Top Secret
Author: Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy
Publisher: Tuxbury Publishing LLC and Elle Kennedy Inc (May 7, 2019)
Kindle edition, 319 pages
Goodreads | Amazon
Summary
LobsterShorts, 21. Jock. Secretly a science geek. Hot AF.
LobsterShorts: So. Here goes. For her birthday, my girlfriend wants…a threesome.
SinnerThree: Then you’ve come to the right hookup app.
LobsterShorts: Have you done this sort of thing before? With another guy?
SinnerThree: All the time. I’m an equal opportunity player. You?
LobsterShorts: [crickets!]
SinnerThree, 21. Finance major. Secretly a male dancer. Hot AF.
SinnerThree: Well, I’m down if you are. My life is kind of a mess right now. School, work, family stress. Oh, and I live next door to the most annoying dude in the world. I need the distraction. Are you sure you want this?
LobsterShorts: I might want it a little more than I’m willing to admit.
SinnerThree: Hey, nothing wrong with pushing your boundaries…
LobsterShorts: Tell that to my control-freak father. Anyway. What if this threesome is awkward?
SinnerThree: Then it’s awkward. It’s not like we’ll ever have to see each other again. Right? Just promise you won’t fall in love with me.
LobsterShorts: Now wouldn’t that be life-changing…

Review
I loved the last book Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy collaborated on, Him, so I went into Top Secret expected to have my socks knocked off. I am pleased to report that I was not disappointed. 🙂 This book is everything.
I especially love the way Sarina and Elle write Keaton and his exploration of his sexuality. I hate books that are “gay for you,” and that’s not how Keaten is written at all. Instead there is a thoughtful portrayal and shows him exploring his sexuality and realizing he likes guys – and not just his online potential-threesome-partner SinnerThree, but as he starts looking within himself he starts noticing guys in general, and is like “Oh, I guess maybe I’m not straight after all.”
I love the chemistry between LobsterShorts and SinnerThree – especially Lobsterman’s weird animal facts! This book is written in the first person present tense, and the chapters switch off between being from Keaton’s POV and Luke’s. I am a total sucker for enemies to lovers and for the mistaken identities trope, so this book was basically like candy made especially for me. I didn’t care for Keaton much at the beginning of the story (definitely Team Luke!) but then as the book goes on he won me over, weird scientific animal fact by animal fact.
OOH, also, Keaton’s parents! I die. I really liked Annika by the end as well. Now I need MORE BOOKS by the creative genius that is the Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy duo. STAT!
I will never not insta-buy them. They’re so fantastic!!
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This sounds so great! I also don’t love “gay for you” books, so I’m glad the authors took the time to make it more of a complex character exploration. Great review!
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I’m so glad you loved this one. I really like Him and Us by these two, so I need this one ASAP.
-Lauren
http://www.shootingstarsmag.net
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