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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4 HOT AND STEAMY STARS!
I have never wanted two main characters who hated each other, to hook up as badly as I did Hollis and Roan! This story was a slow burn that was worth every agonizing minute!
They were completely confused by the chemistry that sparked between them. Hollis being out to his family and friends but the new kid in town. Roan just being utterly baffled by his curiosity and hiding behind the bad boy reputation. The harder they pushed, the closer it drew them together. I longed for their little touches and conversations. It was clear they were both holding back something fierce!
As the story progressed, I started to feel like these two characters’ feelings weren’t as genuine and free flowing as I’d hoped they’d be. Sometimes it felt very forced. Maybe it was due to the “secrecy” of their relationship. Some of the dialogue between the men was a little cringe worthy and over the top.
But the chemistry in the bedroom was OFF THE CHARTS!!! Some of the best m/m romance I’ve read in a long time. This author clearly knows how to turn up the heat.
There were so many running story lines outside of the main romance plot. The breakdown of Hollis’ family due to a secret his mother was keeping. The trouble that Roan and his little sister Roux were up against with their addict mother and her swinging door of men. The Hoodlums dynamic. Hollis’ health issues. Even though it felt like so much was going on all at once, it didn’t become too chaotic or overwhelming. The author did a great job keeping the story flowing seamlessly. I became so invested in Roan’s protectiveness of his sister. I was engrossed in Hollis’ avoidance of his health and what could possibly be wrong with him. I worried for both main characters on such a deep level, beyond their relationship with one another. You couldn’t help but feel compassion for them as individuals and what they were battling.
In the end, I think Jordy may have come out as my favorite. The sacrifices he made for his best friend, whom he considered family, was indescribable. The love he clearly had for Roan and Roux was unbreakable. There were no lengths he wouldn’t go to protect his own. My heart shattered during the entire ordeal.
I thoroughly enjoyed the ending and the epilogue. With the 3 year time jump, I felt like there was so much story left to tell and hope the author rewinds a bit in the next book in the series. I want to see how Roan and Hollis ended up where they are in current time. I want to see the progression of their relationship. It was so fascinating!
love happens when you least expect it
I received an ARC from BookSprout and am leaving my review voluntarily. This is the first book in the Hood River Hoodlums Series.
Triggers:
m/m, violence, attempted rape, illegal drug use
Spoilers:
Hollis, moved to a new town/school with his family. He just wants to be invisible and graduate.
Roan, “leader” at Hood River High. He has a crappy home life, a sister to protect and 3 close friends. Meeting Hollis, he is confused by his attraction to him.
I don’t want to give away too many details. There are several tough subjects that come up in this story. Tears. Drama. Love. I look forward to reading about the other characters. HEA
This was such a great m/m high school romance read. I enjoyed Hollis and Roan’s character a lot and for very different reasons. They both had a heart of gold and dealt with a lot emotionally from the people that was supposed to love them unconditionally. Hollis had my heart from the very beginning but it took me a while to warm up to Roan. However, after I understood why he acted out the way he did I started to love him more and more. This story was steamy, emotional, full of angst, unexpected romances and more. I loved that both Hollis and his mom was able to find someone worth loving them and I’m definitely looking forward to Roux’s story. I can’t wait for Jordy to come back and protect what’s his or who I’m hoping he see as his. I’m just ready and excited for the next book in this series. I loved this story a lot and I will definitely be recommending it to my book loving m/m romance reading friends.
I’m not generally a fan of Bully or YA/NA books anymore just due to my age, I think I’ve out grown them. But I am a fan of MM and K. Webster, and because of that, I rushed to buy the Bully Me anthology just for this story. I was on the edge of my seat reading it and fell so in love with Hollis and Roan that I bought this book too when it was released as a standalone. My heart bled for all that they went through and I was so happy to read the rest of their story and see their HEA. Can’t wait for the next book in the series, and to see what will play out with the rest of the Hoodlums.
I love Roan & Hollis, but I fell in love with Roux first. I fell in love with her when they were walking home, and she said Charlotte was her best friend. I teared up. Actually crying at her thoughts. I think a lot of teenagers have those thoughts, but this book was about Roan and his rat.
Now, back to the rat and his lover. I hated how Hollis felt, but his mom loved him and supported him. Roan and his friends bully Hollis from the start, but the more that Hollis learns about Roan though he just pulls at him. Hollis falls in love with him despite the way he treats him. He sees the hero in there.
All the side characters are fleshed out, and I love when we know more about them. I always want more. I can’t wait to read more.
This is a great start to a series of Hoodlums who are actually heroes in my heart. I enjoyed the M/M romance between Roan and Hollis that started the entire groups trials and tribulations in a world that’s never fair but love always triumphs in the end. There are some laughs. Some heartfelt moments. And lots of anticipation as we root for Roux and Roan to find a semblance of family and home, and we get to know the Hood River Hoodlums.
As a lover of all things dark, depraved, and dirty, I had actively avoided all bully romances. But this is 2021 and this is the year of new reading adventures, so it was time to pop the bully romance cherry and give one a read and oh what a read it was!
*****
Rating: 5 stars
Steam: 3 flames
Genre: MM Romance / Bully / Enemies to Lover
*****
Roan, one of our hoodlums, has lived a TERRIBLE life. His father is in prison, his mother is a drug addict / stripper with a revolving door of men. He is the only semi-responsible person taking care of his little sister. Everything he does is for Roux, his sister. It’s a lot of pressure for an 18-year-old HS Senior.
Hollis, his mom and two sisters have recently moved to Hood River to live with his Aunt because when Hollis came out as gay his father saw him as a disappointment and embarrassment. His dad wanted to kick him out of the house. Instead, his mother stood up to his father, and chose to protect her children and left her husband and moved them to Hood River.
Hollis’ life is about to change. He is about to meet the Hood River Hoodlum’s. On the first day of school, Hollis, looking sharp, pulls up in his purple mustang coupe… which of course draws the attention of the Hood River Hoodlum’s and he instantly becomes their target.
“He’s a rich prick and I’m me. Our kinds don’t play nicely together.” Roan, Hood River Rat
But as an enemies-to-lovers romance, the sparks quickly start to fly between Hollis and Roan. However, Roan isn’t sure how to interpret those sparks, since he has never seen himself has gay or bi, but he is drawn to Hollis.
From the moment I started the book, I couldn’t stop. There is so much heartache, pain, and angst in this book that I just had to see how Roan and Hollis would resolve their differences. Every one of the Hood River Hoodlum’s come with their own issues and it is heartbreaking. I enjoyed everything about this book. The writing, story, characters, and I was able to see the bullies from a unique perspective. Hood River Rat is a beautiful story of trust, acceptance, friendship, and growth. I definitely recommend and I will be reading the entire series!
What a great book! I’m typically not a fan of bully romance, but no surprise, K. Webster wrote a masterpiece. It’s around 3AM while I’m writing this, because I stayed awake all night and devoured this book in one sitting. That hasnt happened to me in a while. From the very first few pages, this book hits you square in the feels. It sucks you in and doesn’t let go until you’ve read it from cover to cover. Roan and Hollis are just perfect together! Big, bad tough Roan has so many layers that get peeled back and revealed as the story unfolds, and sweet, intense, all-in Hollis is so perfectly flawed. I really did enjoy the dynamic of these two characters. Not so much when I was wanting smack Roan and his Hoodlums for the way they treated Hollis, but after Roan started opening up and showing the softer side of his personality.
There were parts of this book, where I was literally hanging on, by the edge of my seat. The suspense was palpable. Then there were parts, I just knew my heart would burst from my chest, and I had to grab tissue because emotions were running high.
I’m now fully vested in all these characters and their stories. This world is very well built, and I’m super excited about jumping right in to the next book and getting to see Jordy get his HEA too, as soon as I take a nap!
THIS BROUGHT THE ANGST!
I’ve been looking for something to make me hurt for a few books now.
And I found it.
I wasn’t sure what would happen.
There were quite a few twists and turns, but that just added to the story.
And the angst.
The confusion.
The certainty.
Yeah, I lived for it with this book.
I have such a soft spot for Roan and Hollis. They are fire together.
If you love K Webster and MM then this is an AMAZING book! I was absolutely sucked into it right from the start. The push and pull between these two leaves you wondering what exactly will happen between them. The chemistry is off the charts between them when they come together and this book is definitely HOT HOT HOT! Definitely recommend reading this one! Cannot wait to read the next book in this series!
Great book!! I love Hollis and Roan!!
I loved everything about this story…well except for Roan and Roux’s mother. She was absolutely horrible in every sense of the word. I enjoyed the enemies to lovers story line between Roan and Hollis and all the tension between them made for some seriously hot moments. I loved the way Roan was with his sister. It showed that beneath his tough exterior, he had a heart of gold. I loved all the people that showed up for Roan and Roux. Despite his bad circumstances and his awful parents, he had amazing friends, and Mike was awesome, and Ms. Frazier was so good to him. It shows that sometimes family isn’t blood, but the people you meet along the way who choose you and help show you your worth day in and day out. I liked that Hollis wouldn’t give up on Roan even though Roan was so mean to him at the beginning. I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!!!
This book was a great roller coaster of excitement from beginning to end.
Hollis is a boy who had his life changed after his parents split up. He and his mother and sisters are forced to live in another city with their aunt.
What Hollis did not imagine was that his life would change as soon as he arrived on his first day of school.
The Hoondlum boys are the bad guys at school and start making life hell.
Roan the boy from the Hoondlum gang always had his position as leader among his friends, but underneath all that bravery hid a sad and sweet boy.
When the world of Roan and Hollis collide, the unexpected happens, both start to feel a connection that they cannot understand.
Hood River Rat is an M / M story of two broken boys looking to be happy. Will Hollis be able to find himself in his new life? Will Roan achieve his happiness? Will Hollis and Roan get their happily ever after?
This was another of K.Webster’s excellent stories.
Built in a fascinating and emotional world.
I can hardly wait for the next one.
K Webster does MM so well! Roan and Hollis are two layered, troubled characters. Hollis carries around the (undeserved) guilt of his family breaking up, and Roan is fighting like hell to not turn out like either of his deadbeat parents and to provide a good life for his sister. Both guys are extremely loving and loyal to their family and friends and their stubbornness makes their initial clashes sizzle with tension! I love the fact that once Roan lets go, he owns his feelings for Hollis. I love that Hollis pushes Roan and doesn’t back down on calling him out. There is just enough drama and a ton of heat and heart to keep this story captivating throughout. I am digging this world and I can’t wait to see where it goes! 5 stars for Hood River Rat!
I have been waiting for the release of Hood River Rat since it was announced. I had really high expectations as it promised all the things I love; M/M, bully, enemies to lovers romance. I just wasn’t prepared for it to be more, so much more than a high school romance or anything I had anticipated. The angst, suspense, all the adversities Hollis and Roan have to go through… it was just an emotional roller-coaster.
I only have words of praise for K. Webster. She is such a brave author. She gift us with the wonderful characters and the worlds she creates and her comedies, taboo and censored stories too. Makes me laugh and cry and has my kids complaining about their dinner time when I can’t unglue myself from the kindle screen.
What can I say? When I think I’ve found my favorite K Webster book, I then find a new treasure from her. This book is everything. And I had a complete hang over because of is. Roan and Hollister—swoon!
I have officially fallen into K Webster’s book rabbit hole. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors of all time. I loved this newest M/M slow burn, enemies to lovers story. Both Roan and Hollis are such complex characters, their story pulled me in and gripped me until the end. I loved how the plot flowed, the push and pull, and the suspense Webster packed in. I am diving into Little Hoodlum now – I am dying to read Roux and Jordy’s story!
I Give this Book a 4.5/5 Star Rating, Listing as 4.
HEA(?): Yes
Pacing: Mid to Fast Pacing.
Relationship Type: MM
Bully Scale: 2.5-3/5
Heat: 3.5-4/5
Drama: 5/5
Suspense: 4-4.5/5
This is a pretty good but it is definitely much fast that I was expecting. But an enjoyable read nonetheless! Hopping into the next Book!
I loved this book!!! Can’t wait till the next one.
Where do I start with this book.
Hot bully check
Hot person being bullied check
Hot Hoodlums check
Rat Lover check
What more could you ask for oh yeah romance, hot sex, hot secret sex, throw in some action and some drama and you have the perfect book.
Can’t wait to read more in this series