The Book Boyfriend Addict

Wanting him makes so very little sense.

And still, I do.

Being fascinated by him is dangerous.

And still, I can’t stop.

This was another fantastic story from Briar Prescott! While this book can stand alone, I highly recommend reading Until You first. Mostly because that book was excellent but also because that’s where you’ll first meet Steph. He was Jude’s best friend and a bit of a mess, popping in and out of his life seemingly on a whim. I really loved learning more about him and getting the chance to really understand him. He’s notorious amongst his friends for being a little flakey and for making poor decisions but we quickly learn he’s just hiding behind that persona. He’s hiding quite a lot of pain and loneliness behind his carefree attitude and it’s served him well for the past 10 years.

He’s not supposed to know me.

But he does.

I’m not supposed to like it.

But I do.

It’s not until he gets mixed up in a fake dating scenario with his arch-enemy Quinn Henris that his facade starts to crack. Quinn, an ex-Olympic swimmer who seems to have his life together, has never understood Steph. They’ve never gotten along but Quinn’s always suspected there was more to Steph than he allows people to see. A suspicion he’s even more convinced of after spending a week together pretending to be boyfriends for Quinn’s family. His curiosity causes Quinn to pursue Steph in earnest after their week of faking it. Steph knows he should run, he knows that Quinn learning the truth about him will only ruin him but he’s never been known for his good decision-making…

With every event in life, there’s a turning point.

That moment when gears shift and course changes.

That moment you later look back on and think, Ah. This is where I should have gotten off the ride.

But you didn’t.

And now you’re screwed.

One of my favorite things in Until You was the amazing banter between Jude and Blake and I was so pleased to see that this book also had some pretty awesome banter. Steph and Quinn traded barbs a lot during the early parts of the book, it was very entertaining, and I loved that even as they started to fall for one another, they still kept up the witty banter and inside jokes. There were a few parts where Steph wove quite the tale for Quinn that had me laughing out loud. His mind was an interesting place!

“What if we would be good?” he says in a low voice.

“What if we would be horrible?” I counter, searching his eyes. For what? I don’t know. 

I find only certainty.

This book was also so swoony as Quinn and Steph fell for one another. It was just a lot of little things that added up to a lovely connection between the two. I love how Quinn never gave up on Steph, despite Steph’s best efforts to keep his secrets hidden. My heart really went out to Steph. We didn’t learn until late in the story the full story of his past but he was so convinced that he didn’t deserve to be loved or to be happy – even though he so badly wanted both of those things. And the way he leaned into it once he found it with Quinn, even though he didn’t think he’d be able to keep it – oh, my heart! I cried real tears at the end of this one. It was such a beautiful ending.

I should also mention that while this was a bit of a slow burn, the chemistry between Quinn and Steph always sizzled. And when they finally got together, it was very hot! This story was a perfect blend of humor, heart, heat, and swoon. This is only the second book I’ve read from Briar Prescott but I’m already a big fan! I’m definitely going to go back and check out her older books.

“You know, it might be nice to be with somebody nice.”

“I imagine it would be,” he says, still avoiding my gaze.

“I mean, life would definitely be easier.”

He swallows hard.

“Tons,” he says.

“But instead I got you.”