Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Pushing the Limits

SERIES:  Secrets Kept

AUTHOR:  Riley Hart

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH: 

RELEASE DATE:  March 8, 2022

BLURB:

I was fourteen when my dad married Lane’s mom and our families became one, when my favorite moments were those spent staying up all night, talking or watching Lane create art.

There aren’t many things more inconvenient than loving your stepbrother. I know the limits, and that’s pushing them too far.

Over the years I’ve pulled away from him. It was easier when he left for New York, but now he’s back, not only in Atlanta, but in my home, trying to get back what we lost.

How can I tell my own stepbrother that I want him in my bed? That I want to call him mine?

One kiss changes everything.

Our tight-knit family won’t understand. Our friends won’t either. But no matter how much I don’t want to disappoint them, now that we’re where we belong, I won’t walk away. Even if I have to lose everything to keep him.

Pushing the Limits is a stepbrother romance with a cocky main character, who shows his vulnerability through the one man he’s not supposed to want, sexy painting, and a love that defies the odds.

REVIEW:

Pushing the Limits is a great romance about stepbrothers falling in love and coping with the complex situation that will affect their family and friends. After Isaac’s mother and Lane’s father died, their remaining parents met, married, and joined their families when the boys were fourteen. Isaac was the quintessential boy next door, the popular, outgoing high school quarterback. In contrast, quirky Lane was a quiet, talented artist with few friends. Despite their differences, they became best friends. While Lane easily talked about his feelings, Isaac was much more closed off. It was only Lane who “got” him and understood him like no one else. Except for one thing: Lane knew Isaac was gay but not that he was in love with Lane. Lane was straight and Isaac’s love was unrequited, but still, he never felt alone when he was with Lane.

The book skips ahead twelve years to when the men are thirty. College changed everything when they went away to opposite sides of the country and grew apart. Isaac stays away from New York City where Lane is becoming well-know for his masterful paintings. He still aches for Lane, a “bone deep pain” that he doesn’t allow anyone to see. He’s the master of putting on a happy face. He’s caught in a conundrum: he needs to talk to someone about Lane, but Lane is the only person he can open up to and share himself with. The only friend he could potentially talk to is Hutch (from Off Limits) who has his own mess of a relationship to deal with.

When Lane returns home for a family visit in Atlanta, he reveals a secret he’s been keeping from his family and soon he and Isaac are growing close in new ways. Lane knows the only time he ever feels special is through his art or his relationship with Isaac when they were younger. But now that they’ve allowed time and distance to come between them, he realizes he can never be truly happy without their closeness again.

They are both so afraid of disappointing their parents if they reveal their truth, but they can’t keep hiding it. There’s a big build up of tension in the book as they grapple with how they can change people’s perceptions so they’re seen as stepbrothers, not brothers as everyone currently regards them. They know they’re pushing the limits of what’s socially acceptable and they’re both scared the other will back out of their new relationship.

Once they got together, I kept smiling as I read (and not just because of the dirty talk). I really liked these guys, their tenderness with each other, and the deep connection that grew from their close friendship and brotherly love first. I rooted for them to find a way to live openly without destroying their family. The outcome of their revelation and who was most accepting was interesting. Lane’s art plays a significant role in the book and when they paint their bodies with his paint, they nearly need a fire extinguisher. Sexy!

This second book in the Secrets Kept series is well worth the time to read. Recommended.

RATING: 

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon