this book via Booksprout and this is my honest review.
I think this is the first time I have read anything by K. Webster and I gotta to say that I am really kicking myself for not reading anything from her sooner. SMH.. So this is an M/M book and I thoroughly enjoyed it. So this story is intense at some moments, nerve wracking at other times, and dang it did I cry. So be prepared to cry. We have Hollis who is having a hard time with what is going on with his family. He also just told his dad that he is gay and that did not go over well. So his family left his dad and living in Hood River. He has to start at a new school and chooses to be invisible. Only it does not play out that way. Then we have Roan who is broody and an alphahole. He is mean to Hollis but when they have their altercations there is something going on. Roan is not sure what to make of it at first and his body reacts to Hollis in a way. This never happens with a girl. These two try to keep away from each other but fate has a way of putting them back on the same path. The build up with them through out the book is off the charts. I was really invested in this story and needed to know how it was all going to end. I can say that I was crying at one point. I loved how this well written this story is. I will definitely be reading more by K. Webster.
I thought that this was an amazing emotional read. Hollis and Roan were amazing together. I loved the undeniable pull, connection and the chemistry between these two. Roan has had a hard life and all he wants is be left alone and to take care of his little sister. Hollis’s family relocated after he came out and his life has turned upside down. These two bump heads when they first meet but fate keeps pushing them together and Roan realizes that Hollis is his person and will do anything to keep him. My heart broke for these two; the path to their HEA was not an easy one but any meaning of the word however, these two stuck together and leaned on each other and they finally got sweet HEA. I loved this book and I would HIGHLY recommend it and Ms. Webster as an amazing and must read author.
I received a free e-book copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.