Dirty Love By Bethany Winters

Llakshmi

Buddy read with my girl Mariam who somehow managed to like this train wreck of book. 😮‍💨

“I didn’t punch him because he’s gay, you idiot,” I grit out, so close my lips are brushing his. “I punched him because you’re mine.”

let’s start this off by saying that I recommended this book to her. This was MY most anticipated book. And I hated it. Which is such a shocker because I mean

☝️ this was a step-brother to lovers
✌️ it was taboo and toxic - my two favorite words
🥉 it had a cruel and over possessive hero

so it was right up my alley. But nOoOope. This was NOT what I wanted.

“I can’t just sit wherever I want, Kade.”
“No, but you’ll do it anyway,” he informs me, leaning over to tease my ear with his mouth. “You’ll do whatever I tell you to do. Won’t you, baby brother?”

Kade ( who my hoe of a friend is a hoe for) was just overbearing and annoyed the fuck out of me. His controlling personality and top dog bs in school where apparently drug therapy was their major did not work for me. It’s funny because I gave 5 stars to this authors previous book and it had similar elements but I enjoyed it sooo much more. I think it was because of the friends circle and family dynamic that was missing here.

“Like now, for example, he knows I’m standing here like a loyal puppy waiting for his master to say come, but he pays me no attention because he’s an asshole.
It’s one of the things I love most about him.”

Nicky was completely dependent on Kade. Inside and outside the bedroom. His bratty behaviour was entertaining at best but the book was beyond stereotypical. The alpha and his sulking shadow.

“Nicky takes the coke from my hand and I snatch it back, glaring at him from beneath my lashes while I dip my head to take a hit. Once I’m satisfied it’s not poison, I hand it over and he smiles to himself, shoving my key into the bag to snort his own hit”

- charming

The gruesome scenes took me by surprise and I needed to bleach my eyes after some very specific moments in the book that was completely OTT and unnecessary. The bigoted town, the asshole dad, dead beat/ dead mom, the jocks who love pussy, the sluts who love dicks, the alpha who fucks out his anger & his lover who is 17 going on 7.

i also didn’t like the sex. Kade’s dirty talk could’ve used some help.

Gloria (in a slump? idk)

Stop whatever you're doing. Before you read this review, click that "Want to Read" button first, because I promise you, you're going to want to read this. Trust me. Okay carry on 😋

Tropes: MM, N/A, Stepbrothers-to-lovers, Taboo, Forbidden (probably missing a few tbh 😅)
Please heed the trigger warnings 🖤
...
"The only fucks I have to give are for Nicky. Everyone else can burn in hell for all I care."

I'm prefacing this by simply saying, I'm not sure I've ever read a more possessive character than Kade Rivers. Actually scratch that, I've *never* read a more possessive character than Kade Rivers. Periodt. I'm still swooning 🥴

This is a Bethany Winters classic it's got hot characters with hot sexual tension, hot intense pining, hot combustible chemistry between said characters, the tension snaps eventually and it all leads up to, you guessed it, hot hot hot sexy times between said characters. It's also got a touch of angst 😭

The love between Kade and Nicky is taboo, it's filthy, it's messed up, it's toxic, but I drank it all like a tall glass of water. They've been stepbrothers almost their entire lives and so while they're not related by blood, they are related in all other ways, which renders their relationship forbidden. And although they are the same age, there is an obvious size difference which of course adds to the spice factor because there's a lot of throat grabbing. KADE RIVERS = CHOKE ME ENERGY.

Amidst the steamy scenes (and there are plenty!!) you get moments like this, which just give you all the butterflies:

"I’d kill for him in a second, but I wouldn’t die or go to jail for him. Not because I don’t love him enough, but because there is no world where he exists without me in it."

I loved both of them individually but I loved them even more together. Their dedication, their strength, and their resilience are unmatched. It's still very much OTT but pleaseee inject this stuff into my veins!!

“I love you, you idiot,” I grit out, stressing each word to ensure he hears me loud and clear. “I’m so fucking mad I can’t see straight , but it’s not at you. It’s for you. Every fucking thing I do and every move I make is for you."

Everytime I read one of this author's books, I think, "there's no way she can top this" and obviously I'm always wrong because she 👏🏾 does 👏🏾the👏🏾 thing.

Marci

kade and nicky have been step brothers since they were 3 years old and i could feel their connection and the hold they had on each other from the very beginning. could feel the mutual obsession!!! such a strong bond.

i enjoyed this but it definitely made me roll my eyes aplenty. the amount of times they both called each other brother! like we get it!!!!! it kept taking me out of the story because it was said sooooo much and i just found it to be so annoying and repetitive lol. 🙃 i think i should start referring to my friends as friend when i talk to them. so my friend and i know what we are to each other at. all. times!!!!!

my fave aspects of this were the sex scenes & the jealousy / possessiveness and i know there was so much possessiveness but i never got sick of it idc i love that shit 😌🤪 these were also my favorite parts of the last bethany winters book i read -
Reckless at Westbrook High but i liked the two main guys more in that book than this one. i liked the plot in this one much more tho and

i was super into the first 53% of this and then my interest dipped a lot. like with reckless at westbrook high i got bored the farther i got into the book because of how ridiculous and samey it got. i did still give reckless at westbrook high 4 stars because i loved the two guys and other parts of it too much not too but i kept getting flashbacks when i was reading this book to when i was reading that and having that same feeling of wanting things to wrap up and feeling like if it was shorter and less samey i would have enjoyed myself more.

i liked nicky more than kade tbh! both were great tho and i could really feel the codependency and need from them each so strongly which i adored. but bratty characters are everythinggg to me so nicky wins, no competition.😙

overall - def had a mostly good time reading this despite any issues i had with it!

Dan

Uneven start but surprising, excellent conclusion.

I love that the book starts with a playlist, and that the playlist is actually good. So few authors put in the effort to do this; I'm glad Ms. Winters did.

Their father is absolutely deplorable, and this could have been explored further. Instead, we’re mostly just told how awful he is. As much as I don’t want to see the characters suffer any further, this could have helped to solve some of the early lack of cohesion. We don’t really get to see his murderous abuse firsthand until the end.

The interactions between Kade and Nicky are everything. Their dynamic is unique and endearing and raw. Going from cute and sweet to dangerous and forbidden is a challenge, and it’s achieved adeptly here.

Several grossly overused words. “Abs”…a guy who has them refers to it as a stomach; definition and other details, sure, and I get that they’re 18…but the word “abs” is ubiquitous (40x). So are variations of "fist" (37x). Unless it’s in the gross, sexual way…just don’t. There’s a free thesaurus online.

I love Kade’s possessiveness. I love him. Period. He is an exceptional character with really cool development. I support the choice to make him always gay, and just not being able to accept it for a long time, rather than some fake gay-for-you trope that falls flat on its face.

The last 65-70% of the novel is where it goes from above average to exceptional. The revenge is unrestrained and vivid. Yes, sometimes violence is the answer. Prison and Preston--it worked. Eric gets what's coming to him.

The first two-thirds of the story vacillate. It’s as if the author and Kade are simultaneously at war with themselves. Once they embrace what they need to (her narrative and his destiny), this work soars. The ending is beautiful and visceral. Obviously this is not a commonplace romantic situation, so the taboo nature needs to be handled correctly. And it unequivocally is.

Imme van Gorp

|| 4.0 stars ||

Even after finishing this, I am still not entirely sure if I thought this book was the weirdest shit I have ever read or if I shamefully loved it. To be honest, it's probably both.
I can admit this was weird as hell; it definitely made me extremely uncomfortable, but even knowing all that, it somehow just did not stop me from enjoying it.
So… here we are.

This book is all about Kade and Nicky: step-brothers who hate everyone but each other and who are completely obsessed and in love. It's toxic, it's angsty, it's sick, it's creepy, and it's hot. Yup, you heard that right. For some reason, I was really into the toxicity between these two. The jealousies, the possessiveness, the violence; it just did it for me. It worked.

I was also surprised to find that I cared so much about these characters and was invested enough in the story to truly be outraged when one of them fell victim to a hate-crime.
I mean, obviously, you're always outraged by shit like that because it's horrible, but there can still be degrees in how much you're really into the story and thus, how much you are feeling the rage and anger towards the wrongdoers.
In this case, I was into it so much that I was damn well praying to see them all die, and during the final revenge, my mind was chanting "Yea! MuRDEr THEM, MURDER THEM!!", which was… you know… really the moment I started to doubt my sanity... but I digress.
I'm honestly going to take my outrage as a good thing, though, as the book definitely made me feel the emotions it wanted me to feel.

I do have to say that I generally enjoyed the first half of this book a lot more than the second, as I preferred the lingering tension between Kade and Nicky before they gave in to their urges.
Once they gave in to them, they started having sex on-page a little more frequently than I thought was necessary, although it never became boring or anything. These scenes were really quite spicy and always had the right mood. I just wish there was still a little more talking involved in the relationship. There was definitely depth, but there could have been more.

Long story short, I should be embarrassed I liked this book, but.... oh well. I'm really not.
As long as you realize the story is disturbing and weird, what's the harm in enjoying the ride?

[Read Count: 2]

Julia

"He's an annoying little shit and he lives to fuck with me, but I love him and he's mine. My little brother. My best friend. My entire fucking world."

Wow. This book 🔥.

If you like...

🌶 dark romance
🌶 step-bothers to lovers
🌶 forbidden love
🌶 toxic relationships
🌶 super possessive MC
🌶 standalone with a HEA
🌶 high steam
🌶 NA (18+)

....then you are totally going to fall in love with Kade and Nicky in
Dirty Love by
Bethany Winters.

Raised as brothers from the age of 3, by an abusive (cop) father and united in tragedy when their mum is murdered when they are only 14, Kade has always looked out for Nicky, his younger brother by only a few months.

"Eyes on mine, he leans up on one elbow beside my head and licks my lips, coaxing my mouth open to tease my tongue with his. "Mine," he says simply, and I swear to god I almost cry."

Growing up in a small (highly homophobic) town where being gay is simply not accepted, Nicky coming out to Kade at 17 is a secret that has to be guarded by the two brothers, for fear of harsh reprisals. And Kade is not ever going to let anyone hurt Nicky.....

"Nicky's equal parts beautiful and sexy. Both awkward and cocky. Innocent and dirty."

The chemistry between these two is off the scale 🔥 and the story is full of twists and turns, will all the angsty push and pull we've come to know and love with a
Bethany Winters book.

Make sure to note the author's TWs if there are any issues that concern you.

This comes highly recommended by me.

5 super steamy stars ✨✨✨✨✨

☆ cal ☆

*changed to four stars

tw: rape, homophobia, physical assault, self-harm

"We can't do this."
"Why not?"
"Because you're my brother, you sick fuck."
"Stepbrother," I mutter.

5 stars purely for the the main characters, kade and nicky. the rest can choke. the story wasnt really anything new as a whole but these two made me emotional and rooting for them. a classic cliche of a homophobic town with a homophobic dad blah blah yada yada. there were however certain elements here that were questionable (the last chunk of this book) to me. maybe for the sake of convenience? i dont know yeah maybe. i love how kade is literally this asshole to everyone except for nicky. a fucked up part of my mind wish they were this full-blooded brothers though lmao. i dont really read the blurbs here so i was freaking out because the prologue was about this two brothers comforting one another. damn i miss taboos stories soooo fucking much.

I'm fully aware my obsession with my own brother isn't normal or healthy, but I've been like this for years now and I can't seem to stop it. Nicky, Nicky, Nicky. He's all I fucking think about.

an actual four star read but the hot sex and possession between the mcs sold it to me. i can see why this book wont work out for everyone but im happy that it did for me.

moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus]

it’s not a favorite, but i still enjoyed some parts of it (*cough* mainly the possessive/jealousy scenes 🤪). honestly tho, i wasn’t a fan of nearly all the characters except the mcs, but i feel like that was probably the point lol. i liked how Nicky had self control and would stand up against Kade rather than immediately give in (it’s one of my pet peeves when one mc does or says something shitty and the other gives in with one simple sorry). i just wish the romance had more emotional depth so i can be 100% invested, but this still had its good moments imo.

ps. was it necessary for them to refer to each other as ‘brothers’ every few pages? 😭 it kinda got old after a while lmaoo

Mariam ; reading slump :(

tf did I just read 🤡🤡🤡🤡

This book was chaotic, over the top, toxic af, and it went in a whole different direction form what I expected.... and I still liked it.

I love how this review shows how my morality is so skewed.

Denial.
It’s his favorite game and he plays it like his life depends on it.

Honestly, I'm surprised I liked this. Considering it's so damn overdramatic and over the top, which is not really my style, but damn, I ate this shit up. I couldn't stop reading and screaming at the chapters and shaking my head while also having the widest grin on my face.

✨ Toxic Romance just hits different ✨

“I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.
I love you because I know no other way.”

I'm not saying this book is a how-to for romance in real life or a depiction of what you should aspire for in yourself or others.

I enjoyed the vibes of this book, I loved the chemistry between our two step-brothers, the sparks with their sizzling argument and the way Nicky was putty beneath Kade, and how Kade would burn the grounds of this world just to save a silver of a scratch on Nicky.

I still hold him extra tight for a while, silently promising him that no matter what happens, I’ll never leave him, that I’ll set the goddamn world on fire before I let anything bad happen to him.
And I fucking mean it, too.

💓 I buddyread this book with my Bestie Llakshmi who actually recommended this author to me last night, I've never heard of her and SHE was the one most excited for this book and I tagged along for the ride and well, Llakshmi didn't like this book 🤡🤡

I feel like with this book, you'll either get annoyed and offended so royally you'll rate this 2 stars or you're TRAGIC like me and ate this book up and Kade's every toxic assholey trait and was 🤌 smitten 🤌 for him.

I don't blame you either way 🤭

We don’t resent them for it, though, because if they hadn’t left us, our parents wouldn’t have met, and I wouldn’t have Nicky. He’s an annoying little shit and he lives to fuck with me, but I love him and he’s mine.
My little brother.
My best friend.
My entire fucking world.

I love Kade's character, no surprise there. Everyone knows I'm a hoe for asshole characters. And make no mistake, Kade was such a dick sometimes that I was like: BRUH, WHATYA DOING. But I enjoyed the complexity of his character, the overwhelming possessiveness, the fierce protectiveness, and the way he just IS. I loved seeing the layers of his character peel and walls of his heart break down when it came to Nicky. It made reading the little moments and small things Kade did for Nicky so much more powerful.

Nicky is my life and he always will be.
It’s that fucking simple.

I like Nicky. Nicky is cool and soft and a damn BRAT.

He jumps out and I follow behind him, awkwardly pulling my hood over my head to avoid the stares on me.
We’re no better than anyone else here, but they still fear us because Kade’s a scary motherfucker with a mean glare and an attitude that screams stay the fuck away from me. In their eyes, he’s the big man and I’m just his loyal shadow. Nicky Rivers—Kade Rivers’ loser baby brother.
I don’t mind, though.
I like it here.
I’m safe here and I always will be.

So going off on where this book ended, I was extremely shocked that IT WENT THERE. That those bitches got BITCHED and well... The damn Epilogue.

This book is a close 4.5 mainly because I just wanted a bit more from what we got from the Epilogue to fully commit to a 4.5 tbh. I also think we could've gone with a bit of more background before chapter 1. I wish we could get a sequel just so that we can see what happened AFTER the ending of this book.

I also wish this book was a bit MORE raunchy. Just a bit more. It just needed that extra UMPH for a higher rating. And don't mislead my words for this book NOT being smutty. It totally is but I'm just a hoe who likes it even more 🤡🤭

This was my first Bethany Winters and it is least to say that if it wasn't for my bestie who recommended this author to me, I wouldn't have even skirted the lines of this author or even picked this book up. Even though she hated it lmao, I thank her because I'm definitely reading the next MM from this author.

“Jesus Christ, Kade, haven’t you ever heard of two wrongs don’t make a right?”
“I have, and I think it’s bullshit.”

Initial reactions
I'm dead ass tired staying up all night reading this.

Anouk ♡

This books dedication:
For the readers who like it dirty. ❤️‍🔥

Well, she didn't lie! This was quite a ride..👀

Before you pick up this book:
This book has a reasonable amount of triggers but most of all: It’s a romance between two step brothers who grew up together. They really play it up by Kade calling Nicky ‘little brother’ for example.
If this is something you’re not down with, definitely skip this one.

If you’re still here, hi! 🙋🏼‍♀️
This book was deliciously toxic, spicy and taboo!
It was sooo much more dark and twisted than I thought it would be, especially the ending!
That really took me off guard. I didn’t expect the gruesomeness of it all, but I’m here for it!

Most of all I loved Kade and Nicky. Yes, their relationship is unhealthy!
Kade is taking possessive asshole to a whole other level.
But it’s also sweet, caring.. ‘them against the world’ vibes, and I absolutely love it.

❥𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔:

"𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒔 𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑵𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒚. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒃𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆."

“𝑰 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒑𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒈𝒂𝒚, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒐𝒕,” 𝑰 𝒈𝒓𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒔𝒐 𝒄𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒖𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒉𝒊𝒔. “𝑰 𝒑𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒆.”

"𝑰’𝒅 𝒌𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒅𝒊𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒈𝒐 𝒕𝒐 𝒋𝒂𝒊𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎. 𝑵𝒐𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒕."

“𝑰'𝒎 𝒔𝒐 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒎𝒂𝒅 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒅𝒐 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝑰 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖. 𝑶𝒌𝒂𝒚?

“𝑴𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓. 𝑴𝒚 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅. 𝑴𝒚 𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅."

Lilly

Where to start? My review is going to be all over the place.

Dirty Love was an insane ride from the first chapter. It was intense, amazing, and just so crazy. I loved it.

Kade and Nicky were raised as brothers from the age of three. However, while their blended family appeared picture-perfect on the outside, they were enduring years of abuse and torment from their father, a well-respected police officer in their small homophobic town.

Kade watches over and protects Nicky, especially knowing what could happen to him if people found out he was gay.

This story was wild; honestly, I could not put it down. It was violent and over the top, but the love and obsession between the brothers was just perfect. I’m not going to lie, I liked the fact they still referred to each other as brothers despite their relationship becoming sexual and romantic.

I enjoy stories with fierce, possessive and protective lovers, and this was *chef kiss*. Like, “Touch him, and you die” - but literally, for real, you will die.

The sex! Was there a lot? Yes, but I loved it. I’m an erotica/smut reader, so I enjoyed all the moments, and it was honestly never too much. I would be happy with 30 more pages of it. I love how dirty, sexy, sensual, and hot it was. The way Nicky craved to submit and please Kade while being bratty was cute. I love their dynamic.

Kade and Nicky’s relationship was unhealthy, intense and addictive. I loved that they finally got their hard-earned HEA and that just desserts were handed out.

Overall I loved it. I’m so happy that I read Dirty Love because it had many elements I love in MM. This is my first book by Bethany Winters and definitely not my last!

ivy

I loved these boys and I loved their dynamic. Kade is the asshole that gives zero fucks and a lot of fucks at the same time, but only for Nicky, and I love him for that. Nicky is a smug sweetheart and that combination just really worked. Protect them both forever at all cost.
This author does character mannerisms, body language and edgy vibes so well.

-stepbrothers dark romance
-bad boy/good boy
-throat grabbing
-constant need for touch
-possessive with a capital P main character
-OTT at times, suspend your beliefs a little, this is a guilty pleasure read

There are some violent scenes that were a little hard to read so please check in advance for TW!

Mila ♡

***1.5 rating***

Well that was something.

😐

Okay I decided to add more than one sentence to this review.

I know the reviews on this was mixed. Some loved it ( Yas I am happy for you 👏🏻👏🏻) and some like me unfortunately didn't.

I love forbidden dark taboo tropes, if done tastefully. Nothing against this author, I just found the concept of a teenage Kade going on a murder spree very unbelievable. The writing wasn't my favorite and the plot wasn't intriguing. I feel that it had a lot of potential but idk something was missing.

Lol like when Nicky kept calling Kade "daddy" I wanted to cringe. I was so embarassed for our boy. But hey to each their own.

The possessiveness and jealousy/sex scenes were okay.

This whole thing was just way OTT. My favourite part was the epilogue that was cute.

But if I had to sum up this story from my perspective, I would have to say that Dirty Love was like After but the gay version, with stepbrothers and homophobes.

Don't come for me lol🙈.

To those who enjoyed it, I am glad you did! I wish I could too but this book didn't do anything for me😔

D.L. Howe

What can I say? I love needy, possessive and toxic men. Especially when they’re with a man just like them. Give me all the codependency!

Then they’re stepbrothers, since they were three … it’s barely a step down from incest.

Then! Then you infuriate me, give me a reason to yearn for revenge. This bitch is a sucker for revenge and if done right it’s settles my cold, brittle heart.

I freaking adore Kade’s psychotic ass!

Don’t get me wrong, I loved Nicky too but Kade? Fucking chef’s kiss.

And then I loved to hate that entire town. Was seriously feeling some vendetta straight out of the Mindfuck series.

My only complaint is Preston’s revenge, I wanted so much more.

Otherwise this was one of the hottest books I’ve read in a minute. Man, the title really got it right. Dirty Love indeed.

magic_of_darkness_and_books

I LOVED THIS BOOK SO MUCH!!!
Be sure to check the TW of this book before reading.

"I love you as certain dark things are to be loved, in secret, between the shadow and the soul. I love you because I know no other way." - Pablo Neruda

I'm honestly angry at myself for not reading this book sooner!
Nicky is a cocky sweetheart that I liked from the beginning, but Kade... 🤤🤤🤤 He is this possessive, jealous asshole who hates everybody else except Nicky. He gives zero shits for anything else. The level of possessiveness in this book!!! I LIVE FOR A MC LIKE KADE!!! Honestly, I have never read a more possessive character than Kade! Damn, I NEED more books with someone like him.

My little brother.
My best friend.
My entire fucking world.

This book has everything I love:
- step-brothers forbidden romance
- OTT possessiveness - MINE, MINE, MINE 🤤😍
- fierce protectiveness 🔥
- toxic romance, but sweet times too (yep, I called it sweet)
- HOT sexy times 🥵
- throat grabbing
- going feral when the other one is hurt
- that epilogue!!!

The only fucks I have to give are for Nicky. Everyone else can burn in hell for all I care.

... I'll never leave him, that I'll set the goddamn world on fire before I let anything bad happen to him. And I fucking mean it, too.

"I love you, you idiot."

"I'm so fucking mad I can't see straight, but it's not at you. It's for you. Every fucking thing I do and every move I make is for you. Okay?"

P.S. Friends, if you have recommendations for books similar to this one, please text me. I NEED more books like this one (and Kade). Also, can we get a book about Cameron? I'm curious about his story and that way we will be able to see Kade and Nicky again.

Stacy

"We push our luck in the dark, when no one’s around to witness how fucked up we are beneath the surface."

OMG! This book was so much darker and spicier than I was anticipating!!! And I was here for it! Loved all of it.

"He’s an annoying little shit and he lives to fuck with me, but I love him and he’s mine. My little brother. My best friend. My entire fucking world."

I loved the dynamic between Kade and Nicky. Their relationship was so sweet and sexy. There is a little bit of a Dom/sub vibe between them that is also really hot. Kade is also really possessive of Nicky.

"He called me his and I can’t stop thinking about it. The way he choked me tonight and shoved me back against the truck, the way he claimed me like that… It was fucking hot."

My only complaint is that I wish we had a bit more story after the shocker at the end and before the epilogue. And I am so glad that Kade did what he did. All of those f*ckers deserved what they got.

I also wouldn't mind another story in this universe! Maybe with the guy from the epilogue?!

"I knew taking him once would be the death of me and I did it anyway. I was naïve, and I thought I’d start to get my sanity back as the years went on, but my love for him only gets worse, more toxic and more selfish. It’s unfortunate and unhealthy as fuck, but he doesn’t mind as much as he’s letting on. He likes me crazy."

yaishin

First read

THAT WAS BLOODY PERFECT. That ending😯😩. So perfect. Stroke of genius. The middle parts were a bit meh but I'm still giving this a 5 stars for that blast of an ending. I was hoping for at least one person who wasn't a bigoted asshole like everyone else but eh what the hell it was always going to be Nicky and Kade against the world anyway.

And mad respect for Kade who had a plan in the making all along.

Also this might be just me but the author reminded me strangely of an MM version of Tijan Meyer.

Second read

totally worth a reread.

✨❤ Summer ❤✨ Solstice

✨3.67 stars✨

this was SO FUCKING ENTERTAINING GOSH. made for an interesting 110 mins, that's for sure.

the plot was totally kinda ridiculous - I mean, I understood parts but this was just way too overly dramatic. however, I did enjoy reading it so so SO MUCH bcos of all the clinginess and possessiveness and jealousy. that was ❤️‍🔥😌🙈🤌🏾.

kade and nicky were just so so adorbs istg bcos of the latent jealousy and green-eyed monster that creeped out once a week. okay, a lot faster than that - I meant once a day. or possibly all day. just wish for more emotional connection, but it was pretty short, after all, and for that this was pretty fucking amazing.

after I thought they'd left behind all that about 'little brother' and 'big brother' shit, I read this 💀😱🤣

“Yeah, well, if you turn into a shady fucker or try to hurt my little brother, I'll throw you off the cliff.”

I mean, totally understand the sentiment, even kinda like it. but, but but but. nvm I actually do find it hot sometimes (even tho it's fucking weird and creepy but also cute and adorable? and totally fucking kinky) like in
Lords of Pain.

the last chapter tho. 🤯 beyond fucked up I was like what the hell is happening?!

“I love you, you idiot,” I grit out, stressing each word to ensure he hears me loud and clear. “I'm so fucking mad I can't see straight, but it's not at you. It's for you. Every fucking thing I do and every move I make is for you. Okay?”
“Okay.”

cliffnotes version:

read if you like -
💀 mm romance
💀 possessive toxic stuff
💀 very less actual plot but clingy characters
💀 SPICE SPICE SPICE
💀 hurt/comfort
💀 stepbrothers fall in love (or lust? haha)

Lisa

Out of all the messed up toxic shyt that happened my only complaint was them calling eachother “brother” “baby brother”.

hope

“My love for you isn’t sweet, Nicky…” I lift his chin up with my forefinger, picturing all the bad things I’d do for him to keep him safe, all the things I’d make him do for me to protect my sanity.
“It’s toxic.”

3.5 ⭐️

Tropes
✨step brothers to lovers
✨forbidden/taboo romance
✨possessive AF hero 🤯
✨choking kink 😳

I went blind into this book and I actually ended up liking it. Kade was absolutely unhinged and feral for Nicky. I was living for it. This man was even picturing what he’d do to future people if they were to hurt Nicky, even though those people didn’t even exist yet. Their love is toxic, far from a cutesy romance, but it was addicting to read. I was flipping through pages on my kindle in the last 30% like it was going to be my last breath LMAO.

I’d kill for him in a second, but I wouldn’t die or go to jail for him. Not because I don’t love him enough, but because there is no world where he exists without me in it.
He needs me and I need him.
Fucking always.

Nicky and Kade are stepbrothers and have been growing up in an abusive home, their dad is fucking horrible. Kade being the older brother, has taken the job of being Nicky’s protector. Kade has been saving up money for quite a while to get Nicky and himself out of there. They have a clear dependency on each other. This small town is homophobic AF. Everyone is a fucking asshole besides Nicky and Kade. I felt pure rage during this book and wanted to beat the shit out of everyone. Nicky knows he’s gay and attracted to his step brother and Kade is more in the state of trying to deny and resist what he’s feeling.

There is OTT drama but I was loving it. Kade went fucking feral during towards end. I’ll just say that anyone who messes with Nicky is basically good as dead…Kade is probably up there with one of the most possessive characters I’ve read about. I’ll admit I was swooning very hard even though Kade was basically a feral wolf 😳 and Nicky on the other hand, he was the bratty character. He knew just how to get under Kade’s skin. I was obsessed 😍 I really enjoyed seeing their co-dependency on each other. These two could no way in hell live without one another.

That epilogue though…😍😍 *chefs kiss*

The reason this isn’t rated higher is because of the OW drama. I feel like it wasn’t needed. There was a lot the characters were already dealing with. This shitty town, their horrible father, and their forbidden attraction to each other…There was lots to work with. That girl pissed me off and so did Kade. While I did enjoy this story, it’s not something I’d come back and re read again. I may read over my highlights because that possessiveness was top tier, but that’s it. But because of that, I’m rating it 3.5 ⭐️. And they really needed to stop calling each other brother 💀

Enay QueerBooklover

Woah. This book is….an experience. There is lots of drug use, and both physical and sexual violence, on-page stuff that’s really awful. The jealousy, the possessiveness, the relationship between the two MCs is disturbing. The abused becoming the abuser. I enjoy taboo family stuff, but this wasn’t enjoyable for me in large parts. Yeah, the s3x was really hot, but I don’t think it weighed out all the disturbing stuff.
But there’s a whole star added for the sexy AF cover… those lips!!

Nazanin

3.5 Stars

Told mostly in dual POV, 1st person, it can be read as a standalone. Dirty Love is a taboo story with a possessive and protective character. I was enjoying the story but towards the ending, the violence became too much and I wasn’t in the right mindset. Overall it was a good read and hope you enjoy it as well (but proceed with caution)!

Ken W

Wow!

Admittedly, not my usual read. This book is definitely not for everyone, but I’m giving it 5 glorious hot af stars!

Jade

Man, this book is unhealthy on so many levels ... but I'm here for it. This is dark, intense and not a love story for the feint of heart.

The angst was out of this world. Kade took alphahole in a whole new direction for me. He was possessive, obsessed and psychotic about Nicky. I believed wholeheartedly that there is nobody else in his world but Nicky for him. I'm not normally a lover of that sort of relationship/behaviour in my reads, but I was digging it in this story. The smut was good, bordering on too much that I was waiting for the storyline to pick back up again.

If you like your MM romance dark, dark, dark and a little bit twisted, this one's for you.

***trigger warnings: stepcest, domestic violence, physical abuse, self-harm, homophobia, drug use, gun and knife violence, violent deaths

Rielle

This book was so similar to the last one I read from this author. High school kids that don’t act like high school kids. Making cutting, doing drugs, and violence all seem “special” and glamorous. It feels like wish fulfillment.

I guess it’s dark and toxic, but I couldn’t take it seriously enough for any of that to even resonate. Hardly any of this story felt believable.

I’d give it a lower rating, but the sex scenes were good…most of them anyway.

Drusilla

Intense. Stunning. Absolutely breathtaking.
Right from the first page you are sucked in and can't put it down. In every single sentence, I was begging for no one to hurt Nicky. I was begging Kade to stay with him, to not let him out of his sight, and to protect him.
Kade's overbearing personality may be unsettling at first, but it all fits so smoothly. The two boys are made for each other. Their desires are a perfect fit.
The story gradually builds and builds as the sexual intensity between the two grows stronger. Hot, hot, hot.
And then boom. I have to admit, I held my breath when exactly that happened I was scared of.
Thank you Bethany Winters for not dragging it out forever, I wouldn't have survived that otherwise.
But the revenge, oh the revenge. So sweet and bloody. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

oshiiy

2 stars ⭐️ OTT 🥴😒

Sonia

4.75 stars: Only my second MM (ever) and I loved it

I am NOT an MM reader. I generally only read MF with a sprinkle of RH/MFM, but 99% of my books are MF. So when this one came out, I was intrigued and had to keep reminding myself of the context and circumstances of the MCs, and that this was a “taboo” love.

Kade (H1) and Nicky (H2) have been raised together since they were 3 years old. Kade’s birth dad and Nicky’s birth mom got married. It might seem like their lives are happy-go-lucky, but they’re not. Their dad is an abusive, extremely h@m@phobic man who’s a police officer and feels like he can’t be touched😐. When their mom’s killed years before, they can’t do anything about it 🥺and Nicky and Kade rely on each other even more😞. But their dad doesn’t like their closeness, and he continually throws h@m@phobic slurs around them to make sure they know his stance on it.

Kade is suuuuuuper protective of Nicky 🥰. Once Nicky confesses that he’s gay, Kade makes it a point to ensure he stays safe. Although Kade has had girlfriends before, he can’t deny he also has feelings for Nicky. However, in a town/school/home that aren’t tolerable about people that are “different,” they have to hide their real feelings. Ugh. The way these boys deal with this hatred was heartbreaking 😞.

But. Their chemistry🔥. Their connection❤️. It goes beyond skin deep. They’ve been in each other’s lives since they were tiny, so they KNOW each other. I loved how subtle their smexxy relationship began- from the touching, to the innocent grazes, to the eye-contact, to the heavy breathing, I was ready to combust. And man… these boys (well, they’re both 18) get DIIIIRTY 🥵🔥. The pizza sauce scene 😅 the cleaning-up-after-the-fight scene, the abandoned church scene… gahhh… these boys are meant to be together.

This probably isn’t a traditional MM romance. Although Nicky’s out, Kade’s only “gay” because of Nicky; he’s all about Nicky, in every way- which is something I admire him for. His protectiveness is so swooony. Their passion is raw, primal🔥, visceral yet also romantic and sweet❤️. They prove that love is love- regardless of labels and genders ❤️.

Even though I loved MOST of it, I didn’t care for the casual drug use or the fact that Kade has his ex around when he’s only thinking of Nicky😐. I understand both parts- the drugs are a way to numb their pain and bring temporary happiness and Kade has to hide their feelings for each other because of how horrible the people around them are… but it still got to me ugh. In a traditional MF book, the OW stuff wouldn’t fly with me 🤷🏻‍♀️ but because of their extenuating circumstances, I was more understanding. I also wish I had a longer epilogue (yes, I’m greedy like that 💁🏻‍♀️don’t judge).

This book made me cry, smile, swoon, but especially sympathize and feel for Nicky and Kade❤️. I hated HATED their father and the way people treat others that’re “different.” It makes my stomach churn and breaks my heart- all people deserve to be loved, and in this case, Nicky and Kade deserve it even more 🥺. Ugh. I wanted to hug them throughout the book.

Also- what Kade does for Nicky 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 gah. I love that man🥰😉.

I loved it ❤️

⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing
-h@moph@bic slurs
-dead mother
-H1 has a gf ish. She goes down on him after he sees H2 in shower
-child abuse
-breath play/praise kink
-drug use (coke, pot, cigarettes)
-OM talks to H2, H1 gets jealous and sits next to H2. He also kisses H2/puts his hand down his pants and H1 kicks his a$$
-OW approaches H2 topless. H2 walks away
-sexual assault/violence/self-harm

Tarynrose_2

5 stars

Please check TW before you read this

THIS BOOK! Why did I wait so long to read it?

Nicky- omg I love Nicky so much. He's such a sweetheart but has a very smug attitude. I live for the way Nicky can get Kade to do anything for him😭.

Kade- wow this guy is possessive! The only thing/person he cared about was Nicky. No one else was allowed to even look at Nicky. I love my possessive heroes and Kade is probably one of the most possessive heroes I've read and I loved it!

I honestly love the two together!
Tropes-
-MM
-Stepbrother romance
-POSSESSIVE main character

"Maybe they just wink a lot where he's fro-"
"Shut up, Nicky"
"Okay"

"I love you idiot"

I need to read more of this Authors books!

Simona

I really don t know how to rate this.

Title	:	Dirty Love
Author	:	Bethany Winters
Rating	:
ISBN	:	-
Language	:	English
Format Type	:	Kindle Edition
Number of Pages	:	223
Publication	:	First published January 21, 2022

Dirty Love Reviews

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