This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Luke: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Keaton: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Narration:🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨


First Impressions
Top Secret is the most recent release from Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy and its a story that I have been eagerly anticipating. I am not sure why I took so long to read these books that these two incredible authors wrote together, but I absolutely had a blast with these two. There is something so compelling in the way the stories just are so connecting and dig deep with the reader when these two get together and I couldn't get enough of Keaton and Luke being together and this is honestly one of my favorite enemies to lovers that I have read this year. They really implemented such a unique take on the trope with other factors that come into play that adds such complexity to the story and it all blends together in such a harmonious way that clicks just right. If you love college romance with some fantastic MM lovin, then you definitely need to grab this one up here. Oh and if you can...get this in AUDIO!!! Its addictive with these two brilliant narrators.

First Line
"Look," Annika whispers in my ear.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Keaton
Keaton is the popular one of the crowd. He comes from money and prestige and has a hot girlfriend who is his best friend.

The Hero 2: Luke
Comes from less than financial means, determined to get his college degree and get seperation from his toxic family.

Summary
Keaton and Luke come from two different worlds but reside at the same university and are both in the same fraternity. They are both rivals for the president of the same frat that they are part of. What neither of them don't know is that they will become friends and soul mates in the most unlikely way. When Keaton's girlfriend wants something unique for her birthday which includes a threesome. He is determined to give it to her. When he reaches out to a match he finds on a hookup app....he never expect that he will become way more invested in the threesome than his girlfriend ever would be. And he becomes intrigues with his match. But after weeks, and they finally meet up. he is shocked to learn that his hookup is actually his nemesis and now Luke and Keaton will have to confront the battling emotions that they are both experiencing in having to face up to who they are for each other and that maybe them being enemies isn't as antagonistic as either of them think it will be.

What I Loved
I wish I could convey in this review what I would really love to but I know that I won't be able to. There was something so lively and addicting about "Top Secret" and I couldn't seem to get enough of these two. I loved Keaton and Luke together. They also have that opposites attract going for them plus some class difference which is my catnip and it all flowed just right together. There was also the mistaken identity aspect that adds the right touch of mystery and intrigue to the story that just captivates you. Plus, it's a fabulous new adult romance. Its reading books like this, that makes me want to read much more of them. I really got hooked into the threesome set up which turned out to not be a threesome setup. I wasn't sure how they write this element, but it completely works. And you see how it just balances out in the story in all of the right ways. I also liked the bi sexual aspects that comes into play here as well. We also get two parental comparisons of what parents should be and what parents should never be. Your heart breaks for what Luke has to suffer through in his family life and how they constantly use him. But when he finally sets down the boundaries he needs to, I just wanted to hug this man who has been so abused by them and willing to stand against them in the way that truly matters. And the ending was just perfect, I just wish we had a epilogue novella with these two to get a bit more of their happy ever after together. I feel like one book is never going to satisfy me but you can bet I will be doing a relisten of this one and soon.

What I Struggled With
Nothing really. I think the only thing I would change is having the ending being a bit longer so we could see them together more.

Narration
The narration is done by two of my favorite male narrators and they just do such great work together. I absolutely couldn't get enough of it and their voices and the way that they bring in all the right overtones of the story just right really compells the reader to listen and I just had to binge this all day...it was that kinda of a audiobook!

Overall View
Top Secret is a story that will captivate your attentions, deliver all the laughs, and have you falling in love right alongside with Keaton and Luke in such an affirmative way!

Favorite Quote(s)
He said I was stingy with love, and he was right. I am really not sure that will ever change. But if there’s anyone in the world I could change for, it’s certainly him.

I’m just a guy, standing on a beach in nothing but his favorite pair of lobster shorts, waiting for the right man to love me.

LobsterShorts: I’m fresh out of lobster sex facts atm. BUT…lemme tell you about sea slugs.
SinnerThree: Omg yes. I can’t wait for this. Hold on. Let me undo my pants.
This time I snort out loud. I know he’s kidding, and I play along. Actually, I’ll do that, too. Having both our dicks out for this fun fact is so fitting.
SinnerThree: Dick’s out. All right. Slug sex. Now, baby.
LobsterShorts: OK—you ready for this?
SinnerThree: Hit me. Blow my mind.
LobsterShorts: Sea slugs have penis fights.
Dead air follows my revelation. I see the three dots appear to indicate he’s typing. Then they disappear. Reappear. Disappear. Finally, a message pops up.
SinnerThree: I don’t even know what to say to that. I guess… Why?? How?? Why???

What was I ever thinking? I need this man. And even if being half a couple doesn’t come easily to me, I have to try. Nobody has ever gotten under my skin the way he does. Nobody has ever needed me the way he does.
Not one person.
It’s terrifying.

The frat will get over themselves. Your hesitation has nothing to do with any of the excuses you gave me last month. It has everything to do with you being afraid. Of me, of trusting someone. Of loving someone. And I’m telling you, here and now, you don’t have to be afraid. But what you do need to do is decide. Decide if we’re worth the risk.

I want that again. And I like it a whole lot. I’ve always
known that coupledom felt right to me. The part I didn’t
understand is that it works even better for me when that
other half is a man.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Contemporary Romance, New Adult
Character Types: Bi Sexual, College Student, Abused
Themes: Abusive Parentals, Gay For You
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Mistaken Identity, Class Difference, Opposites Attract

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Relationship Conflict

Song This Book Inspires
Oh Lord by Mic Lowry

Steam/Spice Explanations

Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.

Narrators:
Teddy Hamilton
Christian Fox

He said I was stingy with love, and he was right. I am really not sure that will ever change. But if there’s anyone in the world I could change for, it’s certainly him.

Really loved it!! Been waiting forever for these two amazing authors to write another m-m romance together because Him & US are one of my all time favorites and they did not disappoint at all. Keaton & Luke were so adorable but also so freaking hot together. Elle Kennedy & Sarina Bowen writing really makes for such a quick and incredible read!! Enjoyed every moment and couldn't put it down!! Also, the hate to love was done perfectly <3

yep, i love them, they're a masita 🥺

originally rated this 4 stars, but i bumped it down a few months later to 3 because as time went on i realized i actually didn't really love it as much as i had WANTED to love it, and i actually had a few problems with it. since i loved their other collab so much, i def expected a lot from this, which maybe isn't fair. i love how sarina and elle write dialog and alternating perspectives it's FIRE, i really super enjoyed the frat house stuff (idk why, maybe because i also loved Greek? lmao) and the boys were cuuuute. keaton especially was v cute and jumped off the page for me, and i was super invested in his journey through all of this. but around 60% the book sort of went ... off for me. i think, looking back months later, it was because i didn't understand or connect with the reason why the boys suddenly were just. together. at that point. they just ... jumped into it? and the hilarious thing is, i felt like they had a decent emotional connection UNTIL THEY GOT TOGETHER and then it was just like ... why do they even like each other? did i miss something? it felt like it lost its tension suddenly, and jumped over the part where they fell for each other irl. the end was really cute and buttoned it up a bit, but also like couldn't remember or figure out why keaton even cared at a certain point. he was too good for luke lmao ... also, no there's no outright cheating in this book, but actually there IS emotional cheating. that's ... not great. it was handwaved/"explained", and looking back i see how it built narrative tension to the turning point where it came to a head, but i think it could've been handled better. technically it IS still cheating bc they were falling for each other before keaton told his girlfriend. i'm not a fan of that, even if the mc was ~confused~ and was doing it under the guise of something else. cheating is fucking selfish and harmful, end of story. the girlfriend basically just existed as a roadblock to the mcs relationship, she wasn't even real. honestly? she was completely fridged. not only is that a habitual sexist trope, but it's boring as shit. do fucking better, it's 2019 jfc this WAS fun, and if you like the sound of it or just enjoy m/m, i would rec it. but keep in mind it has some issues, and also i think i just expected too much from it.

Top Secret blew me away! I went in expecting one thing, but I got so much out of it! Sarina and Elle wrote a story with so much heartfelt depth that I was sympathizing so much for the characters. Even though it had so much depth and the feels were real, it was also funny, deliciously addicting, very swoon-worthy and a page-turner! I was actually in a meeting all day when I picked this up and I was hiding my phone so I could read it! It's that good! Keaton comes from a very wealthy family and he has a lot on his plate, like trying to win the presidential race of the fraternity to please his father, a girlfriend wanting to try something new, a father with high expectations of what he wants Keaton to do with his future, and playing football games. When his GF of six years asks him to do a threesome, Keaton wants to please her so he signs up for a hooking up app. Keaton knew he was straight and that the threesome was for his GF. But when he joins Kink and starts talking to SinnerThree, he starts questioning himself. Luke comes from a dysfunctional family. He barely has enough money to pay rent and buy groceries. The struggle is real for him. When he finds out that the winner of the presidential race gets free housing, he jumps at the chance to win. As a distraction from all the stress, Luke spends his time checking out Kink and it is there he finds LobsterShorts. What started out as something for Keaton's GF, turns into a game of exploration, sarcasm and teasing between Luke and Keaton. I was super giddy with these two. They have no idea who each other is outside of the app so it was fun to see them being all hateful towards one another at the frat house, but joking and really building a friendship on the app. I honestly love how hot yet freaking unique and hilarious the sexting is. Keaton knows a lot of animal facts and he always picks the ones that have a penis or gives a sexual fact about them. It makes for funny conversations between the two of them. The one that had me laughing was the flatworm penis fencing! It's safe to say I learned a lot and piqued my interest to learn about these animals. I know some of you may be wondering about the girlfriend. To be completely honest, Annika was barely in the picture. And when she was, her relationship with Keaton felt more like a friendship than anything. Yes, Keaton was exploring his sexuality with Luke through messages, but it never felt like he was truly cheating. And the story goes more in depth, explaining their friendship/relationship. As I said earlier, this book is truly hilarious. But there's also an emotional aspect to it that was pulling my heartstrings. Luke's story is truly sad and my heart was breaking for him. He really doesn't think that someone can do something for him just because they care. This is due to the fact that he has a shitty family, who only keep him around to drain him of his money. He also doesn't think that he's worth it, and believes that Keaton is wasting his time on someone like him. My baby! I just wanted to hug him and love him so much! But thankfully, my boy Keaton was always there showing Luke he was worth it. There's this weekend getaway that was so wonderful and Luke couldn't believe Keaton had done this for him (just read it so we can both cry and fangirl). Overall, Top Secret is an invigorating, addicting, delicious, sweet, funny and heartfelt page-turner with an enemies-to-lovers romance that is sizzling and intoxicating!

Oh, I love when these two get together... Elle and Sarina in their own are great, but together they’re amazing! I LOVED this book! Luke and Keaton are such awesome characters. I loved the hate to love aspect of this book as well as the strong frat aspect. Luke was kind of a surprising character for me. I wasn’t expecting a character like him in this book, but he’s perfect. Keaton is awesome as well. Your typical frat boy, but also not. I loved his parents as well and loved the twist with them. You’re expecting one thing, and they’re the other, which I’m glad of. This is a great story of discovery, love, life, and humour. If MM is your thing, or even if it isn’t, give it a go!

3.5 porque me gusto pero esperaba mucho más del libro ngl

I could rant about how I feel robbed of a better resolution, but I'll just say that orcas are not whales, let alone killer whales, and the so called chilean lobster is not a lobster, they're actually crustaceans from two distinct taxonomic families.

realmente no es nada nuevo para mi pero AAAAAAAAAAAAAA quedé completamente enamorada de los personajes y de su historia

🥵🥵🥵🥵🥵

OMG THIS WAS THE CUTEST THING EVER!!! I have the biggest grin on my face! Ahhhhh this left me feeling all the happy feels! It was hilarious and so sweet!!! I desperately need to pick up Him and Us!!! Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy are magic together!

Ok no soy de hacer reseñas, solo escribo frases o pongo letras sin sentido por que aja. Pero bueno hola. Desde que escuché la sipnosis de este libro ya sabía que me iba a gustar, tenemos un rivals to lovers, que al mismo tiempo tienen alter egos y se van conociendo sin saber quienes son AND MAKE IT GAY, bitch i am in. Si hubieron partes que no me terminaron de convencer ((spoiler, aka que kaeton en un momento estaba conciente de estar engañando a annika y aun asi hablo con Luke)) , y las spicy scenes tal vez me dieron un poco de cringe??? xd Bueno me gustaron los personajes, especialmente Luke. Y también me gusta la trope del personaje hetero que al final pues ni era tan hetero ahq. Este libro me dio lo que me prometió asi que se merece sus 5 estrellitas <3 Como que tampoco es una reseña esto pero shhh anyways so

I definitely wasn’t expecting this to go the way it did by the reviews so I was pleasantly surprised. This story was so wholesome and cute I couldn’t stand the cuteness and smut. Absolutely loved getting to know both Keaton & Luke, it was very interesting. I’ve been in a MM hole lately and I must say I haven’t seen a dynamic like this one before which I might add is a bit strange. Meeting on a dating app is typically the norm for queer men and queer people in general so I love the fact that the authors explored that. Also I really really applaud the inclusion of Dom & sub play in here. I’ve never seen that, normally when you read MM the top and bottom are determined but that doesn’t necessarily mean dom and submissive relationship so that was really cool to see in here. Both our MCs are scorching hot boys so the steam was THERE🥵 Overall I definitely enjoyed this book Elle & Sarina make nothing but magic when they come together and a girl can dream that they continue to do so.

4.5⭐️ I was so excited to read this book, it’s been on my tbr since I read Him. I absolutely adored the Him series when I read it in June, so I couldn’t wait to read another book by this duo. They didn’t disappoint. I adored Keaton and Luke. They couldn’t be more different but they worked so well together. They had some serious chemistry and I love that they fall in love without really knowing who the other is. They didn’t have an easy relationship, so it was even better when they got together properly! The spice was so good too! The sexting! I was hooked. Also, their conversations in the beginning really made me laugh. I loved that everything worked out for them in the end. I really felt for Luke, he struggled so much with money and his awful family. I’m glad he got his HEA. And I’m glad Luke’s family was supportive of him too. I need more books by these authors together!!

How was this book so freaking cute?! Bowen and Kennedy are a magical duo and I’ll forever read anything they write. Their romances are the perfect mix of great characters, chemistry, steamy sex and jealousy inducing relationships. Keaton was so freaking hot and nerdy! I loved that he had all this weird mating knowledge about animals it was so funny. Throw in the lobster print shorts and I was a goner from the moment he cracked a lobster joke. Luke was so broken down I just wanted him to be successful so badly. He’s worked hard to achieve his dreams and had such a hard time opening up to Keaton and accepting help from others. Broke my dang heart. I enjoyed their journey with its many ups and downs. The romance was the grumpy x sunshine trope that I love so much (maybe a slight enemies to lovers?). Keaton definitely have me golden retriever vibes while Luke compared himself to a surly alley cat which totally fit. It also made for a very interesting bed dynamic. Luke was definitely the dominant one, giving orders and demands which was incredibly hot. Then you have Keaton, my sweet cinnamon roll, who loved being bossed around but wasn’t afraid to stand up for himself and ask for what he wanted. I love that the story doesn’t just end when they find out just who is in the other side of the phone screen. We get a whole story about two guys who are still trying to figure out life and love. I feel like I’ve being using the word “cute” too much in my reviews of these authors books lately but it truly was a cute story.

I think it’s more of a 3.5. I just found out this book was releasing about a week ago and I was ecstatic because I love these two authors and their first collab together Him is one of my all time favorite romance novels. I have a feeling nothing will ever match the joy I feel when reading that book, but I still had high expectations from this one. And as I suspected, it didn’t completely live up to them nor did it disappoint in any way. Keaton is a rich third generation legacy kid at his college and knows his privilege, but he is not too much of a show off about it which I liked. He is also a biology major and complete science nerd which was such a refreshing change and I adored it. He is also not very freaked out about possibly being bisexual and is open to explore that side of him and I enjoyed this laidback attitude of his. He did seem to come across as pushover where his father was concerned, but being unable to handle parent’s expectations felt quite realistic in his scenario. Luke on the other hand is comfortable in his sexuality but has lived a hard life with a broken family, which makes him quite emotionally unavailable. But I liked that he was hardworking and very ambitious, sure of what he wanted to achieve in his future. I just felt I didn’t get to know him as much as Keaton. They are mostly antagonistic towards each other in real life initially but the friendship starts off as anonymous on a hookup app and I thoroughly enjoyed their interactions. The banter was fun and sexy, sometimes very hilarious which kept me smiling most of the times. It also takes time for their relationship to develop emotionally in real life and I was all for it. However, it didn’t work out very convincingly for me. There are also a few side characters, especially in the fraternity but I didn’t feel like we got to know anyone well enough. I really liked Keat’s ex-girlfriend Annika for being such a great friend and also being decisive in her choices. The biggest surprise definitely were Keat’s parents and I didn’t see that coming but I’m glad for how their arc played out. I love reading these author’s books because I mostly know what I’m getting into and I love the comfort of predictability. This story is fun and fast paced, with lots of hilarious dialogue and some very emotional moments, making it a good complete package. I’m also a huge fan of books where the relationship develops through messages or emails, and I thought that part was written exceedingly well. And while I thoroughly enjoyed their sexual connection in real life, I didn’t feel like the couple’s emotional arc was given enough time to develop. I definitely would have liked to see more time spent on developing Luke’s accepting of his feelings for Keaton. The ending just felt a tad rushed and abrupt and while I totally wanted the HEA, I think it just suddenly happened. I have heard that there’s a wonderful extended epilogue for newsletter subscribers but it hasn’t showed up in my email yet and I’m eagerly waiting, hoping it will give me a little more satisfaction for this couple’s love story. Overall, I just wanna say that this love story was entertaining and fun and quite sexy, a very quick read for when you just want to breeze through a book. If you are a Sarina Bowen or Elle Kennedy fan, you should check it out. As this one looks like a stand-alone for now, it might also be a good choice for anyone wanting to newly explore the m/m romance genre. While it didn’t wow me like some of their previous works, it was quite enjoyable and I had a good time reading it.

Gosh I was not expecting to love this so much. I’m definitely going to read everything else by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy now. This is the most excited I’ve been about any romance authors in ages. Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

4.5 stars. I bumped this down because there was way too much talk about tight abs and discussion about working out in just a general meat head fashion but this was so so cute and an extremely pleasant way to spend my day!

Me encanta cuando Sarina y Elle escriben estas M/M historias... Desde Him & Us sabía que cualquier libro que escribieran me iba a gustar, y desde que salió el nombre de este libro sabía que me iba a encantar y así fue 😍 Me encantó la historia, los personajes, todo... cada vez que terminaba un capítulo quedaba con ganas de más y trataba de leerlo en cualquier momento libre. Espero que en un futuro saquen más libros así

Find this review and more at kimberlyfaye reads. I can't even begin to tell you how excited I was when the ARC for Top Secret hit my Kindle. Separately, Sarina and Elle are two of my top fave authors. Together? They're freaking magical. Their co-authored romances are at the top of my favorite m/m romance list. I'm thrilled — and totally unsurprised — to say Top Secret landed there, too. Keaton and Luke were the freaking best. I loved these guys. I was a little unsure how the whole story would pan out, what with Keaton looking for a threesome for his girlfriend for her birthday and all. But it turns out I had absolutely no reason to worry. (Which, come on, I should've known. Sarina and Elle wouldn't let me down.) From their initial messages to each other — which got SUPER HOT — to their discovery of each other's identities and all that came after, I was here for it. Top Secret was funny, sexy, sweet and even knocked me in the feels a couple times. I don't read a ton of new adult OR m/m romance these days, but I will make an exception for this author duo any day of the week. Their characters and stories are just so flipping good. I didn't want to stop reading Top Secret once I started. It was literally unputdownable. Keaton and Luke made me smile. Like, the entire time I was reading it. Or at least when I wasn't blushing. 😂 Not to be a totally greedy reader (which I am), but I hope to see more of them in the future. I could easily see Top Secret as the kickoff to a new series... and I hope it is. I received a complimentary copy of this book for review consideration. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Favorite Quotes: The whole setup is irresistible. Hot frat brother who wants to be fucked? They make gay porn like this because real life doesn't actually work this way. I'm just a guy, standing on a beach in nothing but his favorite pair of lobster shorts, waiting for the right man to love me.

MUST Read. “I’m not pissed,” he says helplessly. “I’m not pissed, because do you realize the last time anybody remembered my birthday, let alone celebrated it, was back in high school?” I frown. “Not even your family?” Luke laughs bitterly. “Especially them. The last time my mother wished me a happy birthday was when I turned sixteen.” He shakes his head a few times. “I can’t believe you did this.” “But you’re not pissed,” I hedge. “Not much. I’m fucking touched, okay? Even if I want to punch you for making me feel this way.” What started out as a birthday surprise for his girlfriend, turned into a connection soul deep. It was never about her - only them. Luke and Keaton. Two very different people from both sides of the tracks with one similar goal for very different reasons: become their frat president. They didn’t realize that they were the person each other needed. “Top Secret,” is a standalone MM romance by authors Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. It is an enemies to lovers college romance. It’s filled with hot chemistry, heartache and small moments that bring tears to your eyes. It shows that love is love and that it is so important to fight for that. This was my first book by this duo and will not be my last. I loved every moment of this story.

This was the perfect lighthearted read to get me out of my reading funk. I enjoyed the balance of sugar and spice. Luke and Keaton both had complicated relationships with their families that they resolved in their own ways. And Annika was so sweet. It’s just one of those books that makes me think, “it doesn’t always have to be that deep.”

New M/M romance from Elle Kennedy & Sarina Bowen!!! Thanks to the authors for generously providing me an arc to review.